CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO KEEP THIS BEAUTIFUL COUPLE TOGETHER

Last week I received a devastating call that could have been about any family just like mine or yours.

An 83-year-old man, Terry*, had been admitted to The Westmead Hospital with extreme heat exhaustion and was incubated in ICU.

Terry was trying to do work on his home, but with the temperatures during the recent heatwave too much to bear, he had become dangerously ill and was urgently admitted to hospital for medical treatment which would save his life.

Terry’s wife, Eileen*, is 78-years-old. She can barely walk and is utterly lost without her husband by her side.

Eileen hasn’t left the hospital since her beloved husband’s admission last week, but because he was in such a bad way, she couldn’t see him for two days as she was just too traumatised.

This frail pensioner doesn’t drive; they have no children and no family to support them. The destitute couple only has each other.

It makes me feel sick with sadness to tell you that Eileen had been eating out of bins as she is so hard-up.

While all hospitals provide everything to meet the needs of the patient that they’re treating, this level of care doesn’t extend to the family (unless they’re the primary carer of a minor). Unfortunately, this has meant that Eileen, regardless of how weak and frail she is, has been left to fend for herself far away from home in an area that’s unfamiliar to her.

While this is a tale which is devastating in its own right, it’s an even sadder path which has led Terry and Eileen here today.

Two years ago, the home of this gorgeous couple burnt to the ground. Since then, they’ve had to move around endlessly while they try to salvage what they can and rebuild their lives from scratch.

They were badly duped by a builder which took the last of their life savings, and so, not surprisingly, they have no trust for anyone.

Ironically, 83-year-old Terry was trying to do work on the house in the recent heatwave to seek to make things right again for him and his wife which is how he became so severely unwell.

When I spoke to the social worker at Westmead, I immediately said we would do whatever it takes to keep Eileen safe and close to her husband. I booked her into 175 (formerly Wesley Lodge), and she had a warm, clean and safe bed to rest in that night.

This couple has nothing. Absolutely zero.
But with thanks to our donors, we could offer some emotional support to Eileen and give Terry one less thing to worry about while he concentrates on making a full recovery.

But that’s not the end of their story, and here comes the worst part.

We can only afford to help Eileen for the next few days.

We cannot offer unlimited support for her to stay by her husband’s side for the duration of his hospital stay.

It will cost Heartfelt Homes’ $1050 to keep Terry and Eileen together for the next nine nights.

A cost which is nothing compared to the pain of what they’re going through at the moment, but which is so far out of their reach, her only other option is to pace the hospital halls night after night.

Not only will $1050 give Eileen somewhere safe to stay, but it will also provide Terry with the emotional support he needs to make a faster recovery. It’s been proven that having loved ones by their side helps patients heal faster than of they were to bear the weight of their illness all by themselves.

$1050 will also keep Eileen rested and strong as she’s currently in grave danger of developing her own illness from the stress and emotional pressure that she’s currently under.

This Australian couple doesn’t currently know whether there are any long-term consequences of Terry’s severe illness and how long he’ll be in hospital for.

Their story is far from over.

Heartfelt Homes exists so that couples like Terry and Eileen can remain together when they’re facing medical crisis far away from home.

Sadly, their story is not unique, and families are being ripped apart all across Australia as people are admitted to hospital far from home, and their loved ones don’t have the financial means to accommodate themselves close by.

This means that family members must often drive long distances home late at night, sleep in hospital waiting rooms or worse, sleep in their cars in unfamiliar areas where they put their safety at severe risk,

Terry’s serious illness is the most recent in a long line of tragedies for this couple, and once again, safe and secure accommodation is the cause of their torment.

Heartfelt Homes has the solution; we just need critical financial support so that we can step in and make a difference.

In the spirit of Aussie mateship, I urge you to please make a donation to Heartfelt Homes today so that we can raise $1050 which will allow us to promise Eileen accommodation for the next nine nights.

Eileen is terrified, traumatised and she is going through a horrific time, your small donation today will make a BIG difference.

Please click here to donate now and make a huge difference in someone’s hour of need.

Heartfelt Thanks on behalf of Terry & Eileen and all of the other Australian families going through medical crisis that we are able to help every day. 

(*Names have been changed to protect identity)