Veteran’s delight at hard-working QA Hospital team
Ex-RAF medic is a critical care nurse
AFTER enduring four operations in the last two years and battling PTSD, an RAF Squadron Leader sought support from a charity and was able to help the nation’s health workers on the front line against coronavirus.
Sherry McBain from Sarisbury Green has had three abdominal surgeries and one carpal tunnel operation over the last two years.
She has also been struggling with ongoing PTSD.
She hit rock bottom in October 2018 and would frequently suffer from flashbacks and nightmares.
But the 40-year-old, who served in the RAF for 24 years, starting as a medic, got help from military charity Help for Heroes through its sports recovery programme.
Sherry, who has a master’s degree in neuroscience nursing, is now a critical care nurse and staff officer in charge of healthcare governance at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and has been working across different departments in the battle against Covid-19.
She said: ‘I have been immensely proud of every member of the team who have worked long shifts and worked across multiple departments.
‘They have not only responded in true military style but have excelled demonstrating outstanding professionalism and leadership.
‘My previous experience in the operational arena at Tactical Medical Wing and the Royal College of Defence Medicine, Birmingham, ensured I had the right skill set to help with the preparation and to understand which personnel could deploy quickly in order to support the NHS and which could support defence tasks across the globe.’
Sherry is now working towards to the Invictus Games in 2021 in The Hague, with support from Help for Heroes.
She said: ‘Having withdrawn from everything I loved as a consequence of PTSD, I want to put myself out there.’
She added: ‘To compete on the world stage, to represent my country, service and branch would be a dream come true.
‘I would like my family and friends to be proud of me, to know I have done everything in my power to manage my pain and overcome PTSD, to get on top of it so I own the condition and it doesn’t rule my life.’