An intensive care doctor who is struggling to pay for childcare costs has set up a fundraising appeal to allow her to continue working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
Karen Meacher, a senior anaesthetics trainee in the West Midlands, said she is running out of as the emergency rota put in place at her hospital means she has to pay for extra childcare at weekends and nights.
The single mum, who has three children aged seven, five and 19 months, said she has an estimated shortfall of £950 per month now that she is working extra hours to provide urgent care for Covid-19 patients.
Karen said: "I want to work. I want to support my colleagues. I want to help my patients through their clinical journeys.
"But to do this will financially devastate me, and I have exhausted myself trying to find a way to wiggle out from between this rock and hard place."
The doctor has spent the last 12 years developing the skills needed to treat intensive care patients and sais she would be "forever grateful" for any donations she will receive through the GoFundMe page.
She added: "Doctors are well paid, and I am well aware of the job security that I have that is not shared by many in these times.
"But I am sad to say that I can not afford these extra costs and am facing bankruptcy."
Karen said last year she escaped a financially and emotionally abusive relationship from the father of her children which left her facing significant amounts of debt.
The appeal posted by the doctor - who is "desperate to be able to stay in work for the rest of this month" - has already received over £2,330 in just a few hours.
She wrote on her GoFundMe page : "The more money I raise, the longer I can stay in work.
"Thank you for any contribution you feel able to afford to make.
"I promise your contribution will directly result in there being one more ITU doctor available to work to care for those who need it."
