Kirsty’s journey with MacIntyre began four years ago. Today we are sharing her film titled ‘My Life, a Personal Perspective’ where Kirsty describes her story.
Reflecting on her journey Kirsty said:
”I felt like I was misunderstood from a young age and I felt very alone. I had been permanently excluded from school and shortly after I was sectioned and placed in a mental health unit, this was all very confusing for me, I hated every second of it.”
When she released from the hospital, Kirsty was traumatised by the experience and as a result, spent a long time at home.
“When MacIntyre No Limits was mentioned, this was the best thing that ever happened to me in a long time. It started off slow, but it was at my pace, I felt so much better and they always tried their best to understand me.”
Now, after four years with MacIntyre No Limits, this year Kirsty was offered a job to become an Expert by Experience for MacIntyre’s Positive Behaviour Support Team (PBS).
She added:
"I have never been so happy. It was still scary having to go to a job interview but it was great, I was very nervous but excited hoping I would get the job and by the end of the interview I was given the job.”
Kirsty’s new role has allowed her to share her experiences by delivering presentations about her journey, deliver training and share her ideas with the PBS Team. So far, she has travelled across the country to share her story, from Manchester to Milton Keynes. To date, the Kirsty’s largest audience has been 100 people.
“I give people ideas on how best to support people like me through my presentations. This was a massive achievement as I hadn’t been on a train before and because of my sensory issues I found this challenging but I still did it. I also talk in front of many people, which is another challenge, but I still succeeded. After my first presentation, I felt awesome--I actually did it! I look forward to the future now I have a purpose and I really enjoy helping people like me. “
The full film can be viewed below.
