JIM'S STORY
Jim Finney first came to the Hope Specialist Respiratory Service in July 2008 and joined the Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme a month later. He has now been a volunteer with Hope for more than twelve years.
“After being diagnosed with COPD, I was referred to Hope Street for rehab. After the rehab I was so impressed that I felt that I should give something back to help the organisation. At first, I was not sure about the role of a buddy, so instead I assisted Claire with the Breathe Easy group, which was affiliated to the British Lung Foundation. We provided support and social activities for patients and I found this very rewarding.
When Claire gave up her role I took over, but after some time I realised that being affiliated to
the BLF restricted what we were able to do, so we opted out and the Hope Social Group was formed to provide a way for patients to socialise after treatment, thus staying in touch with the Hope family.
By this time, I had already become a Pulmonary Rehab Buddy and the whole experience was so worthwhile that I felt that I was able to make a useful contribution. Later, after a mild stroke, Hope again came to my rescue, urging me to take a Falls Rehab course, which helped my recovery enormously.
I became a volunteer to give thanks for what Hope had done for me after being diagnosed with COPD, but in a way, Hope has given me far more than I have given them and I hope that I may continue to support for some time to come, as it gives me a purpose.”