When Aeris Gifford was encouraged to get in touch with us at Health Works for Cornwall, she wasn’t sure how we would be able to help her situation. Recommended by a friend who was already on the project, Aeris was feeling overwhelmed by several situations in her life and was in need of some support. She had recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes while raising her son who lives with special needs. Not only that, but Aeris had been looking into starting her own business – however, the weight of her responsibilities and health was challenging, and she didn’t know where to turn to make her hopes a reality.

Aeris was assigned our adviser Nikki from our partners at CSW Group, to give her the support and guidance she needed to work through her situation and manage her health. With Nikki’s help, Aeris was able to start her journey, building her confidence and receiving useful advice and support in moving forward with her plans to open her business. After spending time discussing her intentions with Nikki and working through necessary paperwork, Nikki is now at a point where she will be able to start trading around Christmas of this year.

Aeris has found that her time spent at Health Works for Cornwall has not only helped her get her business off the ground, but has strengthened her confidence and given her a new lease of life. With Nikki’s help, Aeris has gone from feeling overwhelmed and worried to gaining self-belief and feeling that her life’s journey is back on track.

Aeris’s new-found confidence has also had a knock-on effect in other areas of her life that had been causing her difficulties. The coping mechanisms and advice she has received from Nikki has helped her to tackle many personal issues she was experiencing and helped her move forward to a happier and more satisfying life. Aeris had been concerned about what the next steps were for her son after he finished college, but with Nikki’s support in finding information and useful contacts, Aeris’s son was able to look into the options available to him and feels positive about his future.

Aeris said: “I saw my son smile for the first time since leaving college, and we both noticed the positive changes in each other due to the help we have received.”

Aeris now feels optimistic about the road her life has taken. Through working with Health Works for Cornwall and her adviser Nikki, she has been able to grow as a person, boost her confidence and take positive steps towards her future as an independent business owner, as well as supporting her son in his own journey.

Aeris told us: “I found a friend in Nikki as well as an adviser, and in short, she is amazing, and I certainly wouldn’t be as far forward as I am if it hadn’t been for her and the HWC project.”

We’re so happy for Aeris and all the progress she and her son have made and wish her all the best in her business endeavours.

If you’ve been suffering with health issues that you feel are holding you back from your full potential, or could use some support to help you with any problems you might be facing, get in touch with us at Health Works for Cornwall. Our caring, empathetic advisers are on-hand to help you, seeing you as the unique individual you are, and tailoring our support to help you push past the barriers that – until now – have prevented you from being the person you want to be.

With a comprehensive understanding of the support available to you locally, from help finding work, to mental and physical health, retraining and counselling, we can help you get on the road you need to be to become your best self.