Ryan’s Story

I started in care when I was still pretty young, not because it was on some grand career plan, but because life had already introduced me to it. I’d been looking after my mum for more than ten years while she was unwell, so care was already a part of me. A couple of my friends worked at Care in the Vale and kept telling me, “You’d be great at this.” So one day, I decided to give it a go.

From the first day, I knew this was where I was meant to be. There was something about the way clients looked at you, with warmth, that just clicked. That first shift, I saw how people genuinely respected carers, and how quickly strangers could become friends.

One client I’ll never forget was 99 years old, and honestly, had more spirit than half the people I know. That year, he asked me to help him plan his 100th birthday party with his niece. We got on FaceTime and started chatting through ideas. He was full of life and loved hearing my stories, always telling me, “You should join the British Air Force and head off to France like I did.” I’d laugh and say, “Bit late for that now, I think I missed the recruitment drive by about 50 years.”

He never did get to see his 100th birthday, which still hurts. But I think about him often. Funny how someone you only knew for a short period of their life can leave such a mark.

It’s the little things, that really matter in this job. The way a client lights up when you walk in with a smile. Or how they always offer you cake because your sweet tooth isn’t exactly a secret. One client got me hooked on Monty Python and we spent months quoting Monty Python lines back and forth.

Sometimes you get asked to be a pallbearer. Sometimes you just sit and listen. And sometimes you get a bird named after you (true story). And honestly? That’s enough. The stories people share, the decades of living packed into quiet conversations, those moments are gold.

It's never really about the "please" and "thank you." It's about connection. It's the feeling of being part of someone’s day. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.

#CareInWales #CareInTheVale #Barry #Wales #DomiciliaryCare #ValeOfGlamorgan #Penarth #Sully #DinasPowys #CareStories #SocialCareHeroes #HeartOfCare #LifeInCare #CommunityCare