March 2009
A few weeks after meeting Emey, she had an argument with her eldest daughter, who was 12 years old at the time and physically assaulted her which resulted in her eldest daughter running away to her father’s house. She never came back to live with Emey and for over a year she went to live with her father. Emey refused to see, speak or have anything to her smurfet for more than 9 months.
On a freezing cold January evening in 2009 Emey’s ex husband (Clint) could no longer have smurfet living with him and left her on the doorstep of Emey’s house. Emey contacted me while I was DJ-ing and was in a terrible state on the phone, shouting and swearing and absolutely refused to have smurfet in the house what so ever. Emey would not even let smurfet sit in the porch to stay and keep warm, I had to be the mediator, I gave smurfet a hot drink and felt so bad for her but as she was not my daughter and it was not my house I had no say what so ever, I also gave smurfet a blanket to keep her warm while she was left on the freezing cold doorstep for 2 hours until the police finally came and took her to one of her friends house. Smurfet was placed in foster care and has been there ever since. Emey stated that her smurfet would NEVER come back home to live. I was the only person who supported Emey through this period. Smurfet was16 in April 2013 and is still in care.
Smurfet was 8 when I came into her life and at this time she went through a difficult unstable and emotional time witnessing the totally unhealthy and dysfunctional broken down relationship between her mother and father. Also to make matters worse Emey’s youngest daughter Angel was no longer living with smurfet or allowed to see her step-sister Amy, this had a really negative effect on Angel. She had sleepless nights, Cried very often. Angel constantly asked her mum if she could see her grandparents but this was turned down which led to arguments and she would get upset and clash with her Emey. She had random nose bleeds, wet the bed and suffered in her school grades.
2009 Emey stopped her Angel from seeing her dad as he would be very unreliable when picking her up, what he did with her and when he brought her back, Emey and Clint would constantly argue. This upset Angel so much. Emey then stopped Angel from seeing or speaking to Emey’s mum, step dad, her half Brother, her aunties or uncles and even her Clint’s parents. Angel was totally isolated from any of her biological family or extended family. My family became her new family. It was me again that supported Emey through this time; also it was me that introduced boundaries and structures for Angel to get her back on track. Angel has not seen or spoken or seen her Clint since October 2009, As of December 2012 with my intervention Angel is now back in contact with Clint.
This is a true account of how things were over all with my mother, yes I can say not every second of everyday was terrible but I can say 7 times out of 10, we were always arguing and being at the stage, I was there is not much I could do or say but looking back I made the right decision.
“I’m happy now, living in care. I enjoy the time I spend with my step-dad and his family and I’m made to feel welcome. When I was living at home with my mother, it was normal for me and my mum to argue and normally it would end physically. The result of the physical contact would end up with us having either ripped clothes or scratch marks from where we have at each other. Sometimes hair would be pulled and words would be crossed. That fact that things have turned out this way, and what has been said, I’m glad everything has happened as I wouldn’t be happy living with her now. I’m free from her and I’m happy with the relationship I have with my step-dad and as far as I am concerned he is now my family. I may not be blood related but blood isn’t the key to being family” Ashleigh Smith,
My eldest step-daughter. I fully consent to this information and quote to be published in my step-dads book of events. 13/4/13