Building work to her home to accommodate nurse Kirsty’s growing family turned into a nightmare, leaving the family of six crammed into two rooms. With sleepless nights and drained savings, how was Kirsty going to provide beds for the children?

Growing up on a livestock farm in Cornwall, from a young age Kirsty helped her father care for the animals, especially at lambing time. As well as having other nursing family members, Kirsty’s early introduction to caring and nurturing helped her decide to pursue a profession in nursing.

“I liked the idea of a career that was helping other people” remembers Kirsty “And I knew I’d always have a job at the end of the day, because nurses are always needed.”

Kirsty studied at university and qualified as a nurse in 2009. She gained experience on a gynaecology ward and in community nursing, which led to her current role as a Continuing Healthcare Nurse Assessor. Kirsty visits patients in their own homes or residential homes to assess and complete health and social care assessments to establish their eligibility for healthcare funding.

“I love meeting and spending time with lots of different people and finding out about their health situation” says Kirsty “I enjoy doing a thorough assessment of their situation and recommending the right healthcare for their particular needs.”

Kirsty’s partner is also a nurse and they have four young children. In March 2024, they undertook building work on their family home to extend the children’s bedrooms to accommodate their growing family.

“It was supposed to be a 10-week job” says Kirsty “but here we are eight months later and the rooms are still not habitable! It’s also been a huge drain on our finances.”

Kirsty and her family have had problems with two sets of builders during the work and the result is that the six of them are having to cram into just a few rooms.

“The children are having to sleep on the floor sharing mattresses, with us on the sofa. It been like this for months” explains Kirsty “And with having to pay extra money to try and get the building problems resolved, we can’t pay for things like new beds for the children.

“There are lots of sleepless nights because of the sleeping arrangements and worry and stress about our financial situation.”

Kirsty discovered Cavell whilst on a nurses’ Facebook forum where another nurse had recommended getting in touch. Kirsty applied for a grant from the Cavell Support Services team.

“I was thinking how have I got myself into this situation with my children not having beds to sleep on?” remembers Kirsty “So I was disappointed with myself but also relieved to have found Cavell, realising there was somewhere that could help us.”

Cavell was quickly able to provide funding to be used to buy new beds for all the children. Once the building work is completed and the new bedrooms are habitable, Kirsty will at last be able to provide her children with suitable beds to sleep in.

“When I got the news that Cavell could help, I cried!” explains Kirsty “I couldn’t believe it. I thought oh my god someone does care! I was overwhelmed.

“I’ve kept the money aside to spend on the new beds for the children once their new rooms are habitable. It will make such a huge difference to our day to day lives and, right now, it’s one less thing to worry about.”

The Cavell Support team was also able to signpost Kirsty and her partner to PayPlan, a specialist debt adviser, to offer free debt help and advice, including Debt Management Plans. Kirsty is exploring her options and looking into the support on offer.

“I never thought I’d be in this situation as a registered nurse, not being able to provide for my family in this way. But knowing there is an organisation like Cavell there to provide help and support to nurses is really comforting to know.

Kirsty has a message for anyone thinking of donating to or fundraising for Cavell.

“I know I’m not the only nurse out there struggling with everyday life so, if you can, please do support Cavell. It’s amazing what they do.”

If you would like to find out more about the support that Cavell offers, click here to visit the Cavell Support Hub.