‘It’s barbaric’: Daughter made to watch single mother with cancer inject herself in one-bedroomed flat

A 10-year-old daughter has to watch her mum with stage four cancer inject herself as they share a bed in their one-bedroomed flat.

Kerry Hawes, 37, was diagnosed with a melanoma in May and the cancer has spread to many parts of her body, including her kidneys, lungs and liver.

She has been living in her one-bedroomed flat in Stanstead Road, Catford with her daughter for the past five years, and has been trying to move out since she was placed there by Lewisham council.

Ms Hawes is now being treated with immunotherapy. She said her medical team is not expecting to cure her.

Ms Hawes must take regular injections of an anticoagulant called Clexane, and struggles to breathe most nights while sharing a bed with her daughter. 

“It’s diabolical, I’ve been left to rot,” said Ms Hawes. “I’ve got a 10-year-old daughter who is sharing not only my bedroom with me, but my bed. 

“I am throwing up, I’m exhausted, partly because of the treatment and partly because of the actual disease itself.

“I’m injecting myself with Plexin blood thinners every day to disperse a blood clot on my kidney. And she’s seeing it all going on. Not because I want her to, because I’ve got no choice.”

Ms Hawes said she asked Lewisham council to move her out of the borough to a different borough but claimed that the council said they had a duty of care to her and could not do it. 

Ms Hawes said: “All I get from Lewisham council is ‘we’re doing our best, we’ll be in touch when we’ve got somewhere’. That’s not what I’m asking them to do.

“I’ve been in touch with Bromley council and asked how I get transferred over to them because they’re like three times the size of Lewisham, but Lewisham are reluctant to do that because apparently they have a duty of care to rehouse me, but where is this duty of care?”

Kerry’s mother, Debbie, said her daughter and granddaughter were being “brave” but the whole process had been “horrendous”.

Debbie said: “I went to King’s College hospital. I got down on my hands and knees and prayed. I said ‘please can you help her because she’s going to die’.

“It’s just been devastating. I haven’t been able to sleep properly. I’ve got to look after Kerry and we’ve no help from anybody on the housing situation.”

A Lewisham council spokesman said: “Like the rest of London, Lewisham is facing a housing crisis, with about 10,000 families on our housing waiting list, and nearly 3,000 families in temporary accommodation.

“Following a recent assessment of Ms Hawes’ medical situation, we are working with her to identify an alternative two-bedroom property for her and her daughter.

“While we do not own permanent social homes outside of Lewisham, we have made a request to Bromley council on Ms Hawes’ behalf to see if they are willing to assist in this regard.

“Any decision on allocating Ms Hawes social housing in Bromley would ultimately be made by Bromley council.”

Pictured top: Left, Kerry with 10-year-old daughter, Taylor; right, Kerry in hospital (Picture: Kerry Hawes)