In 1982, I became a single below knee amputee, having elected to have my amputation because of the difficulties I was experiencing through my major disability which is Spina Bifida. As a disabled person I have a lifetime of direct experience of living with a disability.
I have worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years as a Welfare Benefits advisor giving support to disabled people. In 1986, along with two other amputees, I founded the Midland Association of Amputees and Friends (MAAF), which is a user led organisation covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. Over the past 30 years I have worked with hospital consultants and statutory organisations to develop a recognised pathway for amputees to return to independent living within their community and achieve a better quality of life.
In 2008 I became a trustee of the Limbless Association, which is where I first met Ray. We seemed to ‘click’ from the start, both of us with the shared experience of amputation. We work closely with individuals and their families to support people with a recent, long-term limb loss or who are about to have a selective amputation, to achieve the best possible outcome for them.
I have recently become a governor of Derbyshire Community Health Trust. This will enable me to pass on my knowledge and valuable experience gained over the last 30 years.
I am proud to have been asked to be a Patron of Limbcare and I look forward to working closely with Ray and the team.
I was first introduced to Ray some five years ago by one of his friends, David Spooner, when I was looking for extra special consultants to sit on my business panel of experts.
We met in the restaurant area of Roehampton Hospital when he was acting Chief Executive of the Limbless Association. The moment I was introduced to him, I liked him. He is a completely down to earth person with a sense of fun and 'joie de vivre', despite his disabilities. I was honoured to be asked to be a Patron of his new venture Limbcare and I accepted without hesitation.
I have followed Ray's adventures with interest and supported him when he left the Limbless Association, due to their move to Essex, which led to this latest project, Limbcare. Ray has such vision, dedication and a gift for giving to others, that he completely immerses himself in whatever he is doing for the benefit of so many amputees. When he was awarded the MBE, I could not have been more proud of him than he was.
Like Ray, I work for the benefit of disabled people so I was proud to be asked to be a Patron of Limbcare. The organisation does such good work for people who are struggling to come to terms with a huge change to their own personal lifestyles and Ray is a great example of the fact that one should never give up. He is an inspiration and the inspiration behind Limbcare. I am proud and happy to support both Ray and Limbcare.