When her partner of 19 years died from Motor Neurone Disease, Rose’s world changed completely.
He wasn’t sick for long, but watching him fade away was devastating. They spent months going from specialist to specialist as he lost his voice, then his strength. Eventually, he was admitted to hospital and, not long after, he was gone.
After his death, the grief felt overwhelming. At the time, she was living on Coochiemudlo Island in Queensland, surrounded by memories of the life they had shared. She knew she couldn’t stay. She needed a fresh start.
Rose moved to Victoria to live with her brother and sister-in-law. For a while it worked, but after her niece and her eldest son moved in, things became difficult. He had challenges of his own, but there was constant tension and shouting. After everything she had been through, she found herself crying all the time. She knew she needed a place of her own.
Finding somewhere affordable felt impossible until Wintringham connected her with WPI.
That changed everything.
From the moment she arrived, she felt welcomed and supported. Slowly, the anxiety she had been carrying began to ease. Living with a blood condition that requires ongoing treatment, she had also struggled with her mental health following her partner’s death. Since moving into her new home, things have improved so much that she has been able to reduce her medication.
Having a safe, secure home has made all the difference.
Her children still live interstate and didn’t understand why she needed to leave Queensland, but her grandchildren stay in touch and she is looking forward to visiting them soon. Families can be complicated, she says, but she does her best to keep those connections alive.
Life isn’t easy financially. Once the bills, food and medication are paid for, there isn’t much left over. But with affordable rent, she has enough. There’s always food in the fridge, the home is warm and safe, and most importantly, it’s hers.
She loves living there. Everything she needs is within walking distance, and she has the freedom and independence she’d been missing. She spends her time making dot mosaics, knitting, and caring for her bird, Max, who keeps her company.
Sometimes she sits on her balcony and reflects on how much has changed. She has found something she thought she might never have again: a place where she feels safe, and where she can look forward instead of back.
