Who will your Big Curry help?

Families like Dave, Kim and Leah Johnstone

Dave is a Sergeant attached to 71 Engineer Regiment, and has been serving since 1986.

Dave and Kim’s 16-year-old daughter, Leah, has a rare chromosome disorder that means she needs round-the-clock care. She is paralysed on the left side of her face and is partially blind and deaf. Leah has severe epilepsy, cystic fibrosis and scoliosis, and is incontinent and totally immobile.

Giving Leah 24/7 care leaves Dave and Kim exhausted. Because Leah needs care through the night, they never get proper rest. Leah receives respite care two nights a week, but when Dave is away, Kim understandably struggles.

Thanks to our supporters, The Soldiers’ Charity has been able to pay for additional nights of respite care and give Kim some time to herself.

Kim says: “Life’s never been normal but The Soldiers’ Charity has given me normality. Having nursing care gives me rest, recuperation, support and peace of mind.”

Dave says, “The Soldiers’ Charity has given us a bit of life back, an opportunity to be parents again, not just carers.”

People like Dean Nicholls

After serving with the Royal Welch Fusiliers (now the Royal Welsh) for eight years, Dean Nicholls was medically discharged in 1983 after suffering a brain haemorrhage. It wasn’t until five years later that he was able to return to work as a postman in Pontypool, but in 2001 ill health forced his retirement.

Dean’s health continued to be a problem last year when a blood clot in his leg resulted in an above-the-knee amputation. His old house was no longer adequate and his local authority found the family a new house that was better suited to his disability. A grant from The Soldiers’ Charity provided Dean with the means to buy furniture, saving the family from having to start again in an empty house after a big upheaval. “This grant was a real help so I’m very grateful,” Dean told us.

Dean’s son Adam is planning to follow in his father’s and his grandfather’s footsteps, and has recently become a Cadet with The Royal Welsh.

For more about who The Soldiers’ Charity helps click here