A man who is visually impaired has defied all odds after beating meningitis and teaching himself how to speak again following a stroke, by choosing to help others as a volunteer at LOROS.
Determined not to let his visual impairment stop him, 30-year-old Ash Parmar, of Oadby, visits the Hospice on a regular basis, giving reflexology and massages as a volunteer complementary therapist.
“I’d become isolated and didn’t have many friends but coming to LOROS means I can meet new people and gets me out of the house, it’s therapeutic for me too,” said Ash, whose vision started to deteriorate when he was seven-years-old.
His enthusiasm to help others comes more than 10 years after he was diagnosed with meningitis while he was taking his GCSE’s, before suffering from a stroke soon after, which meant he had to teach himself to talk and walk again.
Following the stroke, Ash was forced to teach himself the most basic movements, including how to hold a knife and fork, as well as brush his teeth.
After working hard to get himself back to good health, Ash studied Fine Art at De Montfort University.
After graduating with a 2:1, Ash wanted to do something different and inspired by a character in a television show, he decided to enrol in a complementary therapy course.
Ash, who says he can see silhouettes and can distinguish between light and dark said: “I learned things differently to the other pupils.
“I would get the therapies demonstrated on me, so I knew what they were meant to feel like.”
While on his course, Ash participated in a well-being day at LOROS, where he carried out therapy treatments on staff members and really enjoyed it.
“Once I’d qualified, I rung LOROS to see if I could go back to volunteer,” he added.
“I wanted to practice the treatments I had learnt and help others as well.”
Ash now gives complementary therapy to staff members when he regularly visits the Hospice and he is hoping to one day start giving treatments to patients and their families.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m doing a job and it feels really good when people praise my work,” said Ash.
“I feel very relaxed and comfortable when I come to LOROS but most importantly I feel accepted.
“Life has been challenging and so many times, I’ve thought, I can’t do this but then I think about what I’ve achieved and I guess it’s so much more than others who are in a similar position to me.
“My goal is to build up my experience and hopefully come to the Hospice more and more often.”
