This week, we’d like to help a 12-year-old girl called Elouisa.

Elouisa lives with her mum and her older brother, who has complex and profound disabilities and significant mental health needs. Because of concerns about the risks her brother may pose to her at home, social services have recently put a child protection plan in place.

Before social services became involved, Elouisa was sharing a bedroom with her brother. So she was moved onto an airbed in the living room. Alongside this, a lot of responsibility has fallen on her shoulders. She helps with her brother’s care, and his very challenging behaviour has made Eloise's home life really chaotic and overwhelming.

Elouisa said she feels like she can’t live a ‘normal’ life and really struggles with the constant noise and unpredictability. Things reached a breaking point when she started to express suicidal thoughts and avoided going home altogether.

Just before Christmas, the family moved into a three-bedroom property so for the first time in her life, Elouisa has her own bedroom - a safe space that’s just hers.

Elouisa was nominated by her social worker, who said she would love the chance to decorate her room and choose things herself. She has lots of interests too, but hasn’t been able to enjoy many of them. Elouisa loves football and wants to learn to swim, but money is tight and, with the huge demands of caring for her brother, her needs are often pushed to the background.

Her social worker described Elouisa as a bright, capable girl with so much potential...someone who could really thrive with the right support.

We’d love to help decorate Elouisa’s bedroom, pay for swimming lessons, support her to join a football club and buy the kit she needs. We’d also like to provide some sensory toys for her brother and replace his broken bed. And finally, we’d love to buy the family a cooker, to make life a little easier for her mum too.

A little bit of kindness could make a huge difference for this family.