A Voice for Vince How long do you think you could last sitting still in one place and not moving a muscle? Could you last half an hour? ..... one hour? .....two hours? What about if you were forced to sit there for a week, a month, a year? I am a natural fidget so wouldn’t last five minutes never mind longer.

My friend Sharon’s husband Vince has had to sit in his chair for 5 years and not move a muscle. Can you imagine what that is like? Even worse he has not been able to communicate with anyone how he is feeling apart from nodding, smiling or frowning. He can’t swallow, meaning he can’t eat or drink either. All he can do is watch and listen to what is going on around him!

Vince had a stroke 5 years ago and went from being a normal, healthy and active husband and father one day to a non-moving, non-talking, non-eating and non-drinking human being overnight.

PLEASE HELP US TO FIND A VOICE FOR VINCE?

We are trying to raise £8,000, which is the cost of the software that will enable Vince to communicate with people by using eye movement linked to a computer system and therefore be part of the world again instead of just being a spectator with no voice.

Sharon was a single parent with two lovely sons when she met Vince and went on to have 2 beautiful daughters with him. She lost her dad when she was 7, years old, 2 sisters in her early 30s and then the awful 15 month period when she lost her mother, her brother (who was her last sibling) and her son Vincent, her youngest son who died in a car accident on his way to work five months prior to Vince having his stroke. Sharon’s son Vincent left behind a 16 months old son (photo of his son Eli below).

Sharon’s mother and brother died a few months prior to Vincent’s death so it has not been easy for her to cope on her own, help financially towards all the funerals, bring up her children and cope with a disabled husband who lost his income after the stroke. But you will never hear Sharon complaining. She always puts on a cheerful face and if you didn’t know her you would think she didn’t have a care in the world because of her positivity.

Please help by donating as much as you are able to. Even if it is only the cost of a cup of coffee, or two cups! Every little bit will help towards this massive amount that we need to raise. All donations will go directly to Sharon and Vince.

Thank you so much. We will be eternally grateful for any help you can give.