Arun Veerapan, 29, lives with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions and an Inflammatory disease called ankylosing spondylitis. He experiences fluctuating health and ongoing symptoms. He received treatment for his condition in hospital where time in the ground's gardens was his favourite part of the day. Once home, Arun was keen to continue therapeutic activity that involved gardens and nature. He was house bound for six months, but following a period of isolation, he was able to get outside.
“My musculoskeletal condition affects my spine and joints, and my neurological condition affects my memory, cognition and concentration. Too much noise and people around are overwhelming.
In hospital, I looked forward to being in the gardens. My neurologist also understood about the therapeutic value of nature for patient’s recovery. When I got home and found out about Thrive, I told my Occupational Therapist. She was excited and thought it would be very beneficial.
A garden setting like Thrive is very helpful as it’s peaceful, calming and I can be outside.”
Arun joined the Life Changers programme at Thrive London. Gardening gave him the opportunity to focus his mind and energy on a simple activity with a clear aim and outcome. He enjoyed a wide range of tasks, from propagation to pruning, weeding to watering, and developed a good knowledge of plants and how to look after them.
“I wanted to practice my physical coordination skills in a relaxing setting. I found it a struggle at first, but it was great to learn how to do things like pricking out seedlings and potting up plants. Thrive also helped me manage my symptoms, particularly my coordination, concentration and thinking.
I also wanted to be outside and engage socially with people again. I practiced communicating with other people and built up my confidence. I felt confident enough to go back to work two days a week in a new job. I wasn’t expecting that I would be able to do that.”
Thrive also helped to support Arun’s mental health.
“It’s made a big difference to my mood as it’s very relaxing and calming. It makes me feel happy and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I feel proud to know how to pot up and to identify the names of different plants. Small things like that have made a big impact.”
Throughout the programme, Arun’s practitioner tailored activities to his needs and goals with a range of gardening jobs.
“My health fluctuates so it was helpful to have different tasks and try new things. Life Changers is well coordinated and thought through to have a positive impact on people. There were accessible ways to allow me to participate fully like different tools and activities. I used to worry that my health was too big a barrier to do a programme like this.”
Arun’s practitioner noticed he became more confident in self-assessing and predicting his own wellbeing needs.
“Arun could measure his energy levels and the state of his physical symptoms to make an informed choice about how he will spend his time. He benefitted from physical jobs which kept him moving outdoors in the morning, with the option to rest with something less strenuous later on. Certain views in his line of vision also exacerbated his confusion, so we found tasks which faced the garden to reduce the distraction and increase the biophilia effect.”
Arun became a highly valued member of Life Changers. The group had a strong sense of comradery with a lot of support, kindness and laughter. Arun often chatted with others about their experiences, offering the all too rare chance to share the most pressing issues affecting their lives.
Gardening has become a big part of Arun’s life. He hopes to volunteer at Thrive London and visit more accessible gardens with friends.
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