You’ve forgotten what your reason to be is

I have difficulty in coming to terms with your decision to close the above care centre.

I have lived in this area of the Midlands for many years and known of the care centre since it was opened. I was diagnosed with MS 11 years ago (my type is PPMS) and regarded Helen Ley Centre as a lifeboat if needed. Fortunately I was able to carry on working for over ten years and it was only after two bad falls at home that I was forced to retire.

This year things got worse, my wife was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer last September and despite chemotherapy clearing most of the cells a secondary tumour in her liver killed her in March of this year. I guess a part of me died with her.

After the funeral my daughters got me booked into Helen Ley Care Centre, as they could see I was falling apart and to be fair when I went in I was thinking fairly seriously of taking some extra tablets. The staff and other patients were a big help, The other patients had come from all over the country Helen Ley’s reputation is well known. After a week I got my mind in a reasonable state, and I guess I was ready to face the world again.

So now what can I do to get you people down south to keep the place open. Firstly I have cancelled my direct debit and hopefully other members will do the same so maybe a reduction in funding will make you sit up.

Myton Hospice a few miles down the road has kept going for years by raising funds. Why can’t Helen Ley do the same, after all it was built this way?

I don’t think you realise what you have got with Helen Ley Care Centre. It is unique, there is no other place like it, I feel that your organisation has forgotten what “your reason to be is” you sit down in London attending meetings and somehow you have forgotten that you exist to help people with MS.

I await your response to this letter with interest. - Mike Bridges, Hatton Park, Warwick.