Home for my son and his dying wife

A WOMAN has made a desperate appeal for a new home for her son, his terminally ill wife and their baby girl.

Alexandra Melioti, of Pages Orchard, Sonning Common, says the family are living in a 12th floor flat in Reading as they have been placed in band D, the lowest priority for social housing, by the borough council.

She claims the council has not taken into account the condition of 26-year-old Sophie McGarry, who has stage four terminal triple-negative breast cancer and was given six months to live in the summer.

Sophie is married to Mrs Melioti’s son Alekos, 32, and they have a 19-month-old daughter, Aria.

The family have had to move several times since July and have been unable to find a permanent home as other people have greater priority.

Mrs Melioti says their current flat is not big enough to accommodate Sophie’s medical needs and she struggles to use her wheelchair in the small space.

She wants to find the family a home before Christmas so they can enjoy the time they have left together and her granddaughter can have a proper bedroom.

In a letter to this week’s Henley Standard, Mrs Melioti says “Sophie’s in pain — she can’t breathe, she can’t settle her daughter. I am a mother and I can’t just wait for her to die.

“I try to do the best for my children and granddaughter and if you are a mother or parent, I think you will understand.”

Sophie said: “Aria doesn’t have anywhere to settle, which is confusing for her. She is getting to an age where she is starting to understand things.

“It would bring me stability and peace of mind for Aria to know where she lives.”

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2020 and underwent surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy before being given the “all clear”.

However, in June this year, while the couple were living in Tilehurst, she complained of feeling unwell and was told that the cancer had returned and spread to her lungs and brain.

Sophie said: “It has been big stress since the beginning. We have had to deal with the diagnosis and then this on top.”

Mrs Melioti says: “The shock for all of us was extreme and we had to make quick decisions.

“The first thing they did was get married on June 18 and baptise their little girl in order to create happy memories before Sophie got too sick and tired from the chemo treatment.

“The second decision we made was to search for a house for them to be nearer my house in Sonning Common.”

The couple found a house to rent close to Mrs Melioti and her husband, Ray McGarry, who both have a disablity, but then the existing tenants decided to stay.

Mrs Melioti says: “We thought we were so lucky to find one two minutes’ walk from my house.

“As the house would have been ready for them on July 30, they packed all their stuff and put it in storage and gave up their lovely house and came to stay with us in our bungalow until the time they could go to their new house.

“At the time Alekos was working as a manager in a pub in Reading and he could afford to rent privately and pass the references needed.

“Unfortunately, the agency that was in charge of the house then called to say that the current tenants were not willing to move out.”

Sophie started chemotherapy while living in Pages Orchard and Alekos quit his job to care for his wife full-time.

The couple then found it impossible to rent privately without payslips.

Mrs Melioti says: “We live in a small bungalow and my husband is disabled. Living all together was not the best for Sophie, little Aria, my son, my husband and our mental health.

“So the kids suddenly became homeless and had to ask for the help of Reading Borough Council.”

Since July the family have been living in Airbnbs and have been moved to two temporary flats by the council.

Mrs Melioti says: “My son is going crazy as he cannot provide a stable environment for his family and I don’t even want to think what is going through my daughter-in-law’s head as she can’t get peace of mind to rest and feel a bit better.

“They can’t have their personal stuff, they can’t relax, knowing that they could be moved from there at any time.

“Although we all appreciate the offer and efforts and the generosity until now, they need something permanent.”

The family are living in a two-bedroom flat in central Reading, where Sophie is struggling.

Mrs Melioti says: “She has become claustrophobic but she refuses to go out, except for her treatments and the chemo, as she has to drive her scooter through the corridors and use the lift.

“This causes her and my son to be depressed and frustrated. She spends her days or even nights at our house with or without her daughter, which is so bad for her.

“On top of all these Sophie is not as mobile as she used to be. She has to use a wheelchair even in the flat as well as her scooter, which makes living difficult in the space.”

Sophie said: “They won’t allow us to leave things outside the flat so the mobility scooter has to be inside and there is no space for it.

“The sofa is also so low that I can hardly get off it. My legs are so weak and the other day I just fell on to the floor.

Sophie said she wanted to give her daughter a proper bedroom.

She said: “We have one bedroom with a double bed and the other has a double bed and her crib so there is no space for anything else.”

Mrs Melioti is appealing to anyone who could help move the family up the housing list and to private landlords who would accept the couple without payslips and a guarantor.

She said: “We can borrow the money for the deposit needed to rent a house if they go private. They have enough income per month from their benefits to support themselves and pay their rent and we can also help them with their expenses.

“They need to have Christmas at their house, not an Airbnb.”

The family have set up a just giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alexandra-melioti?utm_term=9x4nzPQmN

Reading Borough Ccouncil said; “The Council is working with the McGarry family to access more settled accommodation.

”A range of options are being explored from initial temporary accommodation through to private rented accommodation or social housing.

”When assessing medical priority for social housing, the Council relies on information provided by the household which is then referred to an independent medical practitioner. The practitioner will then assess priority based on the impact the current form of housing has on the medical condition as detailed.

”We always recommend that as much information as possible is provided to ensure the medical practitioner can make a fully informed decision.

”We do understand how difficult it is for homeless households with multiple needs to spend time in emergency accommodation. However we are facing significant demand from families finding themselves homeless at a time when social housing continues to be in short supply nationally, and locally private sector rent levels are unaffordable for many people.”