Some good news for Ryan.

"Most children, suddenly improve within a few weeks or months, whether or not treatment has been given. Nine out of ten children will have improved within a year of diagnosis. However, one in ten children will have a low platelet count for some years before it improves. This will not restrict their life in any way."

He will also be leaving home soon, I would have assumed, so hopefully the Pinfields will not have to wait too long.

I could say so much but do not want to offend. Why should the council give you a 3 bedroomed house, are any of the family trying to help themselves? I bet the house is full of,....
I must stop because this story just doesn't ring true, like teenage kids have kids to get a council flat and more benefits. If they gave out A Levels on how to defraud the council we would'nt have enough University places.

my son has ITP and has had it for the last 3 years and if there are no complications there is no reason why you have to regularly go to hospital and it is usually adults that have there spleens removed as trifecta said nine out of ten children grow out of the condition.so why would they warrant a bigger council home .

No disrespect meant and I hope your son will be fine but I do agree with Cazz and Beachhut. I own a 3 bedroom house and have 4 children. When I had my step children there was 8 of us in the house. I understand that as children get older they need more room. My two eldest felt they needed more room and both moved out and now rent for themselves. Why should the council just pick up the pieces. My eldest daughter is 18 and has a baby the council did not just give her a house and why should they. I taught my children to work for what they want. I would like a 4 bedroom house but can not have one. Thats life, you have what you can afford.

I totaly agree with Donna, why do people feel that they automaticaly deserve a big council house. Every month or so there is a new story covered by the Echo about a family needing a bigger home, usualy, without a father in sight, I might add. Why not rent privatly if thats what you need. You can't even claim private renting is too costly as, living on benefits, the bill will be picked up by us tax payers. My husband works days and I work nights to pay our mortgage and we dont ask or expect to be given anything. For the record, I have 4 children in a 3 bedroomed house, my decision, my responsibility.

In parts a mean article, and some of the comments are a bit below the belt. Why did the reporter feel it necessary to describe Mrs Pinfield as "a jobless divorcee...being treated for depression"? Is it to make her sound like a feckless scrounging tenant? No doubt many of the people above her on the council's sisyphusian waiting list are recent arrivals to the country who always seem to be given priority. What's so wrong with 16 and 12 year old boys having their own bedrooms? Brothers of that age have very little in common, including - in theory - bedtimes, and the older boy studying for A levels would need some peace and privacy. Wouldn't we prefer him to get well and succeed, to be a contributing taxpayer, instead of an unwell/disabled young man drawing state benefits?

My goodness some very good answers from the heart there, sorry to say I tend to agree. Surely if the father is so worried about his children he could do something constructive to help out there, why is it all on your shoulders. I would just like to say to you I hope you get out of your depression soon if it's about the housing sorry there is no point wasting your energy there if it's about your son I empathise & do hope he does recover soon. Thankyou for allowing me to have my say.

sisyphus I would like to say that my son at 17 was sharing a room with his 7 year old brother and managed to get 12 g.c.s.e's The point is there are thousands of families around who have children of all ages sharing rooms, no it may not be easy at times but you work at it. I am sure most teenagers would like a room of thier own. So in your opinion everyone in council properties can just breed as they please and the council will just keep housing them in bigger and bigger houses. When will people start to take responsibility for themselves. Why do so many people think that the world owes them a living. If you want something you have to work for it.

I have to agree with Donna & most of the other comments, you have to work at the situation you find yourself in, it was the same when i was younger i had to share with my brother who was younger then me & that was some 30 years ago.
How about the mother put the oldest in her bedroom & then get her self a reasonable sofa bed for the lounge ?

i spy with my little eye ....another lazy bunch of scammers - do something for yourselves ,theres many people who are/or would be in your situation and cope with it - hardly the end of the world is it ,if you want a bigger house ,get a job and get a mortgage or as someone else suggested rent a bigger house in the private sector ,the benefits system will pay for it because you have all the excuses under the sun for never having to lift a finger to earn money for yourselves - i resent paying my hard earned money to support the likes of you . sorry if that offends you and the tree-huggers on here but you need to be told ,youre just a load of spongers

i spy with my little eye ....another lazy bunch of scammers - do something for yourselves ,theres many people who are/or would be in your situation and cope with it - hardly the end of the world is it ,if you want a bigger house ,get a job and get a mortgage or as someone else suggested rent a bigger house in the private sector ,the benefits system will pay for it because you have all the excuses under the sun for never having to lift a finger to earn money for yourselves - i resent paying my hard earned money to support the likes of you . sorry if that offends you and the tree-huggers on here but you need to be told ,youre just a load of spongers

"Now the boys have outgrown the shared room"

In what way have they outgrown it I wonder? Is it a really tiny room ?

Ouch !!! a few home truths coming out on this web page.

I am afraid it is true though. Find yourself a job Lisa and I guarantee you will feel good about yourself, your self esteem will greatly improve too. There will be no need for any chemically prescribed crutches to help with the depression either. Believe me that's all antidepressants are, "a crutch to prop you up" In the long term they will rob you of any pride you may have, make you feel more vulnerable and isolated. They can even cause Depression themselves . Do something positive to not only help yourself, but also set an example to both your sons. You will gain the respect of others outside your family. People will see you in a different light totally.

You will also gain strength and energy from this effort on your part, I promise. BE POSITIVE TODAY, AND TOMORROW WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, WITH YOUR INPUT.

Whilst I am sorry that the two boys have health problems. I cannot understand the urgent need for seperate bedrooms? Will they need seperate rooms throughout the rest of their lives???? There are familys overcrowded with both boys and girls. How will they feel if they are pushed down the housing waiting list , in favour of this family?

If this woman is so worried about her kids sharing a room..she could give up hers and he could have that.

However..like so many have said on here...it's obvious this woman has a game plan, and disgustingly uses her son's impairment for her own gains.

I agree with the sentiment of many of these posts, but accepting the following provisos. I personally do not know this lady or her family or the exact details of the property that she has. Nor do I know how severe her depression is but I see that already someone has decided that she is taking medication and has given her constructive information on how bad they are. I couldn't see where the medication was mentioned in the original story but hey, let's make our own minds up. I see someone else says the Dad should get involved; I personally don't know where he is, what he is like, whether he is abusive or dead as the story doesn't tell us. I don't know how long this lady has been out of work but assume from the comments that it must be absolutely ages. Although I couldn't see where the story mentions it. So that's it then, they are obviously 'lazy bunch of scammers' which presumably even applies to the two children who are working hard at school as mentioned in the story. Or is the lady a bunch of scammers all on her own? Who cares? Let's go and paint crosses on their doors anyway. As I say, I have these thoughts too but I am not willing to just join in with the bashing without having a bit more info. I honestly hope that you are all correct in your assumptions so that your consciences remain clear. I have some books if anyone wants to start a fire...?

lmao at this
ryan pinfield is a mate of mine an 6th form
is far as this gos he only goes hospital once a week and only for checkup, his bro is hardly ill iv never seen him ill
his mum is a bit weard and his flat is not to small his and his bros room is quite big but they have loads of games consoles and computers and stuff
his dad isnt dead or violent but whene i asked im about it one day he said hes a train diver and to make up for not seing him loads he bys him loads of electroics it was only the other day he got a 32in sony hd tv

so as far as what people are saying i kinda agree with them but il think il keep anonymous lol

well gyppo,looks like booner99 gave you your answer - looks like it wasnt such a bad assumption after all !!! perhaps im a little cynical but some people dont even have their first house never mind scamming for another one - im not about to change my view,theyre as transparent as a goldfish bowl

booner99 wrote:
lmao at this ryan pinfield is a mate of mine an 6th form is far as this gos he only goes hospital once a week and only for checkup, his bro is hardly ill iv never seen him ill his mum is a bit weard and his flat is not to small his and his bros room is quite big but they have loads of games consoles and computers and stuff his dad isnt dead or violent but whene i asked im about it one day he said hes a train diver and to make up for not seing him loads he bys him loads of electroics it was only the other day he got a 32in sony hd tv so as far as what people are saying i kinda agree with them but il think il keep anonymous lol

lol is this right ?

yea it is right
i went to school with him know i go to 6th form with him hes ok but his mum is a bit weard i remember going around there oneday and his mum was saying that hes stupid and stuff
but anayway im not gunna say much because i would like to keep anomynouse amd i do have to see him everyday lol

gyppo wrote:
I agree with the sentiment of many of these posts, but accepting the following provisos. I personally do not know this lady or her family or the exact details of the property that she has. Nor do I know how severe her depression is but I see that already someone has decided that she is taking medication and has given her constructive information on how bad they are. I couldn't see where the medication was mentioned in the original story but hey, let's make our own minds up. I see someone else says the Dad should get involved; I personally don't know where he is, what he is like, whether he is abusive or dead as the story doesn't tell us. I don't know how long this lady has been out of work but assume from the comments that it must be absolutely ages. Although I couldn't see where the story mentions it. So that's it then, they are obviously 'lazy bunch of scammers' which presumably even applies to the two children who are working hard at school as mentioned in the story. Or is the lady a bunch of scammers all on her own? Who cares? Let's go and paint crosses on their doors anyway. As I say, I have these thoughts too but I am not willing to just join in with the bashing without having a bit more info. I honestly hope that you are all correct in your assumptions so that your consciences remain clear. I have some books if anyone wants to start a fire...?

gypo -
It clearly states in the report that this lady is being treated for depression.

There are of course Treatments that do no involve Medication. However you need to be very motivated and quite emotionally strong to tackle depression without the aid of medication, so it is useful in the shot term, but not over an extended period.

My advice was well meant, and intended to be constructive. However, it is up to this lady to decide whether she takes it on board. I do work in Health Care, and have my own personal experience of Depression, therefore I felt that I was fairly qualified make a statement of this nature.

I am not "joining in the bashing" as you are suggesting, just expressing a view, as are others who have left comments. This is a Democratic Society at the end of the day, where people have the right to freedom of speech. You are also entitled to a view, but as you have chosen to attack others comments, don't be surprised if you are "Shot Down In Flames"

The Echo does not always permit comments on this forum, but as the option to do this has been made available for this report, people are entitled to their view. Just accept that, because that's all the comments are, other people's views.

It seems to me that you are the one that is in need of help, if you are so narrow minded as to not be able to keep an open mind on the issues printed on this web page, and comments left by others.

Nighthawk wrote:

gyppo wrote:
I agree with the sentiment of many of these posts, but accepting the following provisos. I personally do not know this lady or her family or the exact details of the property that she has. Nor do I know how severe her depression is but I see that already someone has decided that she is taking medication and has given her constructive information on how bad they are. I couldn't see where the medication was mentioned in the original story but hey, let's make our own minds up. I see someone else says the Dad should get involved; I personally don't know where he is, what he is like, whether he is abusive or dead as the story doesn't tell us. I don't know how long this lady has been out of work but assume from the comments that it must be absolutely ages. Although I couldn't see where the story mentions it. So that's it then, they are obviously 'lazy bunch of scammers' which presumably even applies to the two children who are working hard at school as mentioned in the story. Or is the lady a bunch of scammers all on her own? Who cares? Let's go and paint crosses on their doors anyway. As I say, I have these thoughts too but I am not willing to just join in with the bashing without having a bit more info. I honestly hope that you are all correct in your assumptions so that your consciences remain clear. I have some books if anyone wants to start a fire...?

gypo -
It clearly states in the report that this lady is being treated for depression.

There are of course Treatments that do no involve Medication. However you need to be very motivated and quite emotionally strong to tackle depression without the aid of medication, so it is useful in the shot term, but not over an extended period.

My advice was well meant, and intended to be constructive. However, it is up to this lady to decide whether she takes it on board. I do work in Health Care, and have my own personal experience of Depression, therefore I felt that I was fairly qualified make a statement of this nature.

I am not "joining in the bashing" as you are suggesting, just expressing a view, as are others who have left comments. This is a Democratic Society at the end of the day, where people have the right to freedom of speech. You are also entitled to a view, but as you have chosen to attack others comments, don't be surprised if you are "Shot Down In Flames"

The Echo does not always permit comments on this forum, but as the option to do this has been made available for this report, people are entitled to their view. Just accept that, because that's all the comments are, other people's views.

It seems to me that you are the one that is in need of help, if you are so narrow minded as to not be able to keep an open mind on the issues printed on this web page, and comments left by others.

I apologise for the two small typo errors, before gypo comes after me for that as well.

Totaly agree, the forum is to express your opinion and everyone is entitled to theirs , even if you do not agree with it. I was just pointing out that if this lady desperatly needs a bigger house, why doesn't she rent privatly, why is it always Twynham who has to bail them out. I myself cannot see a problem with 2 boys sharing a room. I have 2 boys in one room and 2 girls in another. My son has autism and isn't the easiest to cope with, But I feel it helps my children to learn respect for each other and learn spacial awareness. We are very lucky to live in this beautiful County, if you lived in a high rise in an inner city, then I could understand your despair.

get a job!

Just a point - when I found myself evicted from my rented house (after following advice from a national housing charity helpline. Thanks for nothing!) I was put into council accommodation where my 11 year old son & 8 year old daughter had to share a tiny room for 18 months. I lost my job as I was on the other side of town & could not get there, the kids did badly at school, all our health suffered & I had to rely on family for cooking & washing facilities. The childrens father lives abroad, out of jurisdiction and I found myself in the most awful circumstances due to a sequence of events beyond my control. Everyone who knows me was amazed I ended up as I did so if it can happen to me it can happen to anyone. It is very easy to get into a downward spiral. Having said that, the system is very good at making you live & breath negatively in order to get help. I hope that this family get the support they need to help themselves to a better life or a life they want to live.

sorry but i totally disagree with you philly ,as i said in my last post ITP is only a seriously ill condtion if the platlets are in single figures ,otherwise it can be managed ,and why can't the boys share a room together ,most children share rooms if there are the same sex there's two words GET A JOB!

Cazz, I agree with you about the illness. I know nothing about it, so take what has been said that it should be of no relevance to their predicament. I also do agree that the boys should share - my point was I had a son & daughter sharing above & below the age limit of 10. This lady will have been advised to push & exaggerate every little problem she & her boys have in order to be considered for other housing. I just hope they can be supported to help themselves - ie get a job & get out of the situation they are in. Having been there I know how difficult this can be & how easily you can fall into these circumstances - mind you, 7 years should have been enough time for change :-)

Well my place leaks water and the kitchen has fallen apart twice and yet they still bodge it back together without doing any real work.

Twynham never wanna do any work just take your money.

Well lamarinacf, if Twynham are that bad, give up your home to someone who would appreciate it a bit more.