Woman sitting looking out a window

Mags' story

Mags lives with her 22 year old and 19 year old sons, Dino and Diamond.

Mags has been unwell for several years, as she suffers from depression and physical health issues requiring her to walk with a walking frame. Dino is Mags’ registered carer, a role he has assumed as a teenager, so she’s dependent on him for her care. So when Dino contracted coronavirus, which required him to be hospitalised for a week when his breathing became problematic, it was a daily struggle for her to survive. This was a highly stressful time for Mags and Diamond. Diamond has struggled to cope during the pandemic, as he’s fearful of contracting coronavirus, he lost his job at the beginning of lockdown and he had to make the transition to online learning. The family lives in a one bedroom flat, so during Diamond’s lectures, Mags had to be moved to the living room to allow him to use the bedroom. 

As the pandemic unfolded, the family found it difficult to manage financially, to the point that a daily decision had to be made on whether they eat or pay bills, for example topping up the utility bill. They seldom eat a healthy meal and during cold spells they were unable to heat the home.

Mags was referred to Boloh Helpline by a local grassroots organisation who were concerned about the family’s welfare. Boloh was specifically set up to support Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic children and young people and their parents/carers who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. A helpline advisor made contact with Mags and explained the service to her and assessed the family’s needs. Mags was then allocated a psychotherapist where a safe space was provided for her to talk about the impact of the pandemic. During the sessions with the psychotherapist, Mags shared her history of being tortured in her home country, being separated from her children for several years and about feeling unsafe even though she has been safe in the UK. The trauma Mags experienced means that there are times she feels fearful of everything.

I had someone to talk to, someone who was willing to listen to me, because I never feel people want to listen to me. I feel stronger now and I wish everyone would listen to me like you have.

The sessions with the psychotherapist allowed Mags to focus on managing her fears and plan for the future. Whilst the therapeutic sessions were taking place, the helpline advisor worked with Mags to meet the family’s basic needs. The family were provided with vouchers to purchase food items and the helpline advisor contact with the utility company led to their account being credited. This ensured the family were able to heat the home during a particularly cold period.