jOAN's Story

In 1991, I underwent surgery. Three years later I was informed by the Transfusion service that during a transfusion, I had been infected with Hepatitis C. Although I had a kind and supportive GP, there wasn’t much information out there about what it meant to be infected with this virus.

By 2002, the virus had caused enough liver damage for me ‘to qualify’ for an experimental treatment (Hep C is now treated with a much more effective and gentle medication). By 2004 I was accepted on a year of very harsh chemotherapy that itself caused me some permanent damage. I knew there was only a 50/50 chance it would work, but as a single parent with a mortgage to pay, I was desperate to be well. It took a long time before I could begin to feel that the treatment might have worked, as I was monitored for 18 months afterward but never told I was ‘cleared’.

Originally all of this was happening with very little information and no one to talk to about it all. I was left feeling I was the only one going through this.

It was not until I was asked to be part of a legal action at the end of the 1990s that I realised I was not alone, that the government could have and should have done more to protect us. All this time and through so much turmoil, it was really hard to get any clear information, and it later (through the Infected Blood Inquiry) became clear that there had been a cover-up at governmental level.

By 2019, I was part of the official Infected Blood Inquiry as a witness and core participant. The inquiry took seven years and was completed in May 2024. It was an inquiry that uncovered many transgressions and faults by both some medical professionals and government officials.

I tell you all this so you can get an idea and can imagine my huge relief when I finally heard that there was a charity helpline that I could get in touch with. A helpline with trusted INDEPENDENT information run by people who had been personally involved in the Hepatitis C story.

DANNI's Story

I am Danni Gunn, and I am alive.

In my teens, I struggled to accept who I was and how to find my place in the world. I became self-destructive and would slip into what I later came to know as depression. At 15, one of my friends took their own life, and it opened a hole in the world that has never closed.

At 21, I had already made several attempts on my own life and lost myself in a deep depression. A chance meeting with a charity worker at a university campus saved my life.

They asked if I knew anything about the suicide crisis happening to young men in the UK, and I let them know how close to the mark they were. I began using a helpline for CALM and started my journey to recovering my mental health.

At 23, I began using my voice for CALM as what they titled a Champion. I was invited to tell my story on several occasions and spoke in front of healthcare professionals, media channels and celebrities. It was comforting to know for the first time I was no longer alone and instead, just the first to start shouting about it.

Now at 37, the path behind me looks so long, but the one ahead is longer still. 

I am living the life I want and carving my own path. I am now chasing my dreams and trying to live for the life I almost lost. I live this life for those we have lost, those that were taken too soon, and those that need something to look at and say, ‘I can do that!’

Whilst there is always a small chance, I will continue to fight and win. I have found determination and strength through my struggles and discovered the invaluable truth that I am loved. 

We have been through more than these photographs or words can ever describe; there will always be unspoken secrets and truths behind our eyes that saw too much, but we are not alone. There is so much love in this world, and we are rich in experience to ensure that others should never need to suffer.

I am Danni Gunn, and I am alive.

KHADIJA's Story

II reached out to the RASA 24/7 Helpline during a really difficult time. I had recently moved to a new city and didn’t have any kind of support network yet.

After experiencing sexual abuse, I was dealing with a lot of confusion, anger, depression, and isolation.

One night, it all caught up with me, and I had a panic attack. My thoughts were racing, and I didn’t know how to manage them on my own.

What I needed in that moment was someone to listen without judgment or questioning what had happened to me. The person on the helpline did exactly that. I felt heard and supported, which mattered more than anything at the time.

That interaction reminded me that support exists, even when you feel completely alone. Having access to the helpline helped me get through that night, and it made a real difference in how I felt moving forward.