Kelvyn: “This has changed everything for me and I can’t thank the charity enough”
Kelvyn Thompson says the support he received at Harcombe House helped him turn his life around, after struggling with his mental health following his time in Iraq.
Real life story categories
Find out how The Fire Fighters Charity has supported beneficiaries 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.
David: “I’m determined to get more out of MS than it gets out of me”
A lightweight wheelchair paid for by the charity opened up doors for former Fife firefighter David Leeson that he never thought were possible. From coastal rowing to representing his country at Wheelchair Curling, David says he is seeing and doing things he never thought he would when he was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 20 years ago.
Chris: “You helped me realise having a stoma isn’t the end of the world”
Chris Morrison is on a mission to prove that having a colostomy bag is not life-inhibiting. So much so, the Northern Irish temporary Watch Commander is trekking the Sahara Desert this autumn, to raise money for the charity as a way of saying thank you for helping him with his recovery.
Angela: “We were all there with a common bond and looked after each other”
Nervous at meeting strangers and unwilling to discuss the factors that led to her breakdown, firefighter's partner Angela Bell was reluctant to accept the offer of a stay at Harcombe House. But the friends she made became her support network in more ways than she could have imagined, and restored her faith in humanity.
Claire: “If you can’t ask for yourself, do it for your loved ones”
A last-minute stay at Marine Court gave single parent Claire Allen and her son Josh the time and space they needed to find peace, both with themselves and each other. Here the former retained firefighter from Devizes shares why she thinks people should cast aside embarrassment and ask for help when they need it.