For as long as I could remember, I had always lived with my Mum. When I saw her mental health getting worse and worse, I realised she could no longer take care of me the way she once could. It broke my heart to say goodbye, and I had to move in with my Dad. I had not seen him in quite a while, and things were really hard at first. I missed my Mum so much but I didn’t know what to do.
Someone told Dad about a charity called Voice of the Child that helps families, and we got their details. Soon after, we organised something called Supervised Contact at their family centre.
We all lived pretty far away from the centre, and Mum tried to travel to see me there many times, but she never did make it. Her anxiety had gotten so bad she could no longer travel. I was heartbroken but felt entirely helpless.
Then, something amazing happened! VOC contacted all the churches in Mum’s local area, and one of them had said we could use one of their rooms. A family support worker would meet us there with Mum, and help support me with the Contact session. Mum and I both felt safe there, and we were able to see each other far more regularly after that.
I loved spending time with her at the church. We played games, did homework and I told her all about my new friends at school. The support lady was there with us the whole time, which made us stay calm and happy.
After some time, she told us that Mum and I could see each other on our own now. I was sad to say goodbye to the lady, but so happy Mum and I could spend more alone time together!
Today, I still live with Dad, but it’s much better now. I see Mum regularly for tea, and I’m moving to secondary school next year so things are looking very good! Thank you to everyone at VOC for helping me and my Mum. We are so, so grateful.
Ms Fields’ Story, told by Sophie, 11, 2022
