We were with her when she died, it was absolutely devastating. I loved that woman with all my heart. She looked after me when I was a kid and I looked after her when she was old. It’s just what you do.
Hannah's story
Hannah lost her auntie, grandad and almost her mum in a very short space of time. Finding herself at breaking point, she reached out to her very own charity for help.
Hannah and her auntie Sue were extremely close. Hannah had been caring for Sue for the past five years on top of battling osteoarthritis herself, raising two kids and working a full-time job as a civil servant. Sue had been battling a chronic lung disease for some time and when she passed away, Hannah was left heartbroken.
Not long after, Hannah’s grandad passed away and her mum was involved in a serious accident. Luckily her mum was OK after spending some time in hospital, but it still had a huge impact on the entire family.
I couldn’t even put into words how terrible it was. I was really unwell by this point and stress just took me out. I ended up taking time off work from anxiety.
Hannah reached out to a charity tailored to her needs – the Charity for Civil Servants. Following a supportive conversation with our help team, we found that we could give Hannah access to the Thrive app, allowing Hannah to access mental health and talking therapy.
At that point, the Charity helped me look after my mental health. It’s about having someone to listen to you and tell you you’re going to be alright. I don’t think I would have got through that time without their help.
Hannah’s now ready to share her story with others in the hope that they’ll come forward for help themselves. After such a tough year, she wants to remind her Civil Service community that they never have to face life’s challenges alone.
Being a civil servant is the best job I’ve ever had. If nobody helps each other, then where does that leave us? We’re supposed to be a community that works together, and you can do that by supporting the Charity for Civil Servants. That’s why I’m talking to you today.
Some elements of this story have been anonymised or changed to protect the person’s identity.
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