We have received the following message of thanks from a grateful beneficiary. It is a stark reminder of the lifelong power of the Royal Marine Spirit in the face of adversity; and just why RMA – The Royal Marines Charity is proud to offer lifelong support to such deserving members of the Corps Family.
“My family and I are very grateful for the very generous grant that enabled us to cremate my beloved youngest daughter with the dignity and care she so richly deserved. Julie fought bravely for so long to survive for her 16-year-old son Rory, and ailing husband Ken, but unfortunately, she lost the fight very suddenly at the beginning of July; her husband – unable to continue without her – took his own life sixteen days’ later. We have now taken Rory into our home, the late gift of a son we never had. Again, thank you.”
Paul faced many tough and gruelling challenges during his 15 years as a Royal Marines Commando, with service that included Cyprus and Northern Ireland. But since leaving the Corps, this Veteran’s family life has been filled with personal tragedy and heartbreak. Paul is now a pensioner, living with debilitating chronic health issues. He is nevertheless still working to support his extended family that includes those coping with autism, learning disability and illiteracy; as well as with mental health challenges, and suffering from long-term medical issues such as cystic fibrosis. He and his wife live on the outskirts of a small town in mid-Devon, isolated and unable to afford any personal transport.
They have no savings but considerable debts and liabilities, and struggle to keep their heads above water even with the help of debt management services. To the detriment of ‘Mum and Dad’, his daughters have been his priority, trying to ensure that their finances are manageable. Then, as if this was not enough, a double tragedy hit the family like a bolt out of the blue. Their youngest daughter, Julie, had been born with learning disabilities and a hearing impairment. Over the years, she had one leg amputated due to sepsis, followed by a series of mini strokes after which she became partially paralysed and suffered memory loss. Then in early 2023, having had to have her other leg amputated and on the list for a double kidney transplant, she died suddenly, at home.
Her son Rory and second husband, Ken, both with learning difficulties and struggling with serious health issues, were left bereft. Not only grieving, but also deeply upset that he couldn’t afford to cover all of the funeral costs for his daughter, Paul made a distressed call to RMA – The Royal Marines Charity. Having fully assessed the situation, the Charity awarded him a grant so that he, together with his family, could bid a fitting and final farewell to their beloved Julie.
Just three weeks’ later, in another tragic and wholly unexpected turn of events, the Royal Marine veteran and his wife found themselves in a situation they could never in their wildest dreams have ever imagined. Unable to cope without his wife and feeling unable to provide a safe and secure home for his step-son, Julie’s husband, Ken, took his own life.
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity continues to work closely with Paul and is helping put him in touch with others who might be able to help support him with the added responsibilities he and his wife now face as the sole carers of their 16-year-old grandson with special needs.