Life for mum of one, Nikki, 39 is a daily struggle as she lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Because of her disability, Nikki lacked confidence to get out and about with her two-year-old son Archie until Home-Start Bradford District volunteer Debbie came into her life.
Nikki’s Story
My disability affects my left arm and left leg, with me having no use of my left arm at all. While I have found ways to do everyday stuff, I have always found it harder to get out and about and I was really struggling and feeling isolated.
I told a health professional that I had lost the confidence to get out and they referred me to Home-Start Bradford District. It sounded like it would help me to build that confidence up so I could do a range of things with my son.
They matched us with a volunteer called Debbie and she was lovely – really kind, caring, helpful and easy to talk to. I found that I could talk openly to her about anything and she would help me and give me advice and tips on how to deal with everything.
Debbie worked with me to build up my confidence to get out and about with Archie. This support has enabled me to go to places on my own like the playgroup I now attend every week.
Thanks to Debbie’s support, I can now go to more places with Archie and he is socialising and meeting new friends. I have also made new friends along the way.
Home-Start Bradford District is a wonderful service that has helped me in my life. Debbie has given me the confidence to get out more and be myself.
If you enjoyed this, you may want to read our interview with volunteer, Debbie:
