My parents split up at the end of 2001 due to my mum's mental illness. I was so angry at my dad at this time for walking away when this is when mum needed people to stick by her. I had no choice but to leave with my dad as my mum just couldn't look after me let alone herself. It was so unbelievably heartbreaking to leave her. I remember the first night when my dad had left i stayed with her as i just couldn't bear the thought of her being all alone especially as she was quite unwell by that stage. I knew i had to let go but it was soo hard! Not long after that, which was around christmas, she ended up in hospital for the 1st time. I remember just before she went into hospital, if my brother, sister or i bumped into her at the shops to not go anywhere with her as she might be dangerous. I didn't believe it for one second. Even though my mum was unwell i know sick or not sick she would never do anything to hurt us.
Eventually things calmed down, my mum was back in the family home and we would get to see her frequently as we still lived in the same suburb as her. It was still incredibly hard for me as i had to learn to live away from the person that cared for me all my life and was always there. As she became well again, she eventually started looking after me again.This went on for a few years until she started having another episode of her illness. She started becoming paranoid again. In the early hours of May 31, 2004, i woke up to the sound of my mum talking to my dad which was bizarre as my mum didn't live with us and then i heard my dad get up and drive away somewhere which i thought was even more bizarre as it was only 3.30am. I got up, went into the living room to see my mum sitting there. When she saw me she said the house was on fire. As our houses weren't too far apart my mum had ran over. I think after that i went into shock. My sister than called my grandparents and for some reason i can't remember came over and by the time morning fell i was sleeping in the spare bedroom at my grandparents house. I guess that's when reality set in. I was the only one out of my brother and sister to stay at my mum's so i had a bit of stuff there like all my childhood photos and most of my cds and some clothes which had literally all been burnt. My mum was extremely lucky to have gotten out as the room that she was in was completely burnt out. It made me realise how close i was to losing her. Because of my mum's illness the investigators thought my mum might of lit the fire but it turns out a heater had been left on. The support that me and my family received after the fire was so overwhelming. Everyone was so kind. At school, my classmates were all really supportive and kind. The student council organised to give me a cheque to replace the cds that i had lost which i was so touched by. But the main thing was that my mum was ok.
