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'Bubble' baby Logan on his way home!
2:47pm Saturday 26th January 2008
Comments (14)A FAMILY who moved to Newcastle when their baby became ill are preparing to come back to Bolton.
Logan Wilkieson, who is now 10-months-old, was diagnosed with a rare disease which affects his immune system.
Last October, he was admitted to a specialist unit at Newcastle General Hospital and was placed in a "bubble" of clean air because the slightest infection could have been fatal. He had a successful stem-cell transplant and blood transfusion in November. Now his parents, Ruth Lawrie and Gareth Wilkieson, from Horwich, are preparing to come home.
The family is currently living in a halfway house - a residence for patients who do not require complete hospitalisation but who need an intermediate degree of care - but with Logan recovering well from his treatment, they could be allowed to leave in two weeks.
During their time in the North Ruth stayed in temporary accommodation near to the hospital while Gareth has been working in Bolton midweek and travelling to Newcastle at weekends.
Ruth and Gareth have now applied for a council house in Horwich to be near friends and family. But they have been told none is suitable for them and are on a waiting list.
Ruth, aged 20, said: "These last few months have been very difficult for us, having to give up our home to be with Logan in hospital.
"The one thing that kept us going was the thought that we would one day be able to return home to Bolton and be near our friends and family.
"We are upset that it is now looking in doubt."
Logan suffers from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) which affects one in 100,000 babies.
A council spokesman said: "We awarded the family priority status on medical grounds last month through the Homes for You service and are monitoring their preferred area to see if a suitable house, preferably near relatives, becomes vacant.
"The family are also looking in a neighbouring council's area where they also have relatives, and we have spoken to that authority on their behalf."
Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire
kikidegiggles, horwich says...
5:02pm Sat 26 Jan 08
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
7:21pm Sat 26 Jan 08
Housing in this town is hard to get and personally I think its unfair that people are allowed to jump the queue, if daddy is working is there no reason why they cannot afford to rent a private house and ask there relatives to help out with a loan for a bond or something. I dont see a reason why they have been given a priority to jump the queue.
The Horwich Observer, Horwich says...
9:26pm Sat 26 Jan 08
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
9:57pm Sat 26 Jan 08
kikidegiggles wrote:If you really think it works like that then you are so wrong.... you perhaps should really take a look at Homes For You and there Homeless Welfare Policy and I think you will find you are sadly mistaken.
the council are so messing about why not just give them a 3 bad it would be differnt if we were refugeas. u can work in 2 this contry and say iv been here 2 hrs and r homless and get a home but ppl like ruth gareth and logan can not i think its a joke.
I think your comment is nothing but discriminating people who come into this regardless of whether they work or are refugees.
If your not happy with the way it works you can always go to Europe and live where the refugess come from and we'll see if your complaining then!
whitehowfan, Howfan says...
11:11pm Sat 26 Jan 08
chas, suffolk says...
9:59am Sun 27 Jan 08
tink_s, Horwich says...
12:45pm Sun 27 Jan 08
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
12:58pm Sun 27 Jan 08
whitehowfan wrote:Not at all, it's called an opinion I am entitled to it...
Itsybitsy it seems you have a big chip on your shoulder about this!
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
1:00pm Sun 27 Jan 08
chas wrote:It doesn't work in practice, the system is completely flawed and for those registered waiting for years and years to move have little chance when people queue jump.
This 'homes for you', (other councils give it another name) sound like a good scheme to help people to choose the right area for them. I hope it works in practice.
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
1:03pm Sun 27 Jan 08
tink_s wrote:Prejudice? because I have an opinion I dont think so.
Itsybitsy do you know how much it is to rent privately? They had to give up their home to look after their son whilst in hospital.. have a bit more sympathy.. no wonder there is prejudice in the world!!!
I hope they do get the home they want so the can get the support they need from family and friends, but I dont feel they should be given a priority to jump the queue for council housing and I am sure a lot of people who have spent years on the housing register in Bolton would agree with me, many of which people have disabilities whether it be themselves or children who need re-housing but they dont all get given priority.
I dont understand why they gave up there home, they have only been out of Bolton 4 months and have applied a month ago to the council to be re-housed, where has Gareth been living since hes been commuting to Newcastle at weekends.
Yes I know how much it costs to rent privately in my case £550 a month since I have been waiting 5 years for a home with the council for me and my two children. Ive not come even close to reaching the top of the list, the nearest I have come is 5th.
tink_s, Horwich says...
2:08pm Sun 27 Jan 08
tinkerbell, horwich says...
4:20pm Sun 27 Jan 08
Itsybitsyspider wrote:perhaps priority for house has been given due to the fact that the family will not be able to leave the halfway house until a suitable house has been found for their son.
They have been lucky to get given a priority at all on medical grounds because going though Homeless Welfare at Bolton Council is not all that easy to get that status, I am very surprised the council awarded them that without a fight Housing in this town is hard to get and personally I think its unfair that people are allowed to jump the queue, if daddy is working is there no reason why they cannot afford to rent a private house and ask there relatives to help out with a loan for a bond or something. I dont see a reason why they have been given a priority to jump the queue.
Itsybitsyspider, Cobweb In The Bedroom says...
9:22am Mon 28 Jan 08
At the end of the day my opinion is mine and no one elses but as part of a group in Bolton of parents with disabled children I can only too well understand the need to be moved by the council and for some its not so easy to be awarded a priority for housing including one person I know who has two disabled children and lived in a 1 bedroom cramped flat.
Mum Ruth with Logan
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tink_s, Horwich says...
4:20pm Sat 26 Jan 08