In our latest story of Independent Lives, we spoke to Jay. Jay is a 36-year-old man living in East Sussex with cystic fibrosis. Despite the challenges posed by his condition, Jay leads an active and engaging life, supported by his personal assistant, Dawn, through a Direct Payment facilitated by Independent Lives. Cystic fibrosis is a
Debbie has been using Independent Lives services since 2007. She lives in Horsham. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when I was in my early twenties. I was hit by a car, and immediately after the accident I had numbness from my waist down. The symptoms of numbness would subside and then return, and
Maxine has been using Independent Lives services since 2023. She lives in Worthing with Lottie and her husband. I had Lottie in 2003, which, looking back on it now, seems a lifetime ago. I didn’t know that I was pregnant with a daughter with Down Syndrome, she was diagnosed 24 hours after she was born.
Leanne has been using Independent Lives services since 2022. She lives in Crawley with her daughter. Life has been a struggle for us for a long time. Aside from living with my impairments, my daughter and I escaped domestic abuse and lived in one room for three years. When we arrived in Sussex, we didn’t
Jill lives in Croydon with her husband and her dog. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000 and has been using Direct Payments since 2014. She joined Independent Lives in 2020. Jill began receiving Direct Payments in 2014, after reaching a point where she needed extra support. When my impairment began to worsen, my
Our carers respite service provides activities for older people, people with support needs, and those living with dementia. We spoke to Laura about how the service has supported her and her husband, Norman. Norman was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2017. After his diagnosis the first few years were fine, but since the pandemic, it’s really
Ann has been with Independent Lives since June 2022. She spoke to us about the impact Direct Payments have had on her life. Ann was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. “I had a large cancer in my right lung. I was put on chemotherapy to try and shrink it because doctors were concerned that it had
Steph has been receiving Direct Payments for her daughter Abby for nearly 20 years. Abby was diagnosed with Autism at the age of four. “As she was getting older, she started having more issues. When she started primary school is when her Autism began to have a real impact.” Steph was initially supported by Abby’s teachers.
Sue lives in Worthing with her husband. She’s been using the Independent Lives Care Service since 2015. Sue used to be a carer before health issues meant that she needed to stop working. “I was a carer for 38 years and then I developed Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis in my sixties. I managed without support for a
Independent Lives is proud to present Tyler’s Story. Watch the full film online now. Shot locally in and around Worthing, ‘Tyler’s Story’ follows Tyler as he goes about his life, meeting friends, going to work, the gym and enjoying his hobbies. It draws attention to the challenges and stigma he faces as a disabled man
