The kindness of giving... a wheelchair

THE wife of a Navy Vetern has told how the Royal British Legion (RBL) has given her a lifeline which has changed her life especially at Christmas.

- CLARE AINSWORTH

Alison Jeatt, from Ivybridge, has been able to get into town to do her shopping and see the Christmas lights, instead of being confined to home and online shopping, after she was given a specialist mobility scooter by the charity.

Alison is married to Alan Jeatt, who served in the Royal Navy for 25 years, including both the Falklands and Gulf Wars. Alan persuaded his mum to let him go to a Naval boarding school aged 16 and only left the Navy after serving his full tour.

Alison said: "If he could have stayed in the Navy, he would have done he's a naval man through and through." The pair met when Alison was 17 and Alan was 24 in Llandudno in Wales. The ship was doing a home tour and they were introduced by friends. They started writing to each other and met up when he came home on leave. Two months later they were engaged and they were married within six months of meeting.

Alison now suffers a few medical issues, including arthritis in her spine, angina, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and has had two knee replacements. She said: "A lot of days aren't good and I'm regularly in pain." Alison first approached the RBL to see if they could help in 2020 after finding it hard to walk on her gravelled garden and do chores like putting out the washing.