A west Belfast man has described local people as his ‘guardian angels’ after they literally picked him up following numerous falls linked to his Parkinson’s disease.
Hugh O’Reilly is only 58, but was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago which has resulted in his quality of life deteriorating significantly.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disease that affects how the brain controls movement. After 30 years at work, Mr O’Reilly was forced to retire at 50, and since then his mobility has deteriorated.
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He says his daily activities have been limited, leaving him feeling isolated. But if he has to leave the house at any point, he describes it as a ‘military operation’.
Speaking to The Irish News, Hugh described how his life has changed but also how local people have revived his faith in humanity.
He said: “It’s a gradual deterioration. You go from A to Z eventually. One of my biggest problems now, is my mobility. When I have to go into town to collect anything, I have to plan a military operation.
“The brain’s telling the legs one thing. The legs just refuse to budge. I am afraid to go to the shop.
“This thing is going to beat me, but I must fight to the death. However, it is taking its toll on me. I can’t get a night’s sleep.”
Thanks to the condition there have been numerous occasions where Hugh has collapsed in public, with no way of helping himself. But thanks to the help he has received he says people in his community are his ‘guardian angels’.
He added: “They physically lifted me off the street, put me in their car, brought me round to the house. I can’t place them highly enough.
“I don’t know these people from Adam. One time I collapsed in the chippy on Andytown Road, and one girl picked me up and brought me home, with my chips. I couldn’t thank her enough. And off she went, disappeared in the night, like a guardian angel. That’s the only way I can describe it.
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“Darren from ACE Taxis has saved me, too, I can’t praise him enough. One girl was only 14 or 15 years old, she didn’t have a car. But she held my hand and made sure I got home.
“Every single story, the pattern’s the same. A complete stranger picked me literally up out of the gutter, put me in their car brought me into the house.
“It made me realise there are a lot of good people out there. You see west Belfast, I used to think was going down the tube, but it made me realise there’s more good people than bad people.”
Mr O’Reilly said more needs to be done to help people with Parkinson’s, so they don’t feel isolated or scared to leave the house.
Tearing up, he added: “Honest to God, I can’t thank them enough. Every single one of them is my guardian angel. They are all champions in my book. Wests Belfast’s strength is its people.”