THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR VISITING MY FUNDRAISING PAGE TO RAISE MONEY IN AID OF COMBAT STRESS, REGISTERED CHARITY No 206002

ABOUT ME

My name is Steve “TAFFY” Horvath. I left Her Majesty’s Armed Forces in Oct 1991 after completing 13yrs as a military paramedic in the Royal Army Medical Corps. 

In Jan 2005 I suddenly became ill. My illness took the form of a sudden onset of major clinical depression, uncontrollable panic attacks, aggressive mood swings, flashbacks and horrific nightmares from my military service. 

Between Jan and Oct 2005 I put my family through total hell, not knowing if I was going to be alive from one day to the next. We spent months trying to find out through my GP and psychiatrists what was wrong with me.

My thoughts were that I was simply on “ A downer” and that I had to “Pull my finger out”, get back to work and then things would be OK. Somehow this was not happening and the NHS could not help me as they are not geared up to help service personnel with PTSD.

In Oct 2005 I was finally diagnosed with Severe Chronic PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I was told at the time that I had probably been suffering from this for some 23yrs, and that it was attributed to my military career.

Now that I had a “Label” for what was wrong with me, I could hopefully get some sort of help that would keep me alive and help me come to terms with and somehow manage this illness.

Early on in my illness I came across an organisation called Combat Stress The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society.

Since 1919 Combat Stress have been the ONLY organisation of it’s kind in the UK with the knowledge and expertise to help people such as myself who suffer with a wide range of mental health issues related to our military careers.

As I am now under Combat Stress’s care I have decided to try and raise funds for the charity by doing a sponsored walk. My reasons are threefold.  

 

 1)   The planning, organisation and completion of the event will help me enormously with my condition.

2)    It is my aim to raise a substantial amount of funds for Combat Stress

3)    Through the media campaign I am hoping to run, I want to ensure that future service personnel and their friends and families have the help that they so richly deserve.

THE EVENT

My sponsored walk will take the form of a walk throughout the UK, visiting every military base within the UK mainland . This will include Army, RAF, Royal Navy & Royal Marine bases, MOD Press Offices, and Combat Stress’s Three Treatment Centres and any other establishments that myself, Combat Stress’s Fundraising Department and any other contributors feel appropriate.

I am hoping to start the walk on or around March 1st 2008. I am estimating that it will take me between 12-18mths to complete, and approx 15,000 – 20,000 in total.

In order to make this event a success I am hoping that you will be kind enough to sponsor me and pass my fundraising page link on to others so that we can raise a substantial amount of funds for Combat Stress.

Your kind help and donation will help Combat Stress continue with the excellent care they provide to individuals such as myself and our families in dealing with the mental health problems that the sufferers and families struggle with on a daily basis.

Therefore, myself, Combat Stress and the affected families would greatly appreciate your help in sponsoring me for the "Little Walk" as I now call it, so that the people who will no doubt become sufferes in the future can be helped by the only organisation of it's kind in the UK; COMBAT STRESS.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: COMBAT STRESS will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

SO PLEASE SPONSOR ME NOW BEFORE YOU GO ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

Kind regards and many thanks for your support.

STEVE "TAFFY" HORVATH

NB: If you wish to join me at any stage of my walk, please email me. I will send you my route as it progresses through the planning stages..

Email:  SLH1810@TISCALI.CO.UK