Frank’s story

“I am feeling more positive now, I am brighter…engaging with my Community Link Worker has opened a new door for me.”

My cancer took a lot from me, but one thing it gave me back was my love of photography. I have a peg in my stomach so I can’t eat or drink and it’s boring and hard. Even watching television can sometimes be difficult, seeing adverts about food when you are hungry and not able to eat. It gets frustrating and there was a time when I found myself feeling darker and darker and I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. It was frustrating more than anything else. When I was diagnosed with throat cancer, I lost my job. My partner suggested I enroll in a photography class at Kelvin College. She just thought it would help pass the time and give me a purpose but I really enjoyed it and got a Higher National Diploma (HND).

I started taking photos of the local area I stay in. Photography is like music, it takes you back to a time or a place. When I was younger I used to see photos of Glasgow, of trams and shops that are no longer there. They are now a piece of history that has been captured, and that is what I am trying to do now. I take photos to communicate, it is why I enjoy it so much.

Before my diagnosis, I worked in television. I met some incredible people including Michael Douglas and Jack Nicholson and I even accidentally stood on the Queen’s toe! I liked capturing stories through video but now I do it with my camera. I travel a lot now to Prague, Budapest and Paris but there are also some fantastic, beautiful places in Scotland. I like visiting new places, staying with locals and getting to know the area. I take a photo of the people I stay with and leave it with them everywhere I go. I like to think that I am leaving my finger prints wherever I go.

And then when I met my Community Link Worker earlier this year, he asked me what I was interested in, and I told him I take photos. He put me in touch with Jackie at the new Health and Wellbeing Hub in Parkhead. I have sent her some of my photos and they are hopefully going to display them within the hub. It would be amazing to go into the Hub and see them up on the wall, all in one place.

I am feeling more positive now, I am brighter, I have a new camera and I am excited about getting out and taking more photos. Engaging with my Community Link Worker has opened a new door for me. This is a great project to be involved in and gives me real confidence in my work.

Frank’s story is part of the latest Humans of Scotland publication – Community Links Worker Edition. The book is available to read here.

Read all Humans of Scotland stories here.

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