I am an HGV driver for Warburtons and have severe COPD, meaning that breathing is difficult for me, affecting both my personal and working life. My previous employment involved transporting chemicals, which also impacted my lungs. However, smoking on top of this exacerbated my symptoms. I remember having a particularly bad day when I was struggling for breath and had to write down on paper for my wife to call an ambulance as I simply could not breathe or speak. My young daughter was crying, “Daddy, you really need to stop smoking now” - this was a real wake-up call for me and a huge turning point. Both my wife, my 12-year-old daughter, and the rest of my family have been worried about me becoming upset when I was out of breath or having coughing fits.
One Sunday at work, I happened to see an advertisement in the Warburtons’ canteen from Yorkshire Smokefree Wakefield, confirming that the service would be attending to provide advice and support to employees for stopping smoking. My first consultation took place the following Wednesday with my advisor, Clare Broadley, before the start of my driving shift. Clare chatted through my history of smoking, the options available to me, how to use my products correctly, and we put together a plan of action.
I believe that had Yorkshire Smokefree Wakefield not attended Warburtons that day, life would have continued to get in the way, and I don’t feel I would have been successful in taking the right steps to stop. The fortnightly meetings with prescriptions and carbon monoxide readings kept me focused and encouraged me to keep going. During one of my meetings with Clare, I took my wife and daughter with me so they could see how well I had done. They were enormously proud.
I want to say thank you to Yorkshire Smokefree Wakefield, my advisor, and my employer Warburtons, for considering their employees’ health and supporting them in their working and home life. I am now looking forward to my family holiday with my wife and daughter.
