This week, we’d like to help a young couple and their seven week old baby boy, who is in intensive care.
May found out she was pregnant last year. She was 17 years old and terrified. “I didn’t want to tell anyone. I was afraid of my dad yelling or hitting me. He has always been like that… especially when he was drunk, so I made the decision not to tell anyone until I had my scan.”
Her dad didn’t want her to keep the baby and said she would never be able to make a life for herself or anyone else. He was drinking a lot and using drugs and, as her pregnancy progressed, he started to get more violent with her.
“There was no way I was letting my baby live with that man so I knew I had to get out of there.”
May’s midwife and social services helped her put a plan in place to leave. Around the same time, May also fell ill and was put on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy.
She was placed in temporary accommodation in a new area. Her boyfriend (the baby’s father) came with her, which meant losing his job. They were moved between different hotels and shared accommodation around the county for the rest of her pregnancy. Just before their baby was born, they finally managed to find a housing association flat.
Their baby boy was born last month, but he has needed to have multiple major surgeries to keep him alive. He’s still in intensive care and May and her boyfriend are staying in hospital accommodation. Living away from home comes with a lot of extra costs. May’s boyfriend is looking for another job, but they’re struggling to pay their bills at home. They have received a couple of small grants and local support workers have been helping with food parcels, but the stress of it all is taking a toll on May’s mental health.
May was nominated by her family nurse. She said: “they are a such a long way from home, they’re really struggling and it would be amazing if some of the financial burden could be lifted.”
We’d like to help cover some of their bills while they’re away from home, provide grocery vouchers, and also things they’ll need for their home, for when they can finally take their baby boy home.