Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:05 am
I got a call yesterday morning from my Mum who lives 200 miles away to rell me that my brother had taken an overdose and was in my local hospital.
I haven't see him for over a year and we weren't brought up together but he is still my baby brother (not quite a baby he's 28). He had a really bad childhood with my Mum abandoning him when he was 2 then just turning up when he was 6. She never had any maternal feelings for him and so he was in and out of care. His dad (mums 2nd husband - she's had 5) died when he was 17 after years on drugs.
She told me that he had recently become homeless after a relationship breakdown and was kipping on a friends setee. I went to see him in hospital and because I knew that he had nothing I bought him new toiletries, pj's etc - I wanted him to feel like he belonged to someone.
When I saw him it broke my heart. There he was this "hard" young lad covered in tattoos laid in bed staring into space and looking totally lost. He didn't respond to me at all and although physically he is fine I knew that he really needed help. I just held him and kissed him and told him I loved him. The only thing he managed to mutter was that he felt that he had no one. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't stop myself and then I looked and he had tears rolling down his face.
I asked him to come and stay with me when he came out even though all I can offer him is a couch, 2 warring kids and a stroppy teenager. He didn't seem to take anything in so I called the hospital last night and told them that I wanted to offer him a short term home.
He text me last night and said he would like to come stay so I have taken the day off work and I am going to collect him from the hospital this afternoon. He will be visited everyday by a psychiatric?? nurse. I have explained to the kids that uncle is feeling sad and that he needs lots of love to make him happy again.
It may be a little stressful but I want to look after him and I'd be more stressed if I didn't know where he was.
Just as subject heading says it "puts things into perspective"
Dee
I haven't see him for over a year and we weren't brought up together but he is still my baby brother (not quite a baby he's 28). He had a really bad childhood with my Mum abandoning him when he was 2 then just turning up when he was 6. She never had any maternal feelings for him and so he was in and out of care. His dad (mums 2nd husband - she's had 5) died when he was 17 after years on drugs.
She told me that he had recently become homeless after a relationship breakdown and was kipping on a friends setee. I went to see him in hospital and because I knew that he had nothing I bought him new toiletries, pj's etc - I wanted him to feel like he belonged to someone.
When I saw him it broke my heart. There he was this "hard" young lad covered in tattoos laid in bed staring into space and looking totally lost. He didn't respond to me at all and although physically he is fine I knew that he really needed help. I just held him and kissed him and told him I loved him. The only thing he managed to mutter was that he felt that he had no one. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't stop myself and then I looked and he had tears rolling down his face.
I asked him to come and stay with me when he came out even though all I can offer him is a couch, 2 warring kids and a stroppy teenager. He didn't seem to take anything in so I called the hospital last night and told them that I wanted to offer him a short term home.
He text me last night and said he would like to come stay so I have taken the day off work and I am going to collect him from the hospital this afternoon. He will be visited everyday by a psychiatric?? nurse. I have explained to the kids that uncle is feeling sad and that he needs lots of love to make him happy again.
It may be a little stressful but I want to look after him and I'd be more stressed if I didn't know where he was.
Just as subject heading says it "puts things into perspective"
Dee