This Father’s Day, a medically retired detective sergeant tells us how Police Children’s Fund helped support his children during the family’s toughest times.
Iain Sheridan was an officer for 24 years with Hertfordshire Constabulary. In 2019, he was rushed to hospital with sepsis; he was given a course of antibiotics but later started suffering severe pains in his shoulder, which doctors were unable to diagnose.
Iain recalled: “I was referred to so many different people and that went on, believe it or not, for 18 months. I was in absolute agony. And then I started losing so much weight, about three stone in three weeks. I went to see my doctor and he said: ‘We’re referring you to the hospital, you’re going today.”
A scan found that Iain had four fractures in his spine and an infection in his bones which had caused osteoporosis. It is possible that he fractured his back at work and the infection set in because it wasn’t diagnosed sooner. Iain now needs to have chemotherapy every three months; and five weeks ago, he underwent a full hip replacement.
He was medically retired from Hertfordshire Constabulary, and the Occupational Health Unit referred him to Police Children’s Fund to get support for his two children, Jessica and Isaac.
Iain said: “It takes a lot of financial pressure off. Jessica’s now at Cambridge University doing a degree in ecology and environmental science. Police Children’s Fund still supports her education and they funded her driving test and some school trips for her A Levels. The Fund has been marvellous with her, absolutely brilliant.
“And Isaac’s now at RAF College, studying Uniformed Services. Police Children’s Fund is also helping with his driving lessons. He played cricket for many years and they helped with the kit and the subs. It means the kids can still get out and do stuff. It’s helped tremendously.”
Iain encouraged people to support the Police Children’s Fund, because “there are a lot of police officers out there who get injured.” He added: “This takes the financial pressure off and helps give the kids the support they need. It’s about making a future for them.”
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