Help Emmy find stability

Hello! Thank you for taking an interest in Emmy and her situation.

So, who is Emmy? Emmy is my wonderful 18 year old niece, my brother's eldest daughter. So why am I pleading for your help?

My brother and Emmy’s mum got divorced some time ago. It was a very messy situation, which led to his ex-wife making life very difficult for my brother to see his kids (Emmy & her brother) . It got to the point where she was telling disgusting lies about my brother and stopped him seeing his kids, she had complete control and none of us were allowed to see the kids for a large number of years.

Around this time, Emmy’s mum got in a relationship with a man who turned out to be a nightmare for Emmy and her brother. Emmy was only 7 years old, where she would end up in a situation that would forever affect her. Her mother’s partner became emotionally, mentally & physically abusive with them. This would carry on for years. I can’t say too much about the details of what happened to her and her brother as there is an investigation ongoing, but the information has had police teary eyed and angry. So a very long story made short, Emmy one day finally had enough and trying to protect her siblings, told her mum, “it’s either me or him”, to which her mother chose her partner and kicked Emmy out. Emmy lived with her dad for a while, until his living arrangements changed and she had to move in with her aunt. Her aunt made life difficult for her and Emmy was yet again in a controlling situation, until her aunt also threw her out, leaving Emmy homeless.

Though I unfortunately don’t have enough bedrooms to permanently house Emmy as much as I would love to, she has been staying with me as much as she can, sleeping on my sofa, alternating between staying here and with her boyfriend at his mothers house.

While Emmy has been staying with me, it has become evident to me the trauma this girl has been through and how it has affected her. She has no self esteem, no sense of self worth, has been abandoned by those who should protect and care for her the most and has clear mental health issues. This is not a girl who is trouble, this beautiful girl, with a big heart and caring soul, is troubled by what she’s been through.

I am ashamed to say that neither of her parents have stood up and done the right thing by this girl. She has been branded the problem and no one seems to want to see otherwise, apart from me and her Grandma.

Emmy has been applying for jobs, but as we live on a small island, with sporadic transportation and she doesn’t drive, no one has employed her. I have been helping her to apply for housing, Universal Credit and also trying to be referred to the Mental Health team, which, if you have had any dealings with these services, you’ll understand just how difficult they make it to actually access help and/or things you’re entitled to.

I have been helping her financially as and when I can, though I have two children myself and I am disabled, so unfortunately do not have the means to help her as much as I wish I could.

Emmy has had to grow up very quickly, as the eldest sibling, she has always mothered her you her siblings and done her best by them, while she has been blamed and wronged.

So I am pleading for your help, so Emmy can have some sort of financial stability while she is waiting for access for help, which let’s be real, at this time of year, no government service will rush to provide her with.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read a very small part of Emmy’s story!