‘I lived in a leaking tent and wanted to die, but Simon has given me hope’

THREE months ago John Keena was homeless, living in a tent near the Radisson Hotel in Stillorgan, Dublin, but now his life has been transformed – thanks to the help of the Dublin Simon Community.

Back in September, Mr Keena (54) was interviewed by this paper as he stood sodden on the land in front of the Radisson Blu Hotel at St Helen’s in Stillorgan beside his leaking one-man tent.

With winter approaching, Mr Keena admitted death was a possibility on a cold night. “I hope I die. I’ll be much happier wherever I’m going,” he said at the time.

But Mr Keena’s story sparked a reaction from readers. People came with food and supplies, all of which were gratefully received. But his story also put him on a path to the Simon residential centre on Watling Street in the city, and it was here his nightmare ended.

Sitting in the warm dining room, he is a different man to the one we met in September.

“I am overwhelmed by the people here. They are kind, compassionate and understanding all the time,” he said. “I’m back on the straight and narrow, and hopefully soon I will have a place to live and I might get back to work again. That’s what I hope for.”

The alcohol detoxification programme that Mr Keena participated in is a medically supervised one that takes about three weeks.

“From a physical point of view, alcohol is the most difficult substance to detox from, and there is a risk of seizures and heart issues,” said Simon’s head of treatment Majella Darcy.

Mr Keena said the detox was not difficult. “People should not fear it. Every day is a step forward towards independent living,” he said.

Visit www.dubsimon.ie to donate to Dublin Simon Community.