A retired Moray school teacher who was left unable to walk or talk following a stroke feared he was going to run out of food during lockdown until the intervention of a concerned charity.
David Jackson, from Elgin, was counting the last few days of meals in his freezer while trapped in his home.
A serious stroke in 2018 means he struggles to communicate over the phone and cannot order items he needs online.
Without knowing where to turn, the 66-year-old was starting to ration food to stretch it out as long as possible.
However, a phone call from charity Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland came just in time for help to arrive.
Mr Jackson said: “I was worried I would run out of food completely.
“I thought to myself ‘What am I going to do? I can’t leave the house’.
“I was stuck in isolation and my supplies were running very low.
“When looked in my freezer and carefully counted out my meals to see how long they would stretch until things got really serious, it was quite terrifying.
“I didn’t have enough food to last beyond a few days let alone weeks or months and I started to panic.”
The charity’s community support coordinator Paula Leask was calling stroke survivors to hear how they were coping with self-isolation.
She could immediately detect Mr Jackson was distressed and contacted Forres-based butcher Fraser Bros about a potential delivery to his home.
Within 30 minutes an order has been placed with the firm to get food delivered to ease his concerns.
Graeme Duffus, director of Fraser Bros, said: “We had just started to look at delivering to households in our local community when we first heard from Paula.
“Donna who takes the calls gave David that extra bit of time and we were all really pleased to be helping him.”
Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, said: “We want to make sure that no one is fighting coronavirus on their own.
“If you know someone who needs help like David, with shopping, or even to simply chat to someone over the phone, we are here for them.”
To get help from the charity while self-isolating call their advice line on 080 801 0899 or register here.
Call 0800 111 4000 to connect to people who can help in your local area. You can pass on someone you are supporting, or call on their behalf.
The line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Please remember this helpline is dedicated to helping those who cannot leave their home and who cannot get help online.
