A NAVY veteran who had his leg amputated during the Covid pandemic says the support he received from charities has inspired him to help others.
Paul O’Byrne is now a volunteer phone buddy with the Telephone Friendship Service, which tackles loneliness and isolation, and is run by veterans’ charity Royal Star & Garter.
The 64-year-old was speaking during Volunteers’ Week, which runs until Sunday.
The free-to-use Telephone Friendship Service provides regular phone calls to veterans and their partners, and was set up to help tackle loneliness and isolation in the Armed Forces community.
Paul is among a number of trained volunteers who offer friendly conversation and wellbeing support, acting as a lifeline for those who may have limited social interaction.
He has been a phone buddy since September, and currently speaks regularly to six people – four Army veterans, one Navy veteran and a widow whose husband was a resident at Royal Star & Garter.
Paul was born in Dublin and came to the UK in 1976, joining the Navy and serving for 24 years until 2000, when he left having attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
He said: “Life was great. And then all of a sudden I was told in 2021 that I was going to have my left leg amputated. It was a very difficult time for me.”
Thankfully, Paul received support from charities such as Royal British Legion and Blesma, which help veterans that are amputees. When he saw an advert for Telephone Friendship Service volunteers, he was immediately interested.
“I’m doing it because it was done for me,” added Paul. “The amount of help I got from various charities when I lost my leg was unbelievable, and I just wanted to give something back.”