Date published: December 3, 2019
“Everyone has potential” A Sri Lankan Odyssey
On a balmy evening in March 2018, Keith was gazing over a stunning Sri Lankan landscape: the realisation of a life’s ambition. Keith was born there, descended from a long line of tea planters, but his family returned to the UK sixty years ago when he was just two.
He had always longed to retrace his roots, but as he got older and his life became more restricted through his learning disability, it looked increasingly unrealistic. When he was in his fifties, his mother and father became seriously ill and he was unable to manage living alone.
Loraine was ready for a change in life. She had enjoyed her long career in childrens’ services, but times were changing. She needed a new direction – she had a lovely home to share, a wealth of experience and a continued desire to make a difference. Loraine became a Shared Lives carer and was matched with Keith.
Since living with Loraine Keith has flourished. He has developed skills and knowledge in totally new areas: recycling, wood-working and gardening. He has become much more relaxed and sociable. He regularly golfs, and Loraine struggles to keep up with his circle of friends at the pub in the village where he grew up.
“He’s very easy to be with, and I’m totally comfortable with us sharing our lives. I suppose I look upon him as a younger sibling, although I’m always mindful of professional boundaries too.”
Through Keith, Loraine’s grandchildren are developing the awareness to speak up for the vulnerable, and an understanding that “everyone – no matter their impairment – has potential.”
Though Loraine’s hard work sorting out Keith’s passport, paperwork and genealogy, they were finally able to visit Sri Lanka. For Loraine, to see the joy and happiness that being back in his country of birth brought Keith was very special. She called it “a real privilege” to be able to enable and share that with him too, a memory that she will always cherish.
She added: “I am very lucky to have Keith in my life, but then as my Daughter said, Keith’s lucky to have you too mum!”
Keith gets the support he needs to be the best he can be, and Loraine can carry on making a living while making a big difference to someone else’s life.
