This week, we’re trying to help a 2 year old boy called Kamil who has a serious illness and is living in extreme poverty.
His mum and dad moved over here from Pakistan a couple of years ago with their children (now aged 2 and 3). They wanted to give them a better life. The mum has a working visa and had been supporting her family since they arrived. But last October, they found a lump on Kamil’s head, and he was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). It is a rare cancer-like condition that requires intensive treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy.
Kamil’s mum had to stop working and, due to her visa conditions, the family has no access to benefits. She receives no sick pay and they are relying on food banks and charities to meet their basic needs.
They are living in their uncle’s house, all sleeping in one room. It is damp and mouldy and the carpet is in bad condition, but they are not eligible for council housing and they have nowhere else to go. Kamil is also having treatment on his spine and struggles with walking, so having damaged carpet is really dangerous for him.
The dad has found some part time work but it is not enough to live on. The mum is trying to change her visa conditions to allow her to work for a different company, which would mean she could find a job that offers night shifts so she could work while the children are sleeping, but she doesn’t know if that will be permitted. She is desperate and willing to do anything to make their lives better.
We heard about the family through another charity called the Link Foundation. One of their support workers was visiting the family to deliver some items and saw the conditions the little boy was living in. He had just come back home from hospital after surgery and his home was freezing. The support worker reached out to see if we could help. The family’s cancer support worker and social worker have also emphasised to us how much this family would benefit from our help.
We’d like to do what we can to make their lives better.
*Kamil’s name has been changed to protect his privacy