Hi, my name is Kirsty, I’m a mum to one, 12 year old Jason, and work as a Patient Care Assistant at a Veterinary Practice, as well as studying my Level 2 so I may progress into Level 3 Veterinary Nursing.

Sadly on just before midnight on Monday 16th June, my son was charging his batteries for his remote control airplanes (he wouldn’t normally do them in his room but he wanted to show his school friends the next day) when he feel asleep and was woken up when they caught fire.

Jason acted quickly and came straight down to tell me (I’m not a good sleeper so hadn’t made it to bed that evening) but when I dashed upstairs, I was already too late and the plug socket, as well as his bedding, was on fire meaning I couldn’t effectively or safely extinguish it.

Despite the fire service attending quickly Jason’s bedroom was a lost cause, carpets (some being only six months old) were water damaged while putting out the fire and even though we closed all the doors, all the soft furnishings and clothes that weren’t directly damaged, smell of acrid chemically smoke.

To add to the devastation, we had only recently decorated the house (before Christmas) and laid new carpets downstairs which took a long time to save for.

I don’t enjoy asking for help but stupidly I didn’t have contents insurance so the cost of replacing anything that needs replacing, falls on myself. My family have been kind enough to to help replace the immediate items, such as school clothes, shoes, everyday clothes etc for Jason, however, I can’t ask my family to help towards the larger items we need. I have ordered us both a basic mattress each which will go a long way to getting us back on our feet but I still have to pay my rent and other bills as usual. I know money is tight for so many people at the moment, but I would be immensely grateful for any small amount of help anyone could offer.

I honestly don’t know what else life can throw at me right now. As a family, we have suffered a huge loss of my mum in August last year, which is unbelievably unbearable and we are still trying to navigate the inquest process with this. I suffer with my mental health, which I have since my teens and feel ashamed of asking for help. If you have read this far, thank you again for sticking with my muddled brain. If I was more financially stable I would sort everything in a heartbeat but I’m struggling to hold onto my sanity again after only recently returning to work.

Thank you again, take care and always keep smiling, no matter what life’s throws at you.