Heidi Fermor is a friend I have known a long time. Heidi has spent her life caring for the elderly and sick- including my own mum for at least 8 years when she was suffering from Alzheimers.

Heidi is in a position where she herself needs support: her husband, Rab, suffered a terrible fall 3 weeks before Christmas. Rab and Heidi had just attended Heidi's father's funeral, after a long and emotionally charged day, they were making their way up the stairs. Rab leant over the stairs to chat to one of his daughters. In so doing, lost his footing, fell over the stair rail and hit his head on a hard piece of furniture. He suffered damage to his brain, after being rushed to hospital, he was put into an induced coma. Since then he has remained in hospital, relying on a feeding tube and a trachea to help him eat and breath. Rab remains in hospital to this day, 5 months since the fall.

The trachea was removed last week. Rab is slowly learning to eat again. He cannot walk and since the trachea was removed, learning to talk again. He is receiving physio to ensure his leg muscles do not waste away. There is hope he will be able to walk again, but it is a long road and who knows? In the meantime, his employer has been paying Rab sick pay, but the money is stopping soon.

I wanted to reach out to anyone who knows the family or Heidi, or just wants to help someone in real need, and contribute towards funds to go ease the financial pressure Heidi is feeling.

Heidi works hard, is kind, generous and loves her family and husband very much. It is a sad situation she finds herself in.