Ill mother looking for a place for herself and her children

Cheriann Doyle, who was recently diagnosed with lupus, is homeless and crying out for help.

The struggling, unemployed Doyle, who is finding it hard to make ends meet, is asking for assistance with a housing solution for her and her five-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.

Last Friday night, Doyle was thrown out of the Black Rock, St Michael house where she was living with her aunt and grandmother.

And though she is still struggling to come to grips with having to learn to cope with the emotional and physical pain of living with the autoimmune disease, the young mother is asking for the opportunity to work so she would be able to provide for her children.

“My situation right now is to find a job; it is to find somewhere to live because where I am now is only a temporary situation. I need somewhere to live for me and my two kids and I really want work. I can cook, I can bake, so any work along those lines would be perfect for me,” she said.

The 31-year-old said if she had the opportunity to choose how her life should be at this time, it would not be seeking temporary shelter at a friend’s home.

Doyle explained that up to a few months ago, her aunt and grandmother removed her from her rental property because she had gotten sick to the point that she was unable to work to meet her financial commitments. She said, still sick, after living with them for a few weeks, she had to be rushed to the hospital where tests determined that she had lupus, the same disease that took her mother’s life 12 years ago.

“I went back to my grandmother’s house when I was discharged from the hospital. I was there and everything was good until my aunt started asking me to find another apartment. I figured that because I am not working and I had just got diagnosed with the lupus, they would just give me a little ease. My aunt started telling me that I got to find somewhere to rent but I was trying to explain to her that I am not working.

“But it is really my grandmother’s house, but my aunt helps to maintain it because my grandmother can’t hear and she is very dependent on my aunt. Friday night I went home with my son and they had taken the bed out of the room and my son was sleeping on the floor for a little bit until I called my friend and he and his mom decided to accommodate me until I find somewhere to go.

“That same night my granny was trying to help me to find somewhere to go and she gave me a blanket to spread on the floor for my son to sleep on until I found somewhere. My aunt was in the gallery sitting down and I was trying to talk to her to see if she could give me at least a week until I could figure out something. It is hard at 10:30 at night to look for somewhere for me and a five-year-old child that tired.”

Doyle, who said she must take ten tablets per day, including steroids to manage her medical condition, is adamant that in spite of the constant pain, she can work to earn an honest dollar.

She said: “A few of my cousins reaching out to me but they can only do so much. I just feel like the main support that I had turned their back on me and that is my aunt and grandmother. I just feel like they just left me to figure out everything, even though I am old enough that I should be able to figure it out. But I would just like help in figuring it out.

“I even did a poster because after I came out the hospital it was really hard and I didn’t want to put all the pressure on my aunt to feed me and feed my son. So about three weeks ago I put out a poster reaching out for help and I got a few responses of people donating, but it wasn’t a big response because it is hard for everybody.”

Doyle continued: “I really need help now because where I am they are not really in the position to accommodate me and my son. They were the only people willing to help me and they extended a helping hand although they are struggling too. And living with lupus is hard. Every day I wake up with a migraine, but I got my children so I can’t let this defeat me. I just get up every day and push. And it is not a matter of if I could work, I will work.”

Doyle said she is awaiting a response from the Welfare Department where she sent an application seeking assistance. She explained that at this time her daughter is living with her father.(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)