This beautiful smile from my son Jack 12 is rarely seen these days. In July last year our world fell apart when Jacks older brother Luke suffered a seizure whilst having a bath and I found him drowned. Jack was devastated and since then has changed from the happy child he was into a child who has withdrawn into himself.
I am a single parent and since our loss we have had to move to a smaller house and our finances have decreased a great deal. I am surviving on benefits and have taken on 2 cleaning jobs to make ends meet, whilst also recently being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a few other medical conditions. Im a hard working person and spent 24 yrs looking after Luke before he died as he had Cerebral Palsy.
I have been trying for 10yrs to get child maintenance for Jack to no avail as his father refuses to pay. I am now faced with the struggle of providing new school uniform/shoes for the new term in September. Jack has to wear clothes from charity shops but he never complains and understands that I struggle. He gets upset because he knows his dad wont help.
Im not asking for luxury designer clothes, just some help to get the basics such as jogging bottoms,tops etc. I go without so I can pay the bills and feed Jack but its such a struggle, especially in the school holidays as I cant afford to take him on days out. I have skipped meals myself and have lost a stone in weight.
Please, if any one can help put a smile back on that gorgeous face and my stressed face, it would be wonderful. Jack deserves some happiness as he has been through such a lot in the past year and misses his brother so much.
Since writing this we have had more bad luck. Our car failed its MOT and had to be scrapped as i could not afford the repairs. It seems to be going from bad to worse for us and i cant see any way out.

PLEASE HELP

GLYNIS AND JACK