“When I came to Women’s Aid Luton, I was broken, depressed, and numb. Many days I felt like giving up, I felt empty. The staff were brilliant, they gave me hope and tried their very best to make me comfortable and happy.”
Siri was 8 months pregnant when she was referred to the refuge from another area, after experiencing abuse from her husband and mother-in-law. She was fearful her husband would hurt her baby and that she would not be able to keep the baby once born.
How did we support Siri?
- Arranged for a support worker who spoke Siri’s language to talk to her
- Listened to Siri and took her fears seriously
- Provided safe accommodation in refuge
- Helped Siri access legal advice
- Helped Siri access maternity services and mental health support
- Supported Siri to access financial support and helped her apply for housing
- Supported her with baby clothes and essentials
Siri is still living in refuge with her baby and is doing brilliantly. She is thinking about moving on and has the support of family locally and ongoing support from WAL.