Helen’s story: support, strength and special moments

Helen’s story: support, strength and special moments

Helen provides care for her husband, who has a cancer diagnosis alongside other health conditions. Recently, her role has expanded even further as she became a kinship carer for her two grandchildren, both under the age of 10. One of the children has a physical disability, and both require ongoing emotional support, care, and understanding.

With these combined responsibilities, Helen began to feel increasingly under pressure and exhausted. During conversations with her local carers' centre, she shared her wish to create meaningful family moments: opportunities where her husband and grandchildren could spend time together, enjoy themselves, and feel like a family.

With support from a Time to Live microgrant, Helen arranged a meal for them all, followed by a pantomime. It was a chance to step away from daily challenges and simply be together.

“We enjoyed this evening together, and both my husband and I loved the time with the children. For me, we were building memories and enjoying time together as a family.”

The grant also allowed Helen to take some time for herself, using the remaining funds for a 1-hour massage and a hairdressing appointment.

The Time to Live microgrant gave Helen and her family the chance to pause, reconnect and find moments of joy during a particularly challenging time in their lives. It not only helped them create meaningful memories together, but also reminded Helen of the importance of looking after her own wellbeing. As a result, she felt uplifted, supported, and better able to continue her caring role with renewed strength and positivity.

Find out more about Time to Live here.