Special Appeal 2022

Gopal is a father who has been single-handedly taking care of his then 2.5 years old son, Sashi, ever since his wife was incarcerated for drug-related offences.  

Before that, Gopal often argued with his wife but he always made sure that Sashi was not around when it happened. Growing up, Gopal himself witnessed incidents of violence between his parents and did not want his son to go through the same negative experience as he did. Now the sole breadwinner of the family, Gopal was struggling to overcome financial challenges and attend to Sashi’s needs at the same time. Hence, this case was brought to Boys’ Town Sanctuary Care’s attention.  

At that point, Gopal was overwhelmed with caregiver fatigue, but he only requested for respite care on weekends for Sashi so that he could continue working to support him. Gopal shared with the Sanctuary Care social worker that there were times when he felt low and had suicidal thoughts last year but the only thing that kept him going was and still is Sashi. Sashi is also the sole reason Gopal has remained drug-free for the past 2 years. Gopal is a loving and committed parent who always carries out his duties no matter how tired he is. 

Sanctuary Care has helped Gopal navigate difficult times by providing a helping hand with child-rearing so that Gopal could take the time needed to care for himself. At first, Gopal felt worried about his son’s well-being in the respite carers’ home. However, our social worker ensured that the respite carers have access to professional support and advice to meet Sashi’s needs and provide high quality care for him. Supervised visits to the respite carers’ home helped reassure Gopal that Sashi was in safe hands. 

As parental figures are important for a child’s development, the respite carers stepped up to the role and cared for Sashi on weekends. It was not an easy feat for them, given the child’s hyperactive behaviours. After 5 months of being in the care of two dedicated respite carers, Sashi welcomed Gopal with open arms. 

Gopal is deeply appreciative of the assistance rendered by Sanctuary Care and eagerly looks forward to the day when his wife returns to them. He is no longer alone in this journey as he is now linked up with many resources to support his family.