Brian’s story – what will your legacy be?

Brian joined the army when he was 16 years old. He was injured whilst on tour and eventually discharged in 2010 having served for 12 years.  Upon his return to the UK, he started to drink heavily and have seizures and panic attacks. At first, he was too scared to talk to anyone or ask for help and when he did finally go forward and speak out, he was branded a ‘waste of space’.  The only way he could get through the day was to drink. He found reasons not to go out and caused arguments at home to avoid leaving the house and he became increasingly isolated and aggressive.  Brian also has a young son who he absolutely adores and so unsurprisingly, his partner was desperate for him to go and get help so that they could remain together as a family.

Eventually, his relationship broke down. He turned against everyone and didn’t even go to see his son for weeks at a time. He slept rough, not caring if he survived the night.  When Brian lost his driving licence through drink driving, he was so desperate that he tried to take his own life. Brian was then referred to WWTW where he was able to access a support programme and he has now been dry for over a year.  Brian knows exactly what he wants to do next and plans to use his own experiences to help others. He intends to pursue a career in Mental Health and Counselling and WWTW are helping him access the right courses to set him on the road to a new career.  He has restored contact with his partner, family and friends and when Brian is ready, he will explain to them what he has been through and how he is rebuilding his life thanks to Susan. 

Brian and Susan will never meet.

Susan died 3 years ago - her legacy lives on through Brian and the support she has been able to give him through her legacy gift.  Susan’s father and brother both served in the Armed Forces and Susan had always wanted to continue the close family connections and support those who served.  Brian’s future is by no means certain, but he will have an opportunity to build a better future with his family.  To go to his children’s sports matches, graduations, birthdays and weddings. He may even become a grandfather one day – that is Susan’s legacy.

Legacy giving can be empowering. For many, legacy giving is their only opportunity to donate a sizable gift, to make the decision to do something special in their lifetime, without any immediate financial outlay. Legacy gifts help WWTW grow and enable our team to support more people like Brian.

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