Jack’s Story

By Tricia

November 2017

Jack’s Story

On the 1st December 2016 Jack secured a job in a hair salon in Sussex, Jack wasn’t the most confident person but over time working with the public his confidence began to grow. Over the next couple of months working in the salon Jack began to build friendships with other members of the team as well as clients. Jack knuckled down and got on with the everyday tasks in hand. After a few months Jack was called to the staff room where he was told that the salon non-longer needed him, they felt he was struggling in the salon and maybe hairdressing wasn’t for him.

When Jack was born his parents found out he had a medical condition called Hydrocephalus which is water on the brain, this was caused by multiple cysts. This meant Jacks brain was unable to fully develop. By the time Jack was two weeks old he was fitted with a shunt which controls the amount of fluid around the brain. All was going well until Jack reached 4 and a ½ where he suffered a knock to the head, this then resulted in a bleed on the brain. Jack had to have an operation to stop the bleed. After a long 3 hours he was out of surgery and into recovery. This operation left jack with a few minor side effects, his main problems are that he can find it hard to communicate and can stutter when taking in information. Also, when people give Jack instructions it takes a few seconds longer for him to process the information. One of the positives from his operation is that he likes to have things organised, complete daily tasks precisely and has to have things in order.

After being disappointed with being let go from the salon he was working in, he went out to as many salons as he could, determined to find an apprenticeship. Jack then got a call back from Topsy Turvy where he was offered a job as well as an apprenticeship in Visions Hair Academy. Jack has been employed for 3 months and is achieving more than he ever thought he could, Jack said “I am determined to fulfil my career in hairdressing, I do realise it may take me take longer than others but with the help of Visions I will get through it”.