The family overwhelmed by the public’s reaction to the story of their financial struggles.
All week, Dayjanta Samuels has been “wild and excited”, says his mother Christine Borton, “counting down the days to Christmas”.
The family have been overwhelmed by the reaction of the public to the story of their financial struggles, with dozens and dozens of people contacting them to offer money, gifts and advice.
We first met the family last month at their home in Tipton in the west Midlands, when looking at the impact on low-income households of what has become known as the cost-of-living crisis.
The Sandwell area in which they live has employment levels similar to the British average, but lower levels of pay, mainly due to the type of work people do. Since then, inflation has risen further, to 5.1%, its highest rate in a decade.
“This last week has been happy because people have said I’m a sweet boy and a good child,” says nine-year-old Dayjanta, whose worries about the family bills and his wish to help pay for them struck a chord with many others. He feels less worried, he says, with the donations meaning, “We can get to stay in the house”.
Christine agrees, but realises it will take a while for her son to overcome his concerns about the household bills.
“A lady gave me a voucher to buy him some sneakers and he was like, ‘I can keep some of it for the bills’. I just want him to be less worried about stuff that isn’t to do with him.”
Since we first met, Christine has lost her job as a full-time carer for a man with learning disabilities. She says her employer told her they didn’t have enough clients.
But she describes the last week as “absolutely wonderful”.
“I’ve been crying and praying, thanking God,” says the 47-year-old, who also lives with her 18-year-old daughter Shashouna.
“Never in my life have people reached out to me like this.” She pulls out one letter and starts reading it through tears: “You’ve got no money but you have two beautiful children that absolutely love you, and one day will understand all you have done for them. So in truth you are a rich lady.”
“When you receive words like those,” says Christine, “it gives you motivation, to say, ‘I can do this’. It’s very powerful. Those letters and postcards, I will keep them.”
Delivery drivers have been regular and welcome visitors to the family home over the past few days.
Dayjanta, an avid footballer, has been most excited about the Arsenal pyjamas and duvet cover he’s been sent. Some other presents sit wrapped under a small Christmas tree that was also gifted.
“This Christmas is going to be way, way different,” says Christine. “I appreciate this so much. I don’t know how to say thank you properly. I genuinely appreciate these people – the messages, the phone calls, the good encouraging words. It’s made me a strong person.”
Some of the people who have been in touch said the family could shop around to reduce their broadband and mobile phone costs, while others said Christine should seek advice to ensure she’s claiming all the benefits she’s entitled to.
Christine’s first task for 2022, she says, is to find a new job. The kindness of strangers has the family already looking forward to the new year with renewed optimism. “I’m hoping that I don’t have to go back to struggling to make ends meet. I hope my future, my children’s future, is better for the rest of my life.”