Gloucestershire
Daily living costs, Fundraising and awareness, Health and wellbeing
Gordon’s story
Following a bout of H3N2 virus, Gordon had his life turned upside down and had to rely on support from his wife, who is now his full-time carer. Whilst receiving support from the MCF, Gordon looked for ways to give back and wanted to help others that could be in a similar situation to himself.
Gordon, from Gloucestershire, kept himself very fit and had a physically active job as a Utility Arboricultural Surveyor, where he would speak with landowners to get permission for safety works around powerlines. Unfortunately, in the early hours of a March morning in 2018, he had to be rushed to hospital unable to breathe. Gordon was put on oxygen and was found to have the H3N2 virus.
Following this bout in 2018, Gordon needed to take time to recover before going back to work, however the return to work wouldn’t be straightforward. He returned to work in November 2018, but he was beginning to suffer from memory issues, as he forgot where he was. Thankfully, having a sat-nav helped him travel between sites. His energy levels were still incredibly low and he was constantly exhausted.
In 2019, Gordon suffered from another bout of H3N2. Unfortunately, this bout compounded the challenges he faced and brought up new ones, such as loss of mobility, sleep apnoea and muscle spasms. Also during this period, Gordon was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). These challenges made it more difficult to work and was medically retired in 2020. Due to the type of work he was engaged in, across his working career, Gordon had developed spinal issues, which are still an ongoing obstacle. This caused great anxiety for Gordon and his wife, as they had lost a valuable source of income.
Unable to receive much government support, due to owning their own home, Gordon was unsure on where to go for the support he needed.
As a Freemason, Gordon received publications like Freemasonry Today (FMT) and it was through this that he came across the MCF and saw that they help Freemasons across England and Wales. He phoned the enquiries line and our team sought to help him quickly, through informing his Province, who then sent an almoner to help. The almoner had visited Gordon and helped him fill out the forms to get the support he needed.
We helped Gordon through providing the funds to purchase a powerchair and we covered the costs associated with it. This really helped Gordon in gaining back some of the mobility that he had lost. Moreover, with the other challenges he faces, we funded his other care related items. Whilst he receives PIP, the funds from it hardly cover the costs of the support he needs.
Since receiving the support, Gordon and his wife felt a massive financial and psychological relief, and this had eased some of his ongoing health challenges. He began to feel more confident to get out of the house and was able to throw himself further into the community of Freemasonry.
Wanting to give back and help others who are in a similar situation to him, Gordon found out about the Will Writing Service offered by the MCF with the GoodWill Partnership. He was very thankful for the support he gets from the MCF and wanted to give back. Unable to donate much currently, Gordon has left a gift in his Will to the MCF. We are very grateful for his support.
The support from fellow Freemasons was outstanding and they were very supportive and understanding of my health issues. Thank you to the MCF and all of its supporters, words can’t express in any way my gratitude for your support, without which we wouldn’t be able to stay in our home.
