Talking life, luxuries and the little things with James and Braith
“If the planets align; we have bus fare and energy, we’ll go to the park and just listen to people laughing. The sound of other people having fun when you’re having fun and feeling part of something, that’s luxury.”
This family of three (Hannah the wonder dog included) are no stranger to Bread and Butter and rejoined the Sale Moor hub for the second time after returning to the area after being made homeless.
A Family Affair
Braith’s father, James has been Braith’s full time carer for the past few years. James had used our service previously whilst also caring for his father before Covid.
The pair found themselves homeless due to the lack of adapted accommodation for younger people in Trafford. “Ground floor flats are normally reserved for over 55s,” says Braith, “there’s no housing for younger people with disability or mobility issues in Greater Manchester. Or the UK as a whole. We’re out of the criteria for everything.” Despite this, James and Braith have a ‘glass full’ attitude and are quick to chuckle.
“We were in temporary accommodation for 18 months until we moved here. And we had nothing. When I say nothing, I mean we have everything but it was in storage. We were in temporary accommodation for so long, all our reserves had gone on storage costs.”
“By the time we reached the end of the month, we couldn’t afford a van to move our stuff out of storage and couldn’t afford the storage, so we were trapped in this vicious circle. In the end, Sale Moor Community Partnership helped us to get our things and we’re just about now fully furnished but its taken five months.”
Unfortunate timing
The month they moved in coincided with Trafford Council withdrawing housing support grants. “No white goods help, no flooring help, no adaptation support,” comments James, “And this was after being promised ALL the help,” continues Braith. “No adaptations have been made to the flat and we’ve been here five months. My dad has to help me shower as there’s no hand-rails. We bought our own, but have been told we’re not allowed to fit them as we’ll lose our tenancy agreement.” They chuckle at the absurdity of it all. It’s obviously a well-worn subject for them both.
Braith continues, “I wish I was the only person who had these issues but I’m not. But if you’re a disabled person in Trafford, you’re promised money that they don’t have. It’s real struggle. We wouldn’t have a fridge or cooker if it wasn’t for the Sale Moor Community Partnership. Bread and Butter helped us when we had nothing and had exhausted all other possibilities.”
Hannah the Wonder Dog
Whilst we’re chatting, Hannah, Braith’s seizure alert dog starts whining so we pause. Hannah is a big, beautiful, black Alsatian that has helped improve their lives massively. She’s trained to let them know about 20 to 30 minutes ahead of Braith having a seizure, so James can get his meds ready in time. Braith has gone from having nine seizures a day to just two or three a month. Incredible!
Braith was one of the first people to get medicinal cannabis prescription in the UK and with Hannah by his side, he’s enjoying a little more independence. “I can leave my home again without my dad, thanks to Hannah. For years and years, I wasn’t able to do this or even have a bath.” If Braith has had a seizure and James isn’t present, Hannah will nip his leg and even start chest compressions by putting her entire weight on him if he’s stopped breathing.
“If we had the money, we’d be able to hire a trainer to train Hannah to load and unload the washing machine and even open doors ahead of Braith,” says James. “It’s all helping him become more and more independent.” Braith laughs, “She’d put you out of a job dad!”
As gorgeous as she is, Hannah is a big dog and it’s Braith and James’ responsibility to feed her. She’s another mouth to feed. As money is scarce, there have been times when they’ve had to prioritise Hannah’s hunger over their own, buying a pack of mince as they can’t afford dog food and they’ve lived on toast.
The luxury of laughter
When asked about what they consider to be a luxury that others take for granted. James talks of a granddaughter in Wales that he’d love to see more. Braith’s answer is more complex. “If the planets align, we have spare cash for James’ bus fare and I have the energy, then we’ll go to the park and just sit and listen to people laughing. The sound of other people having fun when you’re having fun and feeling part of something, that’s luxury.”
Braith continues, “It’s not often that we get to do this, as carers don’t get free travel in Trafford, so to have extra money and for me to have my health that day, plus dealing with the chair and the bus, it’s a big deal. We spend a lot of time in the house. And I like to talk, Ill talk to anyone!” And they both laugh.
This just goes to show that it’s the little things in life that can bring joy. And they’re everywhere if you take the time to look around and notice them.
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