Life hasn’t been simple for Isabel McLeary’s teenage grandkids.
Among Teagan, Edward and David’s childhood memories are visions of authorities knocking down the door of their household home in Scotland.
” My grandchildren had a lot of disregard in their life when they were living with their parents,” Ms McLeary said.
” A great deal of domestic violence and things occurred.”
A decade ago, both of their parents died within six months of one another.
Life improved for the kids after Ms McLeary travelled to the UK and brought them back to Australia, so she and her husband could take care of them.
But some things are tough here too.
” In time, we learnt that they’ve been diagnosed with autism and ADHD,” Ms McLeary said.
” And about 4 years ago, the 2 younger ones were diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and the middle one likewise has moderate cerebral palsy and dyslexia.”
In January, Ms McLeary’s partner passed away, leaving the 66- year-old to care for the kids on her own.
The support services used by the kids, now aged 13-15, became more important than ever. When the coronavirus pandemic reached Australia, those services ended up being much harder to acc