His hands were the key to his livelihood. Avtar Gill fitted car windscreens for celebrities and royals, until Raynaud’s affected his ability to work. He supports others through SRUK Support Group Midlands, a Birmingham community supporting those affected.
I have dark days but you can either laugh or cry about it. I am on anti-depressants and a cocktail of drugs, every day it's like one step up and two steps down. I am in the hospital every month.
Before he turned 40, Avtar was one of those people who never saw the doctor and was not on any medication. Today, things look very different. Avtar Gill fitted car windscreens for a living until the effects of Raynaud’s took hold. He was driving one winter evening and his fingers were in so much pain and went white. He went to the GP and her face dropped. He has been in hospitals ever since. He was diagnosed with Raynaud’s straight away and he also has fibrosis in the lungs which makes breathing difficult.
Avtar tried working as a home delivery worker for supermarkets but would gasp for breath as he walked up stairs carrying groceries. He gave up working altogether. When he experiences a Raynaud’s attack his hands go from red, to blue, to white, which he laughs is very ‘patriotic’. Other symptoms include stress and a stinging or throbbing sensation when they warm up after exposure to the cold. Avtar said his torso could be hot but his arms and legs are cold. He once had to go to the theatre wearing ski gloves.
Avtar started the SRUK Support Group Midlands in 2018, when he realised that there was a gap in local support services within the area. He comments:
Our support group works so well; when I first went to the doctor there was no one to turn to for support and to help with what was going on. They are a great bunch of people and I feel very lucky.
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