Kamilla's story
Kamilla was about to have her second child. Her husband was working as an accountant and she was due to start unpaid maternity leave.
About 2 years ago, I was about to have our second child - my husband was working as an accountant. Then my husband suddenly became very ill and to our horror he was diagnosed with leukemia. We were shocked and frightened.
The timing was disastrous. He had to be off work for 6 months, but his sick-pay entitlement was less than 2 months. I was about to go on unpaid maternity leave. I tried to go back to work, but was sent home; I was just too distracted and distressed by what was going on in my family.
My husband spent the first 3 months in hospital. I was the only person who was allowed to visit him because his immune system was so low. The pressure was overwhelming.
To top it all, we had already moved in with my parents while we finished a building project that was much longer and more complicated than we had budgeted for. It was a matter of weeks before our income started to dry up.
how caba helped me
My mum had the idea of contacting caba. They were amazing. Their kindness and calmness meant the world to me at that point. They helped me apply for various state benefits, but they also recognised the emotional toll it was taking on me. They arranged some sessions for me with a local counsellor. Talking to someone outside of the family really helped me through that difficult time.
caba also suggested I apply to them for financial help because we just couldn’t make ends meet. I was at the hospital with my husband when I got the call saying they could give us a monthly grant until my husband was back in work. I burst into tears; a massive burden had been lifted. It meant I could focus on my husband’s health and my unborn baby, instead of trying to think of how we were going to cope financially.
My husband stayed in hospital and got better, our baby was born and we were all able to move back into our own home because the work was done. I dread to think what would have happened without that support. I can’t put into words the hugely positive impact caba had at that point in our lives. My husband had the security of knowing that his family was being looked after while he was terribly ill and I had the emotional support I needed to see me through.
Things have changed a lot since then. My husband is back at work and while he still has routine checkups, we’ve been told that he can go on and live a normal life. Our children are 4 and 2, and just recently we’ve had the happy news that we’re expecting another baby.
It’s been really tough. And without caba it would have been a lot tougher. But it’s also been a time that’s made us group together as a family and understand how much we mean to each other.
caba's support meant I could focus on my husband's health and my unborn baby, instead of trying to think of how we were going to cope financially.