A Scots woman has been left heartbroken following her mum's tragic death - just weeks after complaining of the horrific damp and mould problem in her home. Pauline Jones recently passed away aged 57 from kidney failure, leaving behind her doting daughter Andrea Jones.
Following Pauline's diagnosis, Andrea spent much of her time caring for her sick mum, as well as her 16-year-old brother. The 32-year-old, who lived next door to her mum's council flat in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, would often accompany her to hospital three times a week for dialysis appointments, as well as cleaning her flat and collecting her shopping.
Just last month, Andrea complained about the mould and damp her mum was forced to live in as she battled kidney failure. Now, she has been forced to take unpaid leave from work in order to grieve for her loss, reports Edinburgh Live.
To help support Andrea, her sisters-in-law, Liz and Elizabeth, have set up a fundraiser so that she can take the time she needs to come to terms with the death and to continue to support her little brother.
Liz said: “We have created this page for our sister-in-law/best friend Andrea who has sadly lost her beloved mum Pauline. We are reaching out to anyone who knows her to gather small donations to help allow Andrea the time off that she deserves to grieve without worrying over her unpaid wages and other costs.
“Andrea is the kindest person most of us know, she is always there whenever anyone needs her, she has cared for her mum for a long time during her illness while juggling her fulltime job. At the age of 32 she has lost both her parents and will now have to look after her younger brother.
“Andrea cared for her mum Pauline over the last five years as she had many health problems including kidney failure which required dialysis three times a week. Pauline’s health sadly declined this past year and Andrea did what she could by helping with hospital visits, cleaning and shopping.
“She also did what she could for her younger brother and Andrea has been his and her mums main carer whilst working full time. Sadly she will not receive full pay whilst off grieving for her beloved mum and supporting her younger brother.
“Andrea and Ryan have now lost both of their parents. We have created this page to reach out to all of Andrea's friends and ask kindly for their support, however small, to help Andrea through this difficult time.”
To support the GoFundMe please click here.
When previously approached about the mould in Pauline's home, a City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson said: “Many of our older council homes are now at an age where they need significant upgrades and we’ve recently announced a major programme of investment. We’re one of the first local authorities in Scotland to pilot a ‘whole house retrofit’ approach to council homes and we will fully adopt this over the next 12 months.
“Craigmillar Court where these tenants’ homes are based is one such building we plan to invest in. That should help with issues like damp and lowering fuel costs.
"Clearly, however, there are more immediate issues which also need addressed and officers will visit urgently to see what help can be offered. We strive to make sure that our tenants and residents live in safe homes where their health is a priority and I’d urge anyone with issues around mould or damp in their home to get in touch with the council.”
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