Liz Hall-Downs

Sharna is sole carer for her severely disabled daughter, Zanetta, 16. They are being evicted from their home in the Hunter Valley in a couple of months and desperately need assistance to cover the costs of securing and moving into a new home. My name is Liz Hall-Downs. I'm a Queensland-based disabled writer and musician and have set this page up to help them, after meeting Sharna in a disability group online. Sharna's message is below.

Hi Friends and Friends of Friends,

My name is Sharna. I am reaching out because my daughter and I have ended up in an emotional and financial hole and we are struggling to stay afloat. I want to share my story with you. My little family are being evicted from our rental home in the Hunter Valley and are facing homelessness.

My daughter, Zanetta, is 16 years old.  She is severely disabled, with complex medical needs. She was born with Spina bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis (a developmental brain condition affecting 1 in 4000 births), Muscular dystrophy, Epilepsy/Seizures, Clubbed hands and feet,  tic and twitch disorder, low iron deficiency anaemia, autism, head tilt, elbow contracture, Autism and an eating disorder.  Zanetta also has a severe receptive and expressive language disorder - she has been non-verbal but is slowly learning to communicate better.

I am her primary carer, but I also have fluid on the brain, making caring for her pretty difficult, though I do my best.  I am on the public housing waiting list, have approached the NDIS, and local homelessness services, but all anyone can offer us is temporary housing in a shelter or motel. My daughter’s quality of life is already poor, and I really don’t want her to have to give up her much-loved pets, (we have dogs, cats and chickens) which provide the one really bright spot in her days.

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I’m already struggling to pay rent, bills and food. Zanetta needs splints for her  hands/arms which I haven’t been able to afford to buy right now. I have often gone without food for myself just to make sure her needs are met, and with the Covid19 crisis our costs are going up even more. Our income is only $1,100 per fortnight, so I’m at a loss as to how we can afford to move without extra help. 

In desperation, I reached out to the Accessible Australia Facebook Group and a woman named Liz  offered to help me set up this crowdfunding page.  If you could support my Pozible campaign by making a donation and then sharing it with your network, I would greatly appreciate it. I know that money can be tight, so please know that even $5 helps me get closer to my goal! Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them.

I feel embarrassed to have to ask for help but have decided to step out of my comfort zone and do just that.  Your help would take some of the stress off us, and have a really positive impact on our lives.

All money raised will be used to cover the costs of moving, storage, the first month’s rent and rental bond, electricity supply, and stocking the pantry.

A Note from Liz: 

obviously these costs below may be higher than that stated here but we didn't want to set the goal too high in case we're unable to reach it.
Of course if the amount raised exceeds $2000 we'd be thrilled and grateful.

I've been down on my luck in the past, and have had kind people help me.

When I saw Sharna's cry for help I remembered those times and those people.
And I thought that choosing to help a stranger in this way felt like a good way of paying it forward.

Please help me to help this little family find a home.
And I'll send you our CD, 'Homeward Dove' as a Thankyou. ❤️

Moving from the Hunter Valley to a new home with cheaper rent in a smaller town (location yet to be determined):  $600

Two week's rent in advance:  $600

Contribution to Rental Bond:  $600

Electricity and other utilities: $100

Food/pantry:  $100