A struggling mum who spent the summer trekking four miles a day just to feed her kids has a new spring in her step this Christmas – thanks to Save the Children and an army of big-hearted readers.
Demi Baitup, who with husband Mark has struggled to make ends meet during the Covid crisis, yesterday picked up a bundle of donated toys for youngsters Kayla, 10, Matthew, four, and Rayleigh, two.
And she wanted to thank the charity and our sister title Daily Mirror's Save A Kid’s Christmas campaign for making sure her little ones get to open some lovely presents on the big day.
Demi, 28, said: “It’s been very difficult this year. Without the help that we’ve had we would have really struggled. I’m so, so grateful.”
Neither Demi or Mark have been able to work recently.
Demi told the Daily Mirror: “We’ve been getting under each other’s feet. My middle son is autistic and Mark has become asthmatic, so we are trying to stay in as much as possible.”
But in the summer holidays, the hike from their Welsh village of Goytre to the nearby town of Port Talbot became part of their routine to receive free school meals.
Without them Demi says they might not have been able to feed the children properly. But she was delighted to go back to the Central Primary School, where Kayla is a pupil, to pick up the toys.
They were donated by Hasbro in conjunction with the Mirror’s appeal with Save the Children.
Demi said: “It’s amazing the help we’ve received.” Central Primary is one of many places across the UK receiving funding from Save the Children to help local struggling families.
Deputy headteacher Jessica James said: “This is quite a deprived area as it is.That has got worse this year. Some families have been furloughed and have now lost their jobs because a lot were in the hospitality industry.”
