52 Lives

#541 Ethan and Maya

Request: Donations / Gifts / Kind messages

This week, we'd like to help a young couple called Maya and Ethan, and their seven-month-old baby.

Maya and Ethan both grew up in care and have very little family support. Maya was placed in foster care when she was a toddler, before being adopted. When she was 17, following a serious mental health crisis and a suicide attempt, it was decided that she should move back into foster care. Maya moved between foster homes and said she never really felt that she belonged anywhere.

Maya has worked really hard to process what she's been through, and she and Ethan are both determined to give their daughter the stable, loving home they never had.

Maya has a neurological condition. She uses a wheelchair some of the time, experiences seizures, and has a feeding tube to help with her medication. Because of her health, Ethan often cares for both Maya and their baby, which makes it difficult for him to work.

The family live in a tiny one-bedroom flat. By the time the wheelchair and pushchair are inside, there isn't much room for anything else. It's where they eat, play and spend most of their day together.

Maya said: "Although both of us have experienced difficult starts in life, we want our daughter to grow up surrounded by love, security and stability. We may not have the perfect home, but we put everything we have into making it a happy one."

The family were nominated by their Family Nurse, who has been supporting them since Maya's pregnancy. She said they're badly in need of new flooring. The current carpet is severely worn, smells damp and is not suitable for a baby who has just started crawling.

She told us that replacing the flooring would make a real difference to their quality of life. Maya said: "We feel guilty that we can't safely let her play freely because of the condition the flooring is in."

When we asked Maya and Ethan if there was anything else that would help, the only thing they mentioned was a playmat for their baby.

But we'd love to do a little more for them. Along with replacing the flooring, we'd like to provide some storage furniture to help them make the most of their small flat, gift vouchers so they can buy the things they'll need as their baby grows into a toddler, and some help with bills to give them a little breathing room.

What We Need

1. Donations: 100% of your donations will be used to help this family. You can donate online or by text message using the details below.

2. Gifts from a wishlist: We've set up an Amazon wishlist with some things they need. To buy a gift, just click on the link below and choose your gift. When you checkout, tick 'this is a gift', and select the 'gift registry address' for delivery. It will be sent directly to the family.

2. Kind messages: If you would like to send a kind message for them, you can either write your message in the form below and we will pass it along (your contact details won't be shared), or you can post a message to: 52 Lives (Life 541), PO Box 3154, Reading, RG1 9AT.

Offer support

Offer help or send a message

(if you are sending a message of support for the person we’re helping, there is no need to fill in your email address or telephone number)

Before submitting this form, please click here to read our privacy policy and tick this box to confirm that you have read the policy notice and consent to the processing of your personal data and sensitive personal data.