Shelly has been receiving the befriending calls since January 2023. She is a very chatty lady who had a stroke 4 years ago. She lives with her husband Ryan who has lots of health issues himself, they have family, who they describe as close even though they all live in different areas of Spain. Ryan has been finding it hard looking after Shelly due to his own health issues, the befriending phone calls were put in place so that Shelly had someone out of the picture to talk to and support for her.
She has spoken to the same volunteer every week since she started the calls, they have a lot in common and enjoy having long chats about anything and everything. They have conversed about everything from the government, to pets, to how the world has changed from when Shelly was younger. Shelly’s sight has declined rapidly in the recent months so she has been feeling very down as she is finding adjusting to her new lot in life, she said the thing she has found hardest has been the fact she can no longer cook. During the befriending calls Shelly said how hard she has been finding all of the changes. Shelly said her volunteer always makes her see the best of everything and every situation, Shelly said after the phone calls she always feels a lot more positive and like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Her volunteer suggested her getting a meal subscription service which means she and Ryan would be able to cook properly together.