Hi, my name is Niall Donnan and I run a campaign called “Hug & Help”. This is a campaign in which I offer strangers a hug, and then ask my friends, my family and followers to get behind them so we can help them together. 

At 79 Susie is still working 15-hour days behind a bar just to survive… despite severe health problems and living in dangerous housing conditions. After a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice, they deserve safety, dignity, and the chance to finally rest.

For most people, their late 70s and 80s should be a time to slow down, enjoy retirement, and live peacefully. But for Susie, 79, and Bob, 82, life has become a daily struggle just to get by.

Despite their age and serious health conditions, Susie is still work full-time, often spending 15 hours a day behind a bar, trying desperately to bring in enough money to cover their £1,200 monthly rent, alongside all the other costs of daily life.

She is not working because they want to, they are working because they have no choice.

Susie, 79, recently suffered a heart attack and lives with very poor health. Everyday life has become increasingly difficult, but despite everything she is going through physically, she continues to work long hours simply to survive.

Bob, 82, is a proud veteran who served in the Navy for 12 years. Today, he faces multiple serious health conditions, including COPD, a heart arrhythmia, and the lasting effects of having suffered an aneurysm in his head. Bob struggles to walk, has significant mobility difficulties, and falls regularly, making everyday life increasingly dangerous.

And heartbreakingly, the roof over their heads is not even safe.

The home they live in has become increasingly dangerous and unsuitable, especially given their age and health.

The roof has collapsed twice.

There are holes in the roof, serious damp throughout the property, and blankets and towels covering windows to keep out freezing draughts.

The conditions are now so unsafe that Susie and Bob are forced to live entirely in one room… the only room in the house without damp. They eat, sleep, cook, and spend nearly all of their time in this single room, because the rest of the house is no longer properly livable.

Even getting into their flat is a struggle.

There is a very steep staircase leading up to their home, something that has become incredibly difficult and dangerous for Bob due to his poor mobility and frequent falls. At 82 years old, with his health conditions, one bad fall could be life-threatening.

After everything they have endured, Susie has one simple dream:  

To finally retire and live safely in a small bungalow where they can enjoy peace, comfort, and dignity in later life.

A safe home without dangerous stairs.

A warm, dry place without damp and collapsing roofs.

A chance to stop working exhausting shifts just to survive.

Most of all, a chance to finally rest.

Susie dreams of spending the rest of her life gardening and enjoying peaceful walks in nature … simple joys that so many of us take for granted.

Their daughter, Jojo, nominated them as part of the Hug & Help campaign. Jojo has spent many years doing everything she possibly can to support her mum and dad through incredibly difficult circumstances. However, Jojo herself lives with disabilities and has carried enormous stress trying to care for them while managing her own health challenges.

We are asking for help to give Susie and Bob the chance to finally live safely and with dignity.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, will go toward helping them secure safer living conditions, easing the financial pressure they face, and helping them move toward the retirement and stability they deserve after a lifetime of hard work.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing their story.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for helping give Susie and Bob hope for a safer, kinder future. I may have hugged Susie & Bob but together we can help and change their lives forever.