POPULAR volunteer, Jo Dismore, has been forced to put his community work on hold whilst he recovers from operations to one of his legs.
Last year, 92-year old Jo was the star of an episode of BBC’s ‘Street Auction’, which saw him surprised with the proceeds of a pop-up auction. The event raised funds to thank him for his dedication and work for Frome charity, Active and In Touch.
Jo is currently recovering in Oxford where he was treated for a vascular problem in his left leg, which has left him unable to carry out his volunteering work.
Jo first started experiencing symptoms last September. However, a phonecall consultation, followed by a face-to-face appointment wrongly diagnosed Jo with gout.
It wasn’t until he visited his daughter in Oxford at Christmas that Jo received the correct diagnosis. Jo said, “My daughter, on seeing the state of my foot, arranged for me to be seen by a geriatric consultant at the unit she runs at Abingdon Hospital. This resulted in an immediate referral to The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to which I was admitted on 28th December.
“There was an infection, it is true, but no gout or anything like it. The whole of the vascular system in my leg was rubbish and as things went from bad to worse, I had one operation after another.
“I have not seen Frome since before Christmas and have no idea when I will return. Unable to walk, with my driving licence surrendered, and my car, on which I depended on so much to help others, being sold, it is a sad ending to this 92-year old’s efforts to pay something back to the community that has given me so much over a lifetime.”
