Sebastian
“My Personal Assistant helps me live as independent a life as possible, doing the things I enjoy.”
Sebastian Bianco Lynn lives in Bury. He is 33 years old and receives a social care personal budget. He has been employing his own Personal Assistants in Care for over 8 years.
He shares his experience.
“I am a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy Quadriplegia, so I employ a Personal Assistant (PA) to help me live as independent a life as possible. They support me to do the things I enjoy - disability sports, disability politics, fashion, design, language, travel, music, TV, theatre and shopping.
Without a PA I would struggle to live the life I want, doing the things that stretch me mentally and physically. I wouldn’t have as much control or choice. They accompany me to social events and my volunteering work.
With my PA by my side, I have been able to help others learn from my experiences by advocating for disabled people’s rights. I have worked with the voluntary sector and health and social care system to represent the viewpoints of fellow disabled people.
For me, a good PA needs to be open minded, driven, dynamic, supportive, caring, kind-hearted, gentle, trustworthy and respectful. They also need to show that they are truly interested in supporting me to be happy and healthy, and as independent as possible.
My PAs support my lifestyle choices, appreciates and complements my personality and interests, and recognises the importance of me being active and feeling valued in society.
Accreditations and qualifications are just a bonus.”
Sebastian is sharing his experience to encourage more caring people looking for a career move to consider becoming a Personal Assistant.
Working as a Personal Assistant you have a real opportunity to support many more people like Sebastian.