BEHIND SHARON'S SMILE IS A STORY OF RESILIENCE, LOVE AND THE LIFE CHANGING POWER OF ASKING FOR HELP
Sharon's Story...
I'd like to share my story with you, and ask you to donate just £15 to Leuchie, because I know what a difference it could make to someone living in your community. I grew up in Eyemouth and met my husband Neil in 1994, just before he joined the Army. We built a life full of adventure, raising two sons while moving across the UK and abroad. I was the rock of the family, running the household, working in a secondary school, and supporting Neil through his military career.
Then everything changed.
Whilst driving to my mum's one day, my leg suddenly felt very heavy, and I was struggling to lift it from the brake. At first, doctors thought it was a trapped nerve. But eventually, I received the devastating news that I had multiple sclerosis (MS).
"I KEPT SAYING WE WERE FINE, BUT WE WERE BROKEN. WE JUST WEREN'T HUSBAND AND WIFE ANYMORE."
As my condition progressed, I leaned more heavily on Neil. Suddenly, he was doing everything; his job, the kids, the house, and caring for me 24/7. I kept saying we were fine, but we were broken. We just weren't husband and wife anymore.
It was the hardest time in our lives. Then, one day the unthinkable happened. Neil, feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, drove off, not expecting to come back. A stranger noticed something was wrong and intervened, saving his life. That moment opened the door to support we didn't know existed, in the shape of Leuchie.
Leuchie is the only charity of it's kind, providing 24-hour specialist holidays and long-term care for people like me living with neurological conditions, who seem to have been forgotten by our struggling health and social care services. For me, the fact that Neil and my boys get a vital break from caring, while I get this amazing holiday is priceless.
I was nervous on my first visit. I worried it would feel like an old people’s home...I’m a young 52! - but it couldn’t be further from the truth. That first night, I ate dinner in my room, too anxious to join the others. But the next morning, I couldn’t believe what I woke up to! The staff were amazing, nothing was too much and they all knew my name. I wasn’t ‘mum’ or ‘love’, I was Sharon again. And that meant everything. I have so many friends at Leuchie now and so much to look forward to when I go there on holiday. I found activities tailored to my needs and interests, from woodland walks in the beautiful grounds, to getting right onto the beach with Beach Wheelchairs! In the house there are specialist Motomed bikes, which move my legs for me. The therapy team spent loads of time with me, adjusting my wheelchair and referring me on to the Wheelchair Smart Centre, to ensure my mobility needs would be supported once I went home.
"I used to avoid leaving the house because I didn't want to be looked at. But at Leuchie, the doors are open. I can go out, sit in the sun and feel safe."
While I enjoy my break, Neil recharges, visits family, or simply gardens without watching the clock. Our sons get to relax, knowing their parents are supported.
But this kind of care is only possible with your help.
Leuchie must raise over £1.5 million a year to keep providing these vital services. They fill a critical gap in our struggling NHS and social care system offering support that simply isn’t available elsewhere. The urgent need to raise money for Leuchie is real. Without support, it could all fall apart and for me, that’s a scary thought.
Please donate to Leuchie today. Whatever you choose to give could give someone like me a chance to rest, heal, and to feel human again, and give carers like Neil the break they so desperately need.
Thank you,
Sharon
