Elee | Brisbane Youth Service

When her daughter Ruby hadn’t learned to walk or talk by eighteen months, Elee realised something was wrong.

At 22, Elee is the single parent of a little girl with Cerebral Palsy Secondary to Bilateral Schizencephaly, despite the challenges, Elee has dreams.

‘My first contact with BYS was December 2016. When I first got my house I was very excited… but I didn’t know what to do or how to keep a tenancy … I didn’t know how to keep on top of my lawn maintenance.

I secluded myself in my house. I was depressed.

The first time [my BYS worker] came out, he brought me a fridge!

He’s helped me with transferable skills. He took me to my local day-care to start the connection … I was too scared to go in. I had no confidence. He helped me with my job. I knew I wanted to work but I had no idea how to start.

He saw an opportunity and he said, ‘You could do this’ and I said, ‘no, I couldn’t’ and he said, ‘yes you could’… Out of 92 applicants I was one of seven who got approved. I got the job!

So I have an income now. I’ve learned a lot of skills. I … can communicate better. I’ve had to put myself out there.

I came in with nothing … from a mattress on the floor, now I’ve got a bed. From an esky, I’ve got a fridge.

I can talk to the neighbours and it’s fine, I don’t feel nervous. And I used to feel nervous so much. I feel a strength now.

Ruby is going to need extra support throughout her life and I want to make sure I’m a good influence. I want to make sure I have a house, a safe place for her, and that I work…I didn’t finish high school and I left and did nothing … I want to … give her that role model so she will hopefully want to do the right things for herself.’

“Ruby is going to need extra support throughout her life and I want to make sure I’m a good influence. I want to make sure I have a house, a safe place for her, and that I work...I didn’t finish high school and I left and did nothing … I want to ... give her that role model so she will hopefully want to do the right things for herself.”