Baptist Care SA News

Tess and Aiden’s Story

Tess and Aiden’s Story

 

Homelessness in Australia continues to rise – jumping almost 14% in the 5 years to 2016¹. The main cause continues to be housing affordability.

 

Children and young people are one of the largest groups affected; a quarter of Australia’s homeless population is aged 20-30 years old1, while 17% (or 15,872 children) are less than 12 years old¹.

 

Following a nightmarish series of events, Tess*, Aiden* and their young children found themselves a part of this appalling statistic. Soon after they lost their home and were forced to live in their car, Tess’s pregnancy was categorised as ‘severe risk’.

 

Desperate, they came to our Homelessness services team for help. The family was immediately placed in a motel, while staff sought more permanent housing and looked at what needed to be done to stabilise their situation. The children were soon re-enrolled in, and happily returned to, school.

 

Meanwhile, Tess’s pregnancy was continuously monitored and each day that passed was a bonus. Words could not describe the joy and relief when the family were told they could move into their new home. A Wyatt Trust grant helped them to furnish it, while Baptist Care SA assisted with other necessary items such as sheets and blankets.

 

Tess and Aiden were delighted when they were presented with much needed baby items such as a cot, pram and car seat.

 

Fortunately and wonderfully Tess made full term and had a healthy baby with no medical issues! When she received a special baby bundle of goods for her and her new baby she said it made her feel equal to all the other women who’d recently given birth on the ward.

 

Safe housing is necessary for families to thrive. Without it, life is filled with insecurity fear and anxiety. Removing as much stress as possible from Tess, Aiden and the children’s lives, helped Tess’s pregnancy to reach full term. Today, the family is doing well and continuing to receive emotional and cultural support as they settle into their new lives.

 

Many thanks to Birthline Pregnancy Support Inc. and the Wyatt Trust for their generous support of Tess, Aiden and their family.

 
*Not their real names.
¹ Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018) Census of Population and Housing: Estimating Homelessness 2016.

Baptist Care SA, lives, works and walks on Kaurna, Peramangk and Boandik lands. We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the state’s first peoples, recognise their traditional ownership, and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs, deep connection and continued guardianship of land and waters. We value the contributions of Elders past and present, and are committed to learning from those emerging.