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Hello Dear Friends, We have set up this ‘LFEBridge’ page for our dear friend Chukumeka ( Chukes) Maxwell. For those of you who know him, you will know that he has dedicated much of his life to helping others, both personally and professionally.This is in part why we have been moved to help him and his daughters,Asha and Amanda, as he goes through this period of need. In April of this year he was rushed to hospital with what turned out to be a serious infection of his heart valves. This was followed by a 61 day stay in hospital, during which time the doctors struggled and eventually succeeded in healing the infection and the pneumonia that he contracted whilst in hospital. After weeks in Torbay Hospital he was moved to Derriford Hospital Plymouth where he underwent major heart surgery to replace his now damaged heart valves. For Chukes and his daughters, this comes comes just over a year after the loss of dear Fiona, Chukes former wife and Mother of his teenage daughter Asha, after a long battle with cancer.Making him a single parent of a teenager at 61. During the April-June months of his hospitalisation, his older daughter Amanda has stepped into the gap for Asha. Unwaveringly, she has used her knowledge,experience, and more importantly, her kindness and loving generosity to create a sense of safety and security for Asha and Chukes during his absence from home. Even discussing with her Father, at his admission into hospital, the details of his funeral arrangements when he was initially so unwell. She has done this despite her own health challenges (she has MS), temporarily interrupting her own life to move to Devon for the past few months. This period under medical supervision and now the time of convalescence and rehabilitation back at home, have had a profound affect on Chukes ability to support himself and Asha. For the past five years Chukes has been running, in conjunction with others, ‘Action to Prevent Suicide CIC’ (Community Interest Company). As with all he does he has poured his all into this personally, professionally and financially. With any business/service, it’s a constant struggle to maintain momentum and support (particularly in these times) However, sadly prior to his illness, it’s position was vulnerable but now, because of his major heart surgery, it has become untenable and will have to be wound down and closed. So now at this point in his rehabilitation, recuperation and recovery, Chukes has no job. This means that he is unable to fully support himself and Asha until he has fully recovered which, given the severity of his illness, is estimated to take a further 6-8 months. Our hope for this page is that it offers a bridge until Chukes returns to health. A way and possible option, to quite simply help to pay the rent and day to day expenses, to give him and Asha the stability they so desperately need at this time. It is also hoped that it might be used to give him additional therapeutic support, not covered by the NHS, to aid his healing. Not least, some all important dental work , vital for his long term heart health and recovery because of the relatable issues between good heart health and dental hygiene. Chukes has been very resistant to us setting up this page, ‘ there’s a lot of people worse off than me’. But now he sees it, after a lot of discussion, as a means of giving himself and his family the sense of stability they so desperately need now and for the next 6-8 months. A chance for them to breathe easy and heal from the traumas of the last few years. Amanda is helping to support this page by receiving and organising any funds that Chukes might receive in order to alleviate any unnecessary stress for him at this time with admin and the rest. We recognise that these times are tricky for everyone but if you could give, in any way possible, that would be wonderful and gratefully received. And please feel free to share and pass on this page to family and friends. With love, gratitude and thanks. Judi and Tricia




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