After being forced into medical retirement, Yvonne Smith has trained seven Guide Dog puppies and helped three people regain their independence.
When Yvonne Smith was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in June 2019, she feared the diagnosis would mean the end of the active and fulfilling life she had built. Instead, seven years later, Yvonne has found a new purpose, helping train Guide Dogs and supporting people with sight loss, while using her own experience of pulmonary fibrosis to raise awareness of the disease.
Yvonne was working with children with learning disabilities and behavioural problems when she was diagnosed. Around the same time, she was being made redundant, with her employer ultimately changing the decision to medical retirement. “I was devastated with the diagnosis. I really missed my job working with children with learning disabilities and behavioural problems.”
The period that followed brought further challenges. Yvonne lost her beloved dog of 16 years and was subsequently hospitalised with COVID-19. Although she eventually recovered from the acute illness, she was left with Long COVID, experiencing fatigue, joint pain and memory problems. Determined not to let her health dictate her future, Yvonne continued walking after her lung specialist told her that exercise was beneficial for her lung health.
But without her dog, walking no longer felt the same. That led her to Guide Dogs.
Yvonne applied to become a puppy raiser and was accepted. Her first eight-week-old puppy, Hugo, arrived and she quickly discovered a new passion. She began training puppies in everything from basic obedience and socialisation to travelling on buses and trains, visiting shops and attending monthly Guide Dogs puppy classes. Yvonne is now raising her fifth puppy, and her lung specialist is pleased that her lung health has remained stable.
While she continues to experience periods of fatigue and suffers from chest infections during the winter, Yvonne says the positives far outweigh the challenges. “I do get fatigued, so I rest and do what I can when I can. But I do it with pride in my achievements.”
Her work with Guide Dogs has also provided an unexpected platform to talk about pulmonary fibrosis.
As a Guide Dogs speaker, Yvonne regularly shares her personal story, explaining how she has adapted to life with the condition while continuing to contribute to the lives of others.
She also took part in the King’s Big Help Out volunteering initiative, using the opportunity to raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis.
More recently, Yvonne was nominated as a Warwickshire Changemaker, an honour recognising 100 people for their dedication to helping others despite facing difficulties of their own.
Perhaps her greatest achievement, however, has been helping three Guide Dog owners gain greater independence through the puppies she has raised and trained. “I’ve helped three Guide Dog owners live their life better and easier with the three puppies I have trained and raised, who have all gone on to qualify as Guide Dogs.” Yvonne believes her diagnosis has changed her outlook on life. Rather than allowing pulmonary fibrosis to define what she cannot do, she has focused on making the most of what she can. “I’m not one to blow my own trumpet usually, but being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis has made me more aware of every day I have left. I try to live them to the best of my ability.”
Pulmonary fibrosis causes irreversible scarring of the lungs, making breathing progressively more difficult. Around 70,000 people in the UK are estimated to be living with pulmonary fibrosis, and more than 6,000 people die from the disease each year.
For Yvonne, her journey is about showing that a diagnosis does not necessarily mean giving up on purpose, contribution or the things that bring joy. “Guide Dogs are helping me and I’m helping Guide Dogs. I have pulmonary fibrosis, but I still have a lot to give, and I’m determined to keep giving.”