Al's Story

Al’s invisible illnesses are life changing.

The pain Al feels every day is tremendous, but you wouldn’t know it. He has been diagnosed with Adult Stills Disease, a rare form of Rheumatoid Arthritis which is causing deterioration in every joint in his body and has targeted his heart. With chronic pain, hip replacements, major heart failure and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, his journey so far has been incredibly hard, and it will continue to be so. His condition is life changing and life limiting, yet he shares his story with a smile and a renewed zest for life which he found through gardening and Thrive.

“It’s tremendously difficult to have two serious invisible illnesses. I live with pain in every joint of my body, and on top of that, I have heart failure. The pressure is constantly on,” says Al.

Al managed to alter his lifestyle and business around having Adult Stills Disease, but when his condition targeted his heart, everything had to stop.

Al needed a heart transplant. He was hospitalised for five and a half months where he was restricted to the ward, awaiting a donor match that never came.

After spending months without his family, Al had to be fitted with a pacemaker defibrillator to regulate his heartbeat. Finally, he could go home, but a lot had changed.

Today, Al is constantly monitored virtually by the hospital. He told us, “My life expectancy has been dramatically reduced. I’m limited in what I can and can't do, and my joints continue to degenerate. I’m on a significant number of different medications just to live some form of life.”

After his trauma, Al didn’t want to face the outside world and suffered with depression and anxiety. He separated from his partner, the mother of his two young children, and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Living alone, Al found company among the plants and nature in his garden which led him to Thrive.

“I found beauty in nature and had an interest in gardening, so I found myself focusing and finding tranquillity outdoors. I replaced going out with watching BBC Gardeners' World and in one of the episodes, they mentioned community garden therapy. That’s when I found Thrive.”

Surrounded by understanding faces, Thrive became a safe space for Al where he could feel himself and find his purpose again.

“The garden at Thrive has more value than you can imagine. At the driveway, I start smiling. Thrive allows me to be myself and to be present. To forget about all aspects of negativity that come with my conditions and focus on enjoying life as it is now.”

Al’s Social and Therapeutic Horticulture practitioner supports him in the garden at Thrive, tailoring gardening activities around his needs and providing a welcoming bond.

“Meeting my practitioner, was an immediate solace and connection of safety.”

“At Thrive I learn about and care for a variety of plants that I don’t have at home. There’s a range of adjusted tools that I can use to aid myself and support my condition. By having these to support me with the restrictions I face, I feel engaged in gardening.”