Tom's story 

Tom was in his 60s when he contacted LionHeart following a serious illness.

After his own treatment was complete, his wife was unfortunately then diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

He said: "Add all this to the after-effects of Covid and disruption to my practice and it was all just overwhelming.

"LionHeart is something I've supported throughout my professional life - some 40 years plus - but this was the first time I had ever reached out to them for help. I am delighted that I did."

Initially he had regular calls with his assigned LionHeart support officer, saying: "Even the initial calls enabled me to gain a sense of perspective and just the feeling that there was someone out there who could support me."

His support officer then suggested Tom consider taking up counselling through LionHeart, which he decided to accept.

While struggling with the impact of his wife's illness, and the implications for their future, he found counselling to be beneficial.

He said: "It has obviously not been able to provide a solution to my ongoing problems, but what it did was to provide me with a sense of order and equip me to cope moving forward, for which I am very grateful."

For now, Tom's counselling sessions have come to an end but he feels more prepared for the future. He knows he can contact LionHeart at any time to access further support or a listening ear as his wife's illness progresses.