Vote for Back Up Mentoring to win National Lottery Award: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/back-mentoring

Joss James, 55, received mentoring in 2014. Her husband, Bill, had a spinal cord stroke that had left him partially paralysed.

Joss felt overwhelmed by the challenges she faced, including adapting their home and becoming his carer. “All those things have taken quite a lot of adjustment,” she said. “Back Up mentors have been there all the way helping me to come to terms with that.”

Joss was matched with Claire, the partner of someone with a high-level spinal cord injury. Joss found that Claire understood exactly what she was going through, and was the catalyst for many practical changes she needed to make to get Bill home.

“Claire couldn't have been nicer,” Joss said. “She was sympathetic and structured sessions so they were helpful and built on one another. She helped me cope even when things seemed quite hopeless.”

“It was just a relief to speak to Back Up about things that are so specific to spinal cord injury and that nobody else understands.”

Joss recommends everyone affected by spinal cord injury should get in touch with Back Up. “They are so caring and they are so good at keeping you going when things seem very tough.”

Vote for Back Up Mentoring to win National Lottery Award: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/back-mentoring

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