Good Morning Angels: Rossouw family hit hard by retrenchment, illness, and a robbery during lockdown

BACKGROUND:  Sarah Rossouw worked for Caxton Magazines and as a group class instructor at a gym for extra income. When lockdown started, the extra income at the gym was immediately gone. Then, in April, her husband, Austin, was retrenched from the job he started in November. Sarah worked long hours from home amid the financial stress that mounted and ended up in a clinic, where it was established that she had suffered a mild stroke. But, the worst was yet to come. In June, Caxton Magazines closed down 11 of their 12 titles and Sarah was also retrenched. Then in August, Austin was in hospital for tests when Sarah and their two daughters, Taegen (13) and Alyssa (7), were held up in their home during a robbery. The robbers took everything of value they had and also their sense of security in their home: "We are very blessed that we came out physically unharmed and things could have been so much worse. I thank God for keeping us safe.” They have since moved in with family. With the schools re-opening, Sarah realised that they will not be able to afford their daughters’ school fees and that’s when she wrote to Good Morning Angels and Lotto Star for assistance.

REQUEST FOR: Sarah Rossouw and her family 

ANGEL: LottoStar … with love

SPONSORING: LottoStar is joining forces with Good Morning Angels with a special "With Love” fund to give added assistance to as many people as possible during this challenging 2020 pandemic. From this fund, LottoStar will assist Sarah and her family with R25,000 for school fees and other essentials.

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Hi Good Morning Angels and Lotto Star,

I really need help and so I am writing to you on behalf of myself. The lock-down period has not been kind to my little family and myself.

I had a full-time job and I was also group class instructor at the gym for a little extra money to make ends meet. When Lock-down came into effect, the gyms closed and so I lost my extra income. My family tightened our purse strings to get by. Then in April, my husband, Austin, was retrenched and shortly there afterwards, I was retrenched in June from Caxton Magazines. 

Before I was retrenched, I was working from home like the rest of the nation and I had no idea of what was coming our way. In late June I was admitted to a clinic for burnout and depression and whilst there I discovered that I have had a stroke. I was very lucky that I was not really affected by the stroke, but my chances increase exponentially of having a second.

In August, my husband went to hospital to have some tests done and while he was away, my two daughters, Taegen (13), Alyssa (7) and I were held up at gun point, tied up, locked up and robbed. We already had very little which they took, but worst of all, they stole our home, our little sanctuary.

We are very blessed that we came out physically unharmed and things could have been so much worse. I thank God for keeping us safe. 

We have now have had to move in with family for security and financial reasons as my husband and I are still unemployed. 

I am asking for help with my daughters school fees as I want them to have a sense of normality in this very turbulent time. The outstanding amount until the year-end is R21 600-00. If the Angels could help with a donation towards their school fees, I would be truly grateful. Not only would it help my children and myself, it would help the teachers and the school as well as they have also been negatively affected financially.

Thanking you for in advance for reading my letter and I hope that your team will look favourably on my request.

All the very best
Sarah Rossouw