I turned up at the St John of God care centre at Almacelles by pure chance, to gain practical experience for my nursing studies, and I was amazed both by the multidisciplinary work of care team and the type of patients they looked after. I learnt that people suffering from mental illness are highly vulnerable and are looked down on by society, but I was so captivated by the experience that I decided to change direction and to dedicate myself to them. I have now been working with them for the past 6 years, and it is so rewarding to be able to reach out to these people at a time of great fragility in their lives, and to try to win over their trust, improve their self-esteem and help them to feel part of a community.

Some of my time is set aside to familiarise people with the Centre and to sensitise young people to show respect for people with mental illnesses, trying to change their approaches and preconceived ideas regarding them.

And is this how I view part of my life as I endeavour to incorporate the values of the Order into my work, and outsider of it, and I hope to be able to continue giving myself for a long time to come.