Profiles

Here, you can find any of the interviews on this site.



Gunars and Margaret

In 2008, at the age of 53, Gunars sister, A', had a brain haemorrhage and never regained consciousness. She was eventually diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state. In 2013 the Court of Protection declared that it was lawful and in A's best interests to have artificial nutrition and hydration withdrawn. She died later that year.

  • Background

    At the time of the injury Margaret was a long-term friend of Gunars and has since become his partner. Gunars (aged 61) was a senior local government manager and Margaret...

  • Sex/Gender Male

    • Jim

    Jim's wife Amber was hospitalised with encephalitis at age 66 and despite treatment rapidly deteriorated and became unconscious. Having known two people who made good recoveries from brain injuries, Jim never gave up hope that Amber would recover, but was concerned that she might recover only to a quality of life that she would not consider worth living. He was relieved when she died some 5 to 6 months after being admitted to hospital, without apparently recovering consciousness.

  • Background

    Jim was a retired engineer involved in a range of community volunteer work and campaigns. Jim died in hospital just 4 months after this interview on 18 July 2013, after...

  • Sex/Gender Male

    • Helena

    Helena has a long-term health condition. She first became involved in research as a participant, then as a patient advisor. She went on to do a PhD in health research and became a user-researcher.

  • Background

    Helena is a user-researcher. Ethnic background: White British.

  • Age at interview 43
  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Carolyn

    Carolyn started doing patient and public involvement about 10 years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Recent recurrences have kept her in touch with patient concerns and treatment developments. She initially worked to improve service provision before moving into working on health research.

  • Background

    Carolyn has four children, including two step-children, aged 25, 26, 32 and 35. She worked in careers psychology and has retired from her job as Director of Career Development at...

  • Age at interview 69
  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Neil

    Neil got involved in PPI about three years ago after having a stroke. He wanted to do something that would help him in his recovery.

  • Background

    Neil is married and has two grown-up children, aged 39 and 36. He is a retired NATO Visiting Professor of physics. Ethnic background: White Scottish.

  • Age at interview 65
  • Sex/Gender Male

    • Mary

    Mary has been involved in PPI for about 20 years. She mainly works in mental health research with local, national and international groups.

  • Background

    Mary used to work in marketing before moving into the civil service. She currently works as a mental health service user consultant. Ethnic background: White British European.

  • Age at interview 60
  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Tom

    Tom became a consumer representative and started doing PPI about fifteen years ago. He works with numerous organisations, committees and groups in both health and medical research, and service delivery. His main research interest is in lung cancer, but he also contributes to research in other types of cancer.

  • Background

    Tom lives with his wife. He is retired but formerly worked as an electrical engineers. Ethnic background: White Scottish.

  • Age at interview 68
  • Sex/Gender Male

    • Sharon

    After her daughter was diagnosed with arthritis, Sharon became involved in setting up a support charity for children. She successfully applied to become a consumer representative on the Medicines for Children Research Network and has been providing a parent's perspective on health and medical research for about five years.

  • Background

    Sharon is married and has three children, aged 13, 11 and 7. She currently works in education in a clinical research facility at a university, but previously was a research...

  • Age at interview 44
  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Peter

    Peter became involved as a patient advocate after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He has been doing patient and public involvement in health and medical research for about eight years.

  • Background

    Peter is married. He formerly worked as a business consultant, providing training and consultancy to large technology companies.

  • Age at interview 56
  • Sex/Gender Male