How Skillstep Can Change your Life
There is no doubt that Henshaws has been fundamental in giving me back my life.
My eyes have been subject to a multitude of complications from birth, including congenital cataracts and glaucoma, and by the time I was 4 years old I was registered blind. I remember being confused and asking my dad what was wrong with my eyes, to which he replied ‘Just about everything.’
In December 2007 I suffered from a detached retina which I had surgery for. As part of the recovery process I had to sit with my head down regularly during the day, known as posturing. At the time, my sight was the most important thing to me and I was determined to save it. I became desperate to protect the sight that I had left. I would sit for 50 minutes every hour posturing, with only 10 minutes to eat, wash, change etc. I even timed it to the last second. I cannot begin to describe how torturous this time was. Nothing else mattered anymore. I suffered from sleep deprivation and was exhausted to a crazy level, but I didn’t care. Every part of me was silently screaming out for help. The fear of going blind, and the misery of spending up to 20 hours a day in this position consumed me; it led to severe and acute depression that came on suddenly and without warning. It lasted a whole year and was as if I had been hit by a train. I started to have hallucinations and was convinced my wife would tell me to go outside and lie down on the road to die, and my mother would say I should be the first one in my family to commit suicide. After everything I put myself through to save my eyesight, my retina became detached again and everything went dark. I’ve never felt more lonely and broken.
Philippa, the Skillstep Team Leader of Henshaws in Newcastle, was referred to me. She came to my house but I wasn’t interested. She was very patient and persevered with me to get the help I needed. When I had the appointment with the doctor he realised that I had to be committed as I was becoming a danger to myself and others. I was admitted into hospital and treated with electronic shock therapy for three months. Philippa trained the nurses and doctors to deal with my unique case of depression and blindness, which helped a lot. I became better, and decided to give Henshaws a try.
It was a breakthrough. On my first day at Henshaws I loved how everyone was so committed to helping me. I underwent the Skillstep course, which simply left me astounded, as I never believed I could use a computer again. Thanks to Philippa and Henshaws I am now able to take up my love for computers and surfing the Internet again using specialist screen reading software. What I enjoyed most about Henshaws was their dedication in treating me as an individual and I feel very fortunate to have discovered them.
My Henshaws journey has been a short but life-changing one. I now have so much newfound enthusiasm for living that I don’t feel like my blindness can hold me back anymore. Of course I still have days where I miss seeing my wife’s face or am disappointed that I won’t see the world the way I should, but it hasn’t stopped me from loving every minute of life.
With my new skills I decided to set up my own business called G Wizz Couriers, acting as freight forwarders to collect parcels and deliver them around the world. I don’t believe anything is impossible now; my ambition is to become a millionaire so that I can be a source of inspiration to others and show that it can be done. It might not happen, but that doesn’t matter. After all, it’s the journey that counts. And you never know if you keep aiming high in life one day you might just get there.
