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Carer appeals for volunteers

Penny Coles
7/12/2006

BEING a carer has become a full-time job for Charles Walker.

When his wife, Glenise, was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Charles carried on working.

But he acknowledges that he often did the equivalent of a day's work before he even got to his desk.

Charles, of Oak Tree Drive, Dukinfield, who is chairman of Tameside MS Society, admits that the stress of caring took its toll on him too.

Within six months of Glenise leaving work in 1991, Charles, 66, was in hospital himself. Now fitted with a pacemaker, he had to be operated on for serious abdomen problems.

Charles, of Oak Tree Drive, Dukinfield said: "It was a particularly stressful period with me out of action too. Glenise had to go into Katherine House for three weeks."

Glenise, 65, was diagnosed with secondary progressive MS, which affects the central nervous system, at the age of 45.

Since then the disease has degenerated into the more serious primary form and Glenise can't walk or do many things for herself. Charles cares for Glenise around the clock. He said: "Living with MS really does affect people's lives in a very serious way. While Glenise makes caring as easy as she can for me, it affects everything you, do from going out shopping to seeing the family."

Glenise attends day care two days at week at Loxley House, which the pair say is "like a lifeline".

They are active members of the Tameside MS branch, which provides practical and financial assistance for people with the illness.

But Charles said some of the services are in danger of being cut if new volunteers do not come forward.

"We need a new driver to take members to meetings twice a month and a fundraiser to organise coffee mornings and other fundraising events," he said.

Anyone who can help should ring 303 7320.

• CLICK here to see an audio-visual slideshow on Charles and Glenise's story, produced by the Advertiser's Ian Caveney

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