Collette Helps Others after Illness

Collette Dowd from Widnes is pursuing a career in chronic pain management to help to improve the lives of others.

Colette who suffers from a condition called Severe Trigeminal Neuralgia, enrolled on maths, English, counselling and mental health courses at Riverside College, after completing a six week pain management course at The Walton Centre in Liverpool, which gave her a new lease of life.

After becoming a spokesperson at The Walton Centre, Collette has had a taste of helping other people and is now determined to gain the qualifications needed to support her experience living with her condition.  She said, “I have really enjoyed my journey back into education. My confidence was low when I first enrolled but with the passion of the tutors and the phenomenal teaching at the College I am now ready to take on a degree course.

“I have had lots of ups and downs during the past couple of years but am feeling really positive about the future and the College has been a big part of that.  I really want to continue with my education so that I can provide the type of help to others that I have received.  I truly believe that I am now not living with pain but that the pain is living with me, I am now in control and plan to use education along with my experiences to help other people who are suffering, to feel the same.”

After a successful interview at the college she has now received an offer on the Access to Social Science course starting in September.  This will lead her directly onto degree course which will help kick start her new career.