Dear You,

I am writing this appeal as a desperate father and husband. In recent weeks I have had the biggest scare of my life. I had to be taken to the nearest hospital with a suspected heart attack. I was lying there on my own surrounded by beeping machines, screaming people and overstretched hospital workers. Scared for my life I started thinking about my children and my wife. This made me even more scared and uneasy.

My children are now 7 years old (triplet boys), so our life is full of joy and happiness (also crying, fighting, and forever budgeting). We both work hard and try our best to provide our children with clothes, food, toys, friends and most importantly happy memories. As a well oiled and maintained boat our marriage sail through the tough times. I have met my wife in my late 20’s, she just started to blossom into a beautiful young women. She knows what she wants in life and she is out to get it. We both were born in a very small, insignificant and poor country and moved to the United Kingdom to better ourselves and our life. For many years we have lived as a desperate couple and spent every penny that we have earned on trying to have children. After what seemed to be a lifetime my wife finally become pregnant. Soon after we have had our first scan, and we have found out that we are expecting triplets. Every moment of the pregnancy after was scary and happy despite of all the challenges and discomfort. Month by month we have tried to buy all the necessities for our miracle babies. Luckily (that is what we believed at the time) we had just moved into a big rented bungalow. We tried to plan everything as we always do, but life has its on way most of the time. The children were born at 30 weeks, and after 10 scary weeks in the hospital they could finally come home.

7 years has passed on, I am not getting any younger. However with the recent financial crisis in all around the world life has become more difficult. The bungalow that we live in is old and we have many problems that needs to be dealt with, however our landlord is not one of the responsible ones. The main problem is wet walls, black mould. I am very worried about my children's lungs. Being premature carries higher risks for lung diseases. Our furnitures are getting mouldy, it cannot be healthy. The landlord is not willing to spend money on the house, he is planning to sell the house in the near future. I am in constant worry, I do not want to end up in a hostel or bed and breakfast with my three beautiful boys. Unfortunately, the rent is increasing, and we cannot afford to move. This causes me so much worry!

In 2006 we become very close to buy our own house, at that time the banks were still landing 100 % mortgages. However, just when we have made our decision to buy the credit crunch has began. However hard we try we cannot save up 25 % deposit and extra money for the lawyers etc. And even if we could the bank would only give us enough mortgage to buy a one bedroom flat. A four bedroom house close to us is anywhere between £250-300000.

Although the rent that we pay now is probably higher than the mortgage would be, no banks considering us as future mortgage customers.

I need your help today. I am not asking for donations, I am asking for a mortgage from you all. If you could just donate £1 today, I will pay it back one day. I am desperate, and cannot see any other way. Please, help.

Yours faithfully

Tom