Cancer-fight family's eviction fears after father takes desk job

Published on Wednesday 9 December 2009 22:05

THE family of a woman battling cancer face eviction by the Ministry of Defence, because her navy husband took a desk job to look after her.

Royal Marine David Millard switched to a recruitment office post in Scotland to be closer to his wife Wendy, who is bed-bound, and their two children.

However, according to government rules he no longer qualifies for the service accommodation and faces an eviction notice.

He said: "The house I am currently in is married quarters, adapted to suit my wife, and they are trying to get me out of that.

"They have said they could at any time serve me with a 28-day notice to get out and to me that's quite disturbing.

"There is a little bit of resentment, given I have served almost 28 years in the Royal Marines, and to be treated like this is shocking.

"Given what I do for the government in recruiting people to the navy and Royal Marines, I find it quite hard to swallow."

Marine Millard was speaking after children Cameron, seven, and Mollie, nine, won an award at a ceremony in London yesterday for they help they give their mother.

They jointly won the young carers accolade in the Children of Courage Awards attended by celebrities including Peter Andre, Esther Rantzen, and Michael Ball in London yesterday.

Cameron and Mollie help their mother, diagnosed with cervical cancer three years ago, wash and get dressed, and make her breakfast before going to school.

Marine Millard, 45, has to leave the house at 6:30am for his Edinburgh job 75 miles away and does not get home until 6:30pm.

Until then the children help once they get home from school and even do shopping, enabling their father to keep working.

Due to late diagnosis there is little treatment available to help Mrs Millard whose spine has started to crumble.

Marine Millard added:

"Nobody has gone out of their way to help us apart from certain charities; help from the government has been minimal."

Mrs Millard said: "I would give anything to be able to care for my children again in the way they now care for me.

"Despite the adult responsibilities they shoulder, they still manage to fill the house with laughter," she added.

A navy insider said: "Unfortunately this probably is according to the rules.

"But it would be nice, given his long service, for an exception to be made."

Louise Morgan, services development manager for the Scottish Young Carers' Trust, which helps support children who take care of sick relatives, said: "There are an estimated 100,000 young carers in Scotland carrying out caring roles, looking after mums, dads, siblings and other relatives who cannot manage without their help because of illness, medical conditions, substance misuse or mental health issues."

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: "We will be looking into the circumstances concerning Marine Millard's entitlement to service married quarters."

CHILDREN ANY PARENT WOULD BE PROUD OF

BEFORE school in the morning, Cameron, seven, and his sister Mollie, nine, wave goodbye to their father, David Millard, who has to leave home at 6am to reach his desk job in Edinburgh.

They then get themselves washed and dressed and make their breakfast, before turning to help their mother, Wendy, who has cancer and struggles with everyday tasks. They help her wash and get dressed, and they make her breakfast, even though she desperately wishes she could reverse these roles and care for them instead.

Once they are at school, she is mostly bed-bound because of her illness, which was diagnosed three years ago.

Once home from primary school, the children again help look after their mother, and even do some shopping for the house, until their father gets home at 6:30pm.

He says: "They took it upon themselves to do that, which is quite mature for two kids of that age. They are just seven and nine – in my eyes, they are still just wee dots."