Alberta woman living with multiple sclerosis worries she may lose her children

An Alberta woman is in desperate need of help. She has severe multiple sclerosis and can no longer care for her two young daughters on her own.

She is a single mother and hasn’t be able to find a government program that will fund a nanny.

For the protection of her children, we will call her Marie.

Marie can no longer do many daily tasks on her own like walk and drink.  She even needs help sitting down.

Severe MS has taken over her body and her ability to care for her children on her own.

Marie says she has tried to find funding for a nanny but child and family services has presented adoption as the only option for her girls.

“I have been to so many government offices,” Marie says with tears in her eyes.

She says each time she is told there is no funding, and to try somewhere else.

Marie doesn’t have any family or friends that can help her out.

“I love those girls, they are beautiful,” Marie says adding, “I just want to be with them, they want to be with mom.”

A spokesperson from Human Services says she cannot speak about Marie’s case specifically, but Roxanne Dube Coelho says they try to look at every possibility before presenting adoption.

“As much as possible we will work with families if there are no protection concerns for the children in the home. We will work with our partners and do essentially what we can to help that family to stay together. If it does happen that the children do need to come into care we will look at finding them a permanent home,” explains Dube Coelho.

“You’re willing to pay social services and someone else to take the girls but you’re not willing to pay for something as simple as a nanny,” Marie’s sister-in-law Laurrie Mohr wonders, adding, “It hurts, it’s killing us.”

She says the girls are in school during the day so would only need care in the evenings, to pick them up from daycare, give them a bath and their dinner.

Friends don’t think it’s in the girls’ best interest to take them away from their mother.

“I come in and the table’s just a mess with crafts and sparkles. The little ones have makeup on and mom has makeup on. Just mother-daughter stuff that isn’t blinded by MS,” says Christina Jameson.

She says it’s not fair that those moments may be taken away.

“I see two little girls who don’t see MS, they just see their mother. They have learned to adapt to the situation at hand. The little one falls and mom can’t pick her up. the little one goes to mom with her arms wide open – there’s still that affection, that love, that care that mothers are supposed to be,” Jameson adds.

“I had those two gorgeous girls for a reason and I’m trying to give them the best life I can,” Marie says emotionally.

She knows she can’t physically care for her girls alone but knows she can give them her love, something no one else can give them.

“Why break up a family because a mom or dad is sick? If that parent wants her children, don’t take them, help!”

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UPDATE: Since this story aired and was posted online, it has been met with a huge response from our Global Edmonton viewers, many of whom have been eager to help the Alberta woman.

One of our Facebook fans has even taken it upon herself to set up a group on the social networking site called “Miracle for Marie.”

A trust fund is also in the process of being set up to help raise money for a nanny so that Marie’s children can stay with her. Check back on Saturday for more details on that…

With files from Laurel Clark.