Film star Michael Sheen gets first-hand view of PTSD charity’s work

Hollywood A list actor Michael Sheen has fulfilled a long-standing promise to Healing The Wounds, the Welsh charity which helps treat PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

The actor pledged to get first-hand experience of the charity’s work when he agreed to become a patron of Healing The Wounds.

Today, he attended one of the charity’s treatment courses held at the Parc y Scarlets rugby stadium in Llanelli.

Healing the Wounds founder and executive director Kevin Richards said: “We have been very fortunate to have Michael as a patron of the charity and feel privileged that a Welsh actor, whose roots are in Port Talbot, has taken such a genuine interest in the charity and the plight of our veterans suffering post traumatic stress disorder.

“Michael has requested that he be kept up to date on the charity’s progress toward its quest to acquire a short-term residential treatment facility in Wales to enable the continued support of our veterans and their families.”

Mr Richards added: “Michael Sheen comes across as a really lovely guy, hugely interested in the work we do as a charity.

“He is a very busy guy, but he found time in his busy schedule to talk to veterans and to members of the Healing The Wounds charity team.

“Michael spoke to four veterans and their partners and heard their accounts of life as sufferers of combat trauma and the debilitating impact it has on individuals and their families.

“Michael was particularly interested to learn how the process of their individually tailored treatment had changed negative attitudes to life.”

Also present to act as hosts at Parc y Scarlets were Llanelli Scarlets rugby legends Gareth Jenkins and Rupert Moon.

The Scarlets kindly provided the venue for the charity to deliver treatment to the veterans.

Healing The Wounds treatment practitioner Carol Richards said all the veterans involved in treatments sessions at Parc y Scarlets appreciated the visit from Michael Sheen.

“It did wonders for their morale,” she said.

Picture: Left to Right on the group photo is Practitioner Rachel Phillips, Founder Kevin Richards, Michael Sheen, Healing The Wounds Photographer Ashley Richards, Veteran Carl Pugh, Practitioner Carol Richards

For more information, see the charity’s website is at http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk

Press release issued by Robert Lloyd on behalf of Healing The Wounds.