Refrigerator for Ella
Ella’s story is nothing short of heartbreaking. Her parents divorced when she was a child, and she lost all contact with her father. Ella, now 25, had a tense and volatile relationship with her mother. The situation got so bad that at the age of 13 she was put into a home for at-risk youth. Ella didn’t adjust there and, after three months, she left and moved back home. She never went back to school. The situation at home only deteriorated from there. Ella was shown no warmth or love and always felt alone.
At the age of 15, Ella met a boy, became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. She left home and moved into a government-subsidized apartment. She lost all contact with her baby’s father. Soon after, Ella met another man and moved in with him and his family. Together, they had four children. Ella stayed home taking care of the children, while her husband worked to support them. Unfortunately, he also drank an excessive amount and roamed the streets. He was unfaithful and emotionally abusive. After five years, Ella left with her children. She began proceedings to sue him for child support but, after repeated threats by his family, she halted all legal action. She is now trying to raise five children on monthly government subsidies.
Over the years, Ella has worked odd jobs in order to bring in money. Last year, she began working as an aide to the elderly but when the Corona crisis hit, she had to quit in order to be home with her children during the closures. Ella was in dire financial straits and, with nowhere else to turn, she took out black market loans. She now finds herself deeply in debt, as she had previous debts that her mother had incurred under her name. There are weeks where Ella cannot afford food for her children. She has even resorted to prostitution in order to earn extra money. Ella is emotionally drained, suffering from depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD and extreme weight loss.
Social services is helping Ella try to get back on her feet. They are guiding her professionally and have gotten her into therapy. Ella is a very devoted mother and, despite her financial and emotional state, is determined to turn her life around.
The family is currently living in a cramped, dingy rented apartment with few furnishings. Ella’s most pressing need is a new refrigerator as hers is broken and cannot be fixed. While she struggles to turn her life around, Ella needs a refrigerator in order to feed her five growing children.
