Lee

Lee triumphs over challenges as a strong role-model for her bubs

by her Nurse Home Visitor

Warning - The following story discusses child removal, drugs and domestic violence, which may be distressing for some readers.

Mum to two beautiful kids

*Lee, 31, is a proud non-indigenous mum of two beautiful children who works hard to make good choices for herself and her family. But it wasn’t always that way.

Lee was referred to the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) when she was 25 weeks pregnant with her second son in July 2020, during Covid-19. This was the first time she had the opportunity to parent, as her first child had been removed.

Since then, she has been highly engaged with her home visiting team, and adapted to Telehealth, happily participating in regular phone calls with her team.

A tough background

Lee has a traumatic background, having dealt with drugs and domestic abuse. She had an extensive history of heroin use, having used from a very young age.

During her pregnancy with her first child, Lee was using drugs and was the victim of extreme domestic violence, sadly resulting in her first child being removed.

A brave new start

Lee bravely left her ex-partner to rebuild her life. She then met her current partner and fell pregnant again. The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) had significant concerns for Lee and her unborn baby, and worked closely with her throughout her pregnancy.

Lee worked hard by spending a lot of time with her home visiting team discussing healthy relationships and working through the content, as well as seeking additional support services. Lee also got extra support to remain abstinent from drugs.

Making deadly choices

There was a great outcome with DCJ closing Lee’s case before her beautiful healthy baby boy was born. Lee is so proud of the choices she has made and continues to work with her home visiting team to make the best choices for her and her children.

*Name changed for privacy

If anything you have read in this story has caused you distress and you need someone to talk to, please contact one of these helplines:
1800RESPECT - 1800 737 732
Beyond Blue - 1300 23 4636
Parentline - 1300 30 1300
Lifeline - 13 11 14