This week, we’d like to help Laura and Daniel, who have been fighting to keep their little girl alive and are now losing their home.
Phoebe was born with life-threatening issues with her digestive system. She is now almost two years old and has spent most of that time in hospital having multiple surgeries. Her oesophagus currently exits through her neck, and she has to have another major surgery next year to reconnect it to her stomach.
Laura had to give up work after Phoebe was born, and Daniel has been juggling work and looking after their other daughter on his own. He used up all his leave when Phoebe was born, and he’s had to miss a lot of work since then due to emergencies.
The stress has been massive – emotionally and financially. Laura and Daniel have racked up significant debt just trying to stay afloat through it all. And this month they will have to move out of their home and into a council house because they can't afford to stay.
They don’t have any money for moving costs, or to buy any of the white goods they’ll need. Their landlord is kindly letting them take the fridge with them, but they still need a cooker, a washer and dryer, curtains, and some other bits and pieces for their new home plus school uniform for their older daughter as well.
They were nominated by a family support worker at a children’s charity who has been working with the family. She said: “They do not ask for a lot, they just keep to themselves and plod along. They could really do with a little bit of kindness to start them on a positive new journey, with their two lovely little girls.”
We’d like to provide what they need for the move, and also provide some gift vouchers for groceries to take some financial pressure off for a little while.
*Names have been changed.