A severely disabled man is at risk of losing his home after his brother tragically died last month.
John and Carl McKay were both been born with severe cerebral palsy and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. The pair were 'inseparable' and enjoyed playing video games and singing karaoke together while living in their house in Moreton, Merseyside.
However, tragedy struck the close-knit pair when Carl suddenly passed away from sepsis at just 28, leaving behind John, 33.
To make matters even worse for the heartbroken family, they say just hours after Carl died, they were told that John could no longer afford to live in the house and could now be evicted.
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Devastated John 'cries himself to sleep each night' as he misses his brother so much and says he can't even imagine moving out of the home he and Carl shared for the last four years.
Their third brother Damien has now launched a JustGiving page in hopes of raising £20,000 ($24,000) to ensure John can stay in the house.
Damien said: "They were more than brothers - they were best friends. Carl's death has left a big hole in our family.
"This has left John vulnerable now. He's in the house grieving. He cries himself to sleep each night. Every time we go to see him the first thing he says is that he misses Carl.
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"For the first few weeks he was screaming the place down. Every night, they used to say 'goodnight John' or 'goodnight Carl' to each other, then in the mornings they'd say something cheeky or crack a joke together."
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Carl passed away at the beginning of June, after spending two days in hospital - but Damien says his care package was cut on the second morning, before he had even died.
Damien said: "A few days before he died, Carl was out in the pub having a good time, singing and dancing on the karaoke.
"When I called the hospital, I was put straight through. As soon as they mentioned resuscitation, I knew it was bad. They told us to get the family over as it wasn't looking good. We were told sepsis had developed and his organs were shutting down.
"Near the time he died, the staff came in and said they'd cut the care package.
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"Apparently all the staff were sent an email at 9am the morning before saying they were cutting their package to only one carer.
"Carl then sadly passed away and within a matter of hours I was called by social services.
"The woman on the phone lacked empathy and didn't even say 'sorry for your loss'. It was straight to the point."
Just hours after Carl died, Damien says the subject of John's care being cut was brought up again and it was mentioned he could lose his home.
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Damien said: "They told us we would have some time to grieve and we'd have nothing to worry about for 12 months.
"But within a week, two social workers were with John again hassling him.
"Apparently the rent's gone up with Carl passing away. Apparently, that's affected the price.
"The way they spoke to John was horrible and talking down to him like a baby. They said, 'if you don't move, you'll end up in a care home John'.
"I feel like there's nothing we can do. We're powerless to stop them. We're waiting for the answers on what's going on financially.
"That's why we set up the JustGiving page in the hope this will pay his expenses over the next two years until we can work out a solution.
"In an ideal world John will stay in his home. We need to raise this money to pay John's bills for the next two years."
A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: "We are deeply sorry to hear of Mr McKay's loss.
"We are supporting Mr McKay, and will make sure he continues to receive the vital support he needs at this very difficult time.
"Our adult care team are currently reviewing his case to guarantee John's quality of care remains constant as he and his family recover, taking into consideration the fact that his brother's care package is no longer in place.
"We will ensure John and his family are involved in any key decisions around his accommodation and continued care and that their needs are fully taken into account."
You can donate to the JustGiving page here.
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media
Topics: UK