What happened to Jasmine?

30-year-old Jasmine is a resilient mother of two, aged 5-years and 3-years-old. Her husband has neglected the family financially, emotionally and physically since the birth of their children. This left Jasmine to care for the children single-handedly, while seeking financial sustenance the best she could on her own. Over time, this led to mounting tensions between the couple, resulting in their eventual separation in 2021.

Jasmine’s older child, Kaycia was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay (GDD) and epilepsy, requiring dedicated care and support throughout the day. She relies on daily medication to manage her epileptic seizures and is also non-communicative, making it difficult for her to express her needs to the people around her. 

While Kaycia is currently enrolled in school, the short schooling hours and the lack of caregiving options makes it difficult for Jasmine to find employment.

How can you help?

Kaycia only attends school at Train Kids Early Intervention and Educare Centre three half days a week, and will be transiting to 5-day school in July. Her schooling arrangement will remain till she can enrol in a MOE Special Education School in 2024. This means that Jasmine would be unable to secure a job until January 2024, when Kaycia is enrolled in full 5 days school.

Until she returns to work, Ray of Hope would like to raise $5,963.20 to support Jasmine and her children with their living expenses for the next 8 months. 

Your help will go a long way not only as practical relief, but also in easing the burden that is all on Jasmine.

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Securing education for Kaycia has been an uphill battle for Jasmine after she was asked to withdraw her daughter from the school in February this year, with the grounds for withdrawal indicated as Kaycia’s lack of progress even after two years. 

The news hit Jasmine hard as she had to quit her job as a stall assistant to care for her daughter until Kaycia started schooling again. This meant losing her income of $1,100 a month that she desperately needed for the family’s basic expenses

Jasmine shares that the ordeal caused many sleepless nights and weighed heavily on her shoulders These stressors have taken a toll on Jasmine’s health, causing insomnia, nausea and a daily reliance on sleeping pills. To cope with the high level of distress, Jasmine has been referred to see a Psychologist in recent months.

Since her separation, Jasmine moved back to stay with her two older siblings. Her estranged relationship with her eldest sibling, worsened by her dire financial straits compounds Jasmine’s tremendous stress. Despite the estrangement in their relationship, Jasmine is afraid to speak up for fear of losing her only shelter. 

Caring for her daughter is a full-time role in itself, and Jasmine gets little breathing space with all this pressure she faces. It is remarkable how dedicated Jasmine remains in caring for both her children, in spite of caregiver burnout, as well as pressure from her family. 

“I feel alone, and it has been very tiring. But I know that I cannot give up because of my children.”, Jasmine told the caseworkers. 

Reaching out to Ray of Hope was a vital first step in picking up the pieces. With tenacity, Jasmine is set on caring for her children better, whether that means fighting to secure their needs, or getting professional help so that she would be in a better psychological and emotional state to carry on. She looks forward to upgrading her skill sets and securing better employment once this becomes a viable option for her.

*Jasmine is receiving social assistance.