Dorothy and Tilly’s Story

You may remember reading Dorothy and Tilly’s story with our urgent plea for support in December. We’re so pleased to share that thanks to your support the family have finally felt the relief of a Kids Under Cover studio and scholarships.

Dorothy took in her three grandchildren, Tilly, Jack and Ben, when their mother was no longer able to care for them. The overcrowding in Dorothy’s small home was pushing the family to breaking point, and it was getting harder every year as the kids grew.

When Tilly and her brothers saw the studio in their Grandma Dorothy’s yard, they were very excited.

“I thought it was cool and nice, because I’d be able to put my belongings in and not have them scattered all around… I was able to make it the space that I wanted it to be,” said Tilly.

For her brother Jack, the studio made a big difference in his ability to study for school, and to connect with his friends. “Having the space has helped a lot, I can concentrate and focus more on my studies now which is good. Plus, I can have mates over to watch the footy!”

Thinking about the impact of the studio, Dorothy reflects, “the kids used to get quite cross at me and my husband, because things were hard, and we were the ones there, you know, they didn’t have their mum and dad to take out their frustrations with, so I used to just say to them ‘Nan and pop are doing the best we can’”. Now Dorothy says, “the kids are much happier within themselves, much more content.”

And it’s even given Dorothy’s family back some quality time and space. Dorothy says, “It’s given us all space to spread out. I don’t have to be making and folding away sleeping spaces each day. And now every time someone comes to visit, I don’t have say, ‘I’m sorry about the mattress on the floor, but the grandkids sleep there.’”

“The studio has been an absolute godsend” says Dorothy.

* Names have been changed to protect identities. The models pictured are not connected to this story.