Breaking News
Mum's plea for help
Friday 18 April, 2008 9:00am
"I'VE been watching you closely ... you've been to all these wonderful countries ... I will never be able to go to any of them."
Wentworth Falls resident Catherine Murray's moving address to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the Penrith Community Cabinet brought a hush to the crowded room.
She described the anxiety of caring for her profoundly disabled 25-year-old son, and made a heartfelt plea for more support for carers.
Ms Murray first came to the attention of the Press in 2005 when she was campaigning against the closure of the Greystanes home at Leura, the only centre in the area capable of caring for severely disabled people like her son.
That centre has since closed and Ms Murray said she "tries really, really hard to stay well" because "if anything happens to me, I don't know what will happen to my son".
"This is what keeps me awake at three o'clock in the morning," she said. "I don't know what the future is for him.
"I'm in my 50s like you Mr Rudd, and looking after a 25-year-old baby takes a toll.
"He's 5ft 8in (1.73m) and a baby.
"It takes a toll on relationships.
"I've saved the state a lot of money over the years. I object to begging ... there are 10-12 beds less available for him now than there were before .
"I pray to God I stay well ... where will my son go?"
Mr Rudd said Ms Murray's presentation was "the most eloquent" he had ever heard at a Community Cabinet.
He said it was a "deep, deep, often silent reality in our community".
"The rolling anxiety and challenge ... it's a tribute to you," Mr Rudd said.
"It's true, you have saved the state bucketloads of money.
"This comes up often in the community and it speaks to the decency of the Australian community that we put this at the centre of our attention."
Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin said the issue was "a huge challenge we have to deal with".
"We know it is a priority and we know there is massive demand for respite," Ms Macklin said.
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