Vincent Harrison

Through Ten Eyes of a Storm Vincent Harrison

Publisher Marketing: At the age of 33, I was a single working parent with four small children. My wife had left and had no intention of returning to me or her children. Not one to shy away from my responsibilities I set out to do the best that I could in the circumstances. The journey was emotionally and psychologically challenging for all of us - at one point the boys' therapist suggested that their emotions would be more easily dealt with if their mother had died. Unable to cope I asked for the children to be taken into social services care - I got them ready and they played in a room totally oblivious to my plans for them. But, as fate would have it my request for them to be placed' together was not granted. I gathered my children together and together we continued on our journey - into the storm. I was raised to believe that a man provided for his family, however when one is suddenly a sole carer of four children this belief is shaken. Despite this my boys' and I struggled on. Life wasn't easy. There were many challenges - the biggest was being a parent. How could I provide a happy and stable home and how would I deal with their and my emotional well-being? If I am honest I didn't know then but believe that I am a lot clearer now. The system that threw me and my sons a lifeline is now so corrupted. I am a pensioner who owns a house which until very recently was let to a single mother and her children - I am now being forced to sell my property to pay in excess of 20,000 compensation plus 20,000 legal fees to this single mother, who ironically is in receipt of benefits!" Contributor Bio:  Harrison, Vincent Vincent Harrison is an emeritus associate professor at the school of child and adolescent health at the University of Cape Town. He is the author of Handbook of Paediatrics.