BBC: We invited a man into our home at Christmas and he stayed with us for 45 years

[Evergreen]

This is an article about a couple who took in a man who was homeless and autistic, and he stayed with them for the rest of his life.

Might be a bit triggering or discomfiting, but is also a touching story.

It would have been nice to hear Ronnie's point of view - the man with autism - but he has passed away.

The relevant part for us is this [Dianne = wife of couple, Rob = husband of couple, Ronnie = man who lived with them]:

One of their lowest times was when Dianne was ill with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, as she recalled there being days where she couldn't get out of bed.

"I had a little three-year-old daughter, Rob was away working," said Dianne.

But she said Ronnie was "remarkable" and came into his own, making milk bottles for their son Lloyd, helping out around the home and playing with their daughter Katie.

 

[BrightCandle]

I view these stories as complete and total state failure that puts up arbitrary rules that ill people can never meet and who aren't ill enough to be looked after and end up homeless and die young. It is great he found a place to be but it is another story about the state failing to provide for its people in times of need and random people stepping up not willing to leave someone homeless. Most ME/CFS people are looked after by others and indeed this is the case in this story where Ronnie looks after the child because the father has to be at work and the mother is ill in bed with ME/CFS at least for a time and without that extra help life wasn't possible. So many societal and state failures in this story.