Funds raised will be used to support Tourettes Action's Helpdesk. The Helpdesk is the first point of contact for many families, who are often feeling abandoned and unsure of where to turn.
Last year our Helpdesk responded to 4,000 enquiries (+38% on the previous year). We offered support, information and guidance about Tourette's, a complex neurological condition for which there is no cure and no standardised treatment or clinical support. For many people this service is a real lifeline and their only support mechanism.
Our helpdesk staff provide a listening ear making people feel like they are not alone. People contact the Helpdesk for a variety of reasons. They contact us for help about getting a diagnosis, getting support after diagnosis and for advice on handling Tourette syndrome in school or the workplace. People contacting the Helpdesk are often confused, scared and angry and we are often contacted by people who are extremely distressed by what is happening to them, their child or their family member. Many people who contact our Helpdesk are so relieved when they realise they are not alone and that what they are experiencing is real. They are disappointed and/or angry by the lack of healthcare support available to them but we are able to let them know about the support offered by Tourettes Action in the form of support groups, training for schools and employers, workshops, webinars and residential weekends for children, teens and adults with TS.
