Martyn Hooper

On Friday Fiona and I took along our small Gazebo to set up our stand at the Bridgend County Show.  When we eventually set up the gazebo it became apparent that we needed a much more robust model.  And so off we went to Argos and purchased a new Gazebo for £50 – it was supposed to have been £70.

The new model had three walls which offered some protection against the wind and rain and we were aware that heavy rain and gales were forecast for the week-end.  We arrived at the showground in heavy rain at 8 am on the Saturday and it was evident that the weather was keeping people away.  But by 1 pm the sun was shining and the crowds appeared.  We handed out our B12 Deficiency Check-List to around fifty people – some of whom scored highly and these were advised to tell their doctor about the symptoms.

We also had around thirty people present themselves to us telling us that their three-monthly injection was not sufficient and a great many of these patients were either been prescribed anti-depressants or had been prescribed them before.  All in all it was a succesfull day.

However, when Fiona, Sue and I turned up to the field the following morning we discovered that the Gazebo had been wrecked by vandals.  Three of the most important poles were broken and the tent had just collapsed.  Two other stands had also been wrecked by a group of boys.  The Security Guards had caught them, but had simply escorted them off the premises.  It was not possible to salvage anything and so we loaded up the car and, after breakfast at McDonalds, made our way home.

We have commitments to three other festivals during the summer and so we will need to buy another Gazebo before then.  Today there are three volunteers in the office.  Sue, Abigail and Fiona.  We have begun to plan for the Awareness Week and Awareness Day.

Today is Volunteer Information Day in Bridgend.  Along with around thirty other charities that work in the Bridgend area, we have been allocated a stand along with table and chairs where we can publicise what we do.  A year ago I was offered a place but, as we had no volunteers at that time, I declined.  This year Bethan and Fiona will be manning the stand and we have decided to offer a free test to discover whether members of the public could be B12 deficient.  Basically we have adapted Dr. Chandy and Sally Pacholok’s list of symptoms to find out if the person taking the test should mention to their GP whether they feel they need to be tested for deficiency.

The response was incredible that once again highlighted the dreadful way in which some patients are treated.  One member of the public who made a bee line for the test was 88yrs old.  In a wheelchair, the lady told us that up until she was in her early eighties she had received B12 injections every three months.  Then she was told that she no longer needed them because of her age.  Result – she is now confined to a wheelchair.  Bethan took her name and address and will send her our fact-sheet on Sub Acute Combined Degeneration of the Cord Secondary to Pernicious Anaemia.

One other lady who took the test ticked all but one of the symptoms.  “I sleep all the time” she told us.  “And she gets so moody” her husband informed us.  After taking the test and scoring so highly she left telling us that she would visit her doctor on Monday and ask to be tested.

Civil Dignitaries, including elected members, also took the test with mixed results.  This helped raise awareness of the work that we do – even if it did mean we got soaked by heavy rain on the Saturday…..