Welfare Case Study: After John nearly died, the RAF Association was our lifeline…
When ex-pats Tina and John Wren visited their native Scotland in summer 2017 they expected to stay for just a few weeks. Tina needed to spend a short time at university as part of her studies, before returning to their home in Malta.
But all that suddenly changed when John suffered a near-fatal heart attack at a Hearts football match, and needed to be hospitalised.
Tina said:
“If it wasn’t for a group of football fans who performed CPR on John in the stands, I’d have lost him. I was told he needed a triple heart-bypass, and I then realised we’d need to move back to Scotland permanently.”
Due to their personal circumstances, the couple could not find any suitable temporary accommodation or financial support.
Fortunately, because of her time as an Aircraftwoman in the RAF during her 20s, Tina was eligible for support from the RAF Association. She applied for help, and it quickly arrived in the form of caseworker George Prentice.
George, a retired RAF Corporal from Eyemouth, worked with the RAF Association’s Malta Branch and Edinburgh Branch to support the couple’s relocation, and applied on the couple’s behalf for funding from other military charities including the RAF Benevolent Fund and Poppy Scotland.
George said:
“We helped the couple move all their possessions from Malta to Scotland and relieved them of the burden of relocating. I made sure I was available to update and encourage Tina, who was feeling alone and vulnerable while John was recovering in hospital.”
George helped the couple to find a place to live in Stirling, where Tina took time off from her studies to look after John in their new home, where he made a full recovery.
Tina said:
“Our lives were turned upside down that summer, but thanks to George and the RAF Association we’re now back on track and looking to the future. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to live through, and I don’t know what I’d have done without their help.”
The RAF Association offers many other different types of welfare support for members of the RAF family.
To apply for support from the RAF Association, visit our welfare page.
Want to help?
Right now, there are members of the RAF community who are lonely and isolated. As a Connections Volunteer, you could change that. It’s a great way to use your skills, give something back and feel rewarded by the positive impact you have made. To find out more about volunteering email: [email protected].
