The mask that was supposed to protect his health also made him an object of fear for others, and they therefore distanced themselves.
People crossed the street, called the police, and it made his everyday life almost unbearable.
But now, only a few days after his story has been shared in various Facebook groups and here in North Jutland, he feels that everything has changed.
– Just as quickly as my life changed when I got the mask on, just as quickly it has now changed back. It is as if I have returned to old times, when I can just be myself, says René Nielsen.
The recent attention has once again given René Nielsen a tolerable existence and restored a hope, which he is now ready to share with others.
René’s mask is a so-called compression mask, and it is absolutely necessary in relation to his illness. Archive photo: Lars Pauli
The public space is no longer intimidating
Nordjyske has previously told how René Nielsen found it transgressive to move around in public space.
At the time, he hoped that by coming forward he could help others in a similar situation – and it must be said that he has succeeded in this.
– I get messages from people every single day who are in a similar situation. They are happy that I dared to take the step and make this post on Facebook. It is precisely people in the same or similar situation as me who feel ostracized because of their disability or appearance, says René Nielsen.
Before, he experienced people jumping to the side as soon as he walked into a store, but that’s no longer the case at all.
– We have reached out to many people, and it has really made my everyday life easier. Before I was completely on my knees, it was unbearable – especially the thing about people calling the police.
– Now I’m on top, it’s the best Christmas present I could get, he says.
Before René Nielsen became ill, René worked as a manager at Biersted Kro, where he has been used to long working days and dealing with many people. Archive photo: Lars Pauli
The reactions over the past few days have been completely different than they used to be when people met René Nielsen. He now meets people he doesn’t know, who raise their arms from a distance and shout “hello René”.
– Then of course I answer them, even if I don’t know them at all. It might be a bit much in the second ditch, because I also don’t want to be the one who just gets recognized everywhere. But it will probably slow down again, he says with a smile in his voice.
In just a few days, René Nielsen has gained a completely new circle of people who have been able to relate to his situation, and he intends to take advantage of that.
– There are around seven or eight people that I write with daily. A single person lives in Zealand, and the rest are from Vendsyssel. I could come up with a community with them, because I think we could help each other. I hope that my experience can rub off on them a little, so that they can see that there is a way out and that it doesn’t have to be forever, he says.
2024-10-02 19:30:52
#René #life #met #man #mask
