Festive fun at the Zone
AFORMER midwife who is grieving over the loss of her daughter and husband said she is “hanging on by her fingertips” as she is now in her ninth week of not receiving Universal Credit.
Mary Van Der Merwe, 49, who has lived in Burscough for 19 years, has received one emergency payment of £274.20 in eight weeks after the documents she provided to get the Universal Credit, which she is entitled to, “got lost.”
However, Mary’s situation is more complex as she is grieving the loss of her nine-year-old daughter Esme who died in January this year after suffering with a rare brain disorder, Rett Syndrome. This required Mary and her late husband Pieter who worked as a pharmaceutical manager, giving up work to provide their daughter with 24-hour care.
On top of this, the mum-of four is still coming to terms with the loss of her husband who committed suicide at the age of 38 at their home in August last year.
In 2011, due to Government spending cuts, the family didn’t receive the vital medical support to care for Esme and after fighting for years they won a High Court case against their local authority and she became the first child to be supplied with a qualified nurse.
Mary, who is a registered nurse and midwife, said: “My husband was a very good man, everyone was shocked by his death and I wasn’t, because we had nine years of fighting the system. We got the care package eventually but Esme still needed two nurses because her condition was so complex. She couldn’t walk, eat by herself and she had repeated respiratory arrests. I’m physically and mentally exhausted.
“I was on call for Esme 24-hours a day, seven days a week and now all I’m asking is for society to let me grieve and have five or six months.
“I want to make some noise about what happens to these children’s families after they die because I know other parents are struggling. I’m now in my tenth year of fighting the system. They think when these children die that if you’ve got a pulse you can just carry on.
“The sad thing is I can’t even afford to put a gravestone on Pieter or Esme’s grave and it just makes me want to cry.”
Just two months after Esme’s death Mary attempted to go back to work as a pharmaceutical rep but found it too difficult to see faces she frequently saw when taking Esme to hospital.
Mary has been offered work at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and in the past, she has worked at Shrewsbury Hospital and Chester Hospital.
However, because she is not currently active this means she has to complete 400 hours of unpaid service with the NHS before she can go back to work, adding to her worry of how she will cope to make ends meet if she is relying on the Universal Credit.
To get some extra money Mary
MARY VAN DER MERWE
began waitressing at Stocks Tavern in Parbold. However because of this her Universal Credit was reduced.
She added: “This year I was really hoping that my children were going to get a nice Christmas. I was on £7.30 an hour waitressing. I earned about £500 in six weeks and when I found out they were taking more off me than I was earning I just couldn’t believe it.”
As a last resort she’s has had to ask her mother for money and has received a certificate from the job centre to visit Ormskirk food bank.
Mary said: “I’m being penalised for trying to work. I get a low paid job and I’m penalised for it and I get a high paid job and I can’t do it right now.”
Despite the heartbreak that the family has suffered, her youngest son Ben managed to get three As in his A-levels and is now studying at Edinburgh University, her eldest son Peter, who helped care for Esme, is studying at Edge Hill University and her 15-year-old daughter Ava is doing her GCSEs.
Mary, who has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and exhaustion, said: “I’m just so proud of my kids through all of this. I’m not sick, I’m grieving. I’ve always worked really hard for the complex needs of West Lancashire, and now I need the help it’s not there.
“I’ve paid 40% tax all my life and I’m asking for something back. I will eventually go back to working as a midwife but right now I just need to grieve.” WEST Lancs Youth Zone in Skelmersdale is hosting a Christmas Community Event tomorrow (December 9).
The event, organised alongide colleagues from West Lancashire Children’s Centres and West Lancs Borough Council, takes place between 4pm and 7pm.
A spokesman said: “It is going to be an action packed evening with performances from U3A, Skelmersdale Community Singers, Skelmersdale Prize Band, Cotton Club Vintage DJs and dancers from Becki Lou’s Dance Studio.
“The performances will be outside under this year’s lovely Christmas tree and lights so make sure you wrap up warm and snug - bring an umbrella if it looks like rain. We hope to have snow – although not the real stuff!
“Seasonal Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Olaf from Frozen will be here along with a short visit from Santa.
“We also have a children’s entertainer, craft activities, face painting, nail art and much more will be inside the Zone.
“Come and enjoy a festive hot pot, mince pies and Christmas shortbread, all provided on a first come first served basis. “This event is free.” For more details message West Lancs Youth Zone on Facebook.