The girl’s sick mother, who has only “days” left, says she can’t stand the warmth because of the cost of living crisis.
7-year-old Anastasia Hazel was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor last March and was only given one year to live. The mother, Alexandra Hazel, 35, said she was struggling to heat the family home as her daughter’s condition deteriorated.
“Life has just increased in value,” Alexandra said. We had to turn off the heating twice. We just want to spend time with him, but I spend all my time thinking about it.”
Anastasia, who has DIPG, is unable to speak and walk and must eat through a feeding tube. The last days await the “disciple” who was healthy and popular because he overcame the bitter prophecy of doctors who did not believe that he would live beyond March.
Anastasia is helped by the nurses and the family at home because the family wanted to be together and not her daughter in the hospital. He lives with his mother Alexandra, father James, 35, and brother Riker, in a three-year-old village near Grand Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Alexandra, a support worker, said: “Anastasia is coming to an end and we are still fighting for money. Our heating went off twice because we ran out of oil. It is simply impossible.
“It got so bad that we all camped in his room with firewood. We put wood on the fire to keep the room warm enough to last all night.
Where to find help with the rising cost of living
The rising cost of living puts pressure on the family budget, as some are forced to choose between warmth and dining.
Here are some resources if you need help.
Citizens Council
Citizens Advice is an independent charity that provides free and confidential help with legal, consumer, housing, debt and other matters. Their website explains what help is available and where the nearest office for face-to-face advice is.
Help line: 0800144 8848 England / 0800702 2020 Wales (Open 09:00 – 17:00 Mon-Fri)
Trussell Trust
The Trussell Trust supports the national network of more than 1,200 food banks, which provide free emergency food to those in need. You can use their website to find support wherever you are.
Helpline: 0808208 2138 (Open 09:00 – 17:00 Monday – Friday)
Turn2us
Turn2us is a national charity that provides practical help to people with financial hardship. Their website contains a benefits calculator and details of the schemes and benefits available in your area, including energy and water bills.
Helpline: 0808802 2000 (Open 09:00 – 17:00 Monday – Friday)
Other times, when the oil ran out, we had to put on Anastasia’s hot blankets because they were blue. Sometimes we can’t take a hot bath or shower, it’s crazy.
“There are weeks when we can’t buy basic necessities. We saved 1,000 1,000 for Christmas last year, but it was eaten up beforehand at the expense of food and heating.”
In March last year, a week after her sixth birth, Anastasia was described as a healthy girl before her devastating diagnosis. His condition — diffuse intramural pontine glioma, or DIPG — is a rare and serious brain tumor that is nearly impossible to treat.
Doctors said Anastasia’s tumor was incurable and gave her 12 months to live.
“Anastasia was a completely ordinary girl. He did very well in school,” Alexandra says. “She was a singer and a dancer, a completely healthy and ordinary girl.
“She had a lot of friends and she was one of the most popular girls in the class. The diagnosis wasn’t entirely clear, we noticed one day that one side was a bit weak.
Doctors discovered the tumor and he was taken to Adenbrook Hospital. Then his whole life changed. He is very sick. She was having trouble breathing last night.
“I think how many days we still have. It’s a nightmare.”
Source: Belfastlive
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
