Dad has 'nowhere left to turn' after 'no-warning email'

Sid Murphy is the sole carer of his two daughters after his wife, Shelia, died
-Credit: (Image: Iain Watts)


A dad said he has “nowhere left to turn” after he found out the respite charity he relies on is shutting down. Sid Murphy, from Tuebrook, became the sole, full-time carer of his two disabled daughters after his wife, Shelia, died in 2019.

The 79-year-old, now living in a bungalow in Fazakerley, said because of his age, “things are getting too much” for him. Sid’s daughters, Elizabeth, 50, and Christine, 46, were both born with microcephaly - despite doctors assuring the couple the chances of this happening would be a “million to one”.

Carers come every morning to shower and dress Sid’s two daughters, and they go to the day centre three days a week. Alongside this, once or twice a year, the sisters go to Southport’s Revitalise site, Sandpipers, for respite care. The sisters were provisionally booked to go at the start of December; however, Sid received an email saying this would no longer be the case.

READ MORE: Dad spending £150 a day on drugs found one thing that changed his life

READ MORE: Mum believes teen would've been 'much happier' without one thing

He told the ECHO: “It just hit me. I got the email to say it was closing, and there was no warning. It was a shock. I’ve got nowhere to send my daughters now, nowhere left to turn. I won’t get a break, and it will just be more pressure for me now. It’s sad. What am I supposed to do now? I’ve got nowhere now. I’m just so sad. I had the cases all packed for the girls to go. I had new clothes, underwear and medication all ready for them.”

Revitalise, which has sites across the UK, announced the shock news earlier this week. People across Merseyside have been using, volunteering and working at the Southport site for decades.

In a statement shared on its website and social media channels, Revitalise Respite Holidays said: "It is with great sadness that Revitalise Respite Holidays must announce that the difficult decision has been made to close the charity. Despite every effort to ensure the charity’s survival, the financial challenges we face have become insurmountable.

Sid Murphy with his daughters Elizabeth and Christine at home in Fazakerley
Sid Murphy with his daughters Elizabeth and Christine at home in Fazakerley -Credit:Iain Watts

"It is our intention to honour all guest breaks booked until November 25; following which our centres will close. We are communicating with all guests with breaks booked beyond that date and with those who have longer-term placements."

Elizabeth and Christine’s condition means that their heads were much smaller than expected as babies. This could be due to the brain not developing properly either during pregnancy or after birth up to the first few years of life. According to the NHS, the rare condition can be a symptom of several disorders.

Dad-of-two Stephen said: “Elizabeth requires one-to-one care. Even though she is 50, she is still about eight in age. She has a club foot and gout in her hands. I have to cut all her food up for her. She can hold the knife and fork, but that’s about it; she can’t use them properly.

“It’s mainly mobility issues with Elizabeth. She can’t walk, and I’ve just forked out nearly £1,600 for an electric wheelchair for her. With my age now, getting her up the hills, it's getting too much for me.

Sid Murphy with his daughters Elizabeth and Christine at home in Fazakerley
Sid Murphy with his daughters Elizabeth and Christine

“We were told by six different doctors that what happened with Elizabeth would never happen again. They told us there was a million-in-one chance of this happening again, so we should have more kids. We did that, and we had Christine, and she had the same - microcephaly.

“She is not as bad as Elizabeth; she can communicate a bit better. Elizabeth took years to talk. She can now understand yes or no, but she couldn’t have a conversation with you."

Sid previously told the ECHO how he felt he is left to fend for himself despite being a pensioner. He said he worries about who will look after his daughters when he dies.

The Revitalise Sandpipers Centre in Southport
The Revitalise Sandpipers Centre in Southport -Credit:Southport Visiter

The former roofer said: “The future worries me. The clock is ticking, there is no one behind me to take care of my beautiful daughters. If I pop my clogs tomorrow, there is no one to look after them or feed them. No one at all.

"Besides that, we’re a happy family. I think everyone who has disabled people in their family has the same problem - we worry about who is going to be there when we aren’t. But I’ve got no-one. The money I’ve got saved for them, I worry about where all that is going to go and what it is going to be used on.”

Respite care is a statutory right for those who need it, but drastic cuts to local authority funding mean many carers and disabled people are not getting any breaks. To be able to afford respite, Sid has considered removing funding from the family’s funeral fund before.