This week we’d like to help Jerry to retrain and start a new career. 

Jerry was diagnosed with an aggressive type of leukaemia. He has a partner, two young children and another baby due any day now.

Jerry has undergone intensive chemotherapy over the past few years, as well as a stem cell transplant. His transplant social worker said, “The type of treatment he had is one of the most intensive treatments for blood cancer to which an individual can be subjected.” It required a 6-month hospital stay and months of follow-ups. It took a significant toll on him physically, mentally, socially and financially, and deeply impacted his family as well.

The treatment has been successful and Jerry is in remission, but he still gets tired very easily and his immune system is seriously compromised.

Jerry has gone back to work in a factory doing 12-hour shifts, which involve standing all day and pushing and lifting heavy goods. The work is physically exhausting, and he is in close contact with dozens of people every day so has picked up back-to-back coughs, colds and infections. By the time Jerry gets home, he can barely stand. It upsets him that he can't play with his children, and he spends most of his days off resting.

Jerry said, “I don't want my children to grow up with that image of always seeing me on the sofa or in bed. My partner has already told me that when my daughter doesn't see me, she asks if I’m in bed. I've seen a change in my partner too, I know she’s not happy as I've become just a shell of the man I used to be.”

Jerry has had in-depth discussions with his social worker about options for his future, and he regularly talked about his love of driving. After exploring options, they agreed that becoming an HGV driver would be a good career change for him. It would enable him to work outside and to sit down, which would help his physical health and his mood. It would also minimise his contact with colleagues, giving him a better chance of staying infection-free. He knows it can still be a tiring job, but it is a much better fit for his current physical needs. Jerry is really excited at the prospect and has been spending every free moment preparing for the theory tests.

But there are no free training options in Jerry’s area, so he would need to pay for it himself. He needs more than £2000 to complete the training.

Jerry was nominated by his transplant social worker, who said this will be life-changing for Jerry and his family. We’d like to help.

*Name has been changed