My name is Sylvester, but many people still know me as Albert Thompson, the name that I used for most interviews when we were uncovering the Windrush scandal.  

Because of the Windrush scandal I had been made homeless at the hands of the Home Office. And at the end of 2017, at 63, I was denied cancer treatment. All this happened despite the fact that I arrived to the UK as a teenager to join my family, and having spent every moment ever since living and working in London. 

When I got to Praxis, first they started sorting out my documents, but this was a slow process as the Home Office was taking a long time to respond to our application. As Amelia Gentleman started writing about what then became known as the Windrush scandal, Praxis helped me to speak with her, to denounce what was happening to me and so many others, and to see if that would help to get my cancer treatment. 

From that moment on my life became a real rollercoaster. My story became public and so many newspapers and TV channels wanted to speak with me, no one could believe that what had happened to me was possible.

It worked in the end. Within two months of my first interview with The Guardian the Home Office had conceded that the Windrush scandal had been their mistake, and they had set up a fast track to ensure other victims like me could access vital papers that would allow us access to healthcare, jobs, homes – everything we had been pushed away from. 

I went with Praxis to the Home Office to get my No Time Limit card – with that I was sure I could get my treatment.

The day I started my treatment David Lammy MP invited me to speak at the Houses of Parliament, I couldn’t believe it, my heart was pumping so fast! I was very excited to be able to tell the MPs in Parliament that what happened to me wasn’t fair, all the world should know it, and it didn’t happen just to me, so many other people were in my situation.

I have heard that since the publicity around my case, thousands of people have sorted their papers too. I am very happy to know that so many people got help also because of something that I did.

Throughout all that time Praxis was always there with me. I don’t know where I’d be without them, probably deported back to Jamaica, or worse. I don’t want to think about it. Always look on the bright side.