John: “I would wake up in panics, to the point I was scared of going to sleep”
John Aitchison has candidly shared his journey with mental health challenges to encourage others across the fire service to reach out for help sooner than he did.
Real life story categories
Find out how Fire Fighters Charity has supported service users across the UK and how you can share your story with the fire community. Click categories or regions below to filter the list of stories.
After receiving tailored care and support from Fire Fighters Charity during his recovery from cancer, retired firefighter Drew Sloan organised a local fundraiser to give back – and raised over £3,000 in the process. Scottish firefighter Dan Cook visited Jubilee House, our centre in Penrith, earlier this year after injuring his leg – and says the support he received helped him get back on the run. Dougie Naismith was injured in the Clutha Vaults helicopter crash in 2013 and his daughter, Eilidh, says the mental impact it had on him never left him before his tragic suicide. Here, she shares their story… Susan Currie has visited Jubilee House twice, firstly with her firefighter husband, Hugh, and their children and again with her family while her mother-in-law received nursing support.
Drew: “I’ve always fundraised, so it was great to see the difference it can make”
Dan: “Everything was dialled down to my individual needs… I just didn’t expect that”
Eilidh: “My firefighter dad took his own life – having support available for families is vital”
Susan: “We were privileged to use this outstanding facility at a time when we really needed it”