When Sarah’s husband was diagnosed with a severe autoimmune disease, it was a huge shock which changed their lives drastically as they both had to learn to live with the condition, which attacks capillaries throughout his body.

Sarah commented: “Our life before the diagnosis was full of social outings and meeting up with friends and family. Pete was always active and enjoyed tinkering with little projects, from working on his old cars, to landscaping our garden and helping our daughters by decorating their houses.”

“But since his diagnosis, life has been severely compromised. We try to meet up with friends and family as much as possible, but we might have to cancel at the last minute depending on his pain levels. We face constant hospital visits and appointments, and I find it difficult to plan things for myself anymore. However, we carry on happy and contented as we have just learnt to adapt!”

“I was chatting to one of my friends about how it has changed our lives, and she said ‘Oh, you’re an unpaid carer then!’ I hadn’t really thought about it as I just got on with it, but I guess I am! I knew about Devon Carers, but hadn’t contacted them before, so she spurred me on to call them.”

She continued: “I chatted with their friendly Helpline and they told me about some of the many benefits their free service provides to make carers lives easier. First was the Carers ID Card and Passport. This has made a massive difference to us! I no longer have the stress of waiting at the hospital car parking machines when there are big queues, I simply pop by the main reception and give my car registration and show my Carers ID Card, such a relief when I’m already stressed about attending an appointment with him!”

“I also love the Carers Passport because it enables us to enjoy visiting participating local attractions for free, and with Pete’s pensioner’s discount, we have lovely quality days out in beautiful surroundings for very little outlay. I’m looking forward to using it for other outings as well.”

“I’m also going to book onto one of their workshops called ‘Coping with the stresses of waiting for test results’, which will help me when I’m attending Pete’s appointments. I know he never feels he takes all the medical information in when we go, so I’m hoping to use these techniques to talk to health professionals, to help me feel more prepared and in control. We are continually waiting for test results, which is incredibly trying and stressful, so I am looking forward to learning hints and tips to help us manage these times as well.”

“Finally, and maybe the most selfish, I applied for the Carers Break Fund and bought a load of craft supplies for a little me time!

“I have created a whole new space in my home office with all the materials laid out, so whether I have 15 minutes or a few hours spare, I can pop in and get creative, which I find really therapeutic!”

 “Thank you, Devon Carers, your support is invaluable.”