A heartbroken mum has revealed she is struggling to keep her terminally ill daughter warm, who has just days to live, because of rising fuel costs.
Alexandra Hazell, a mum-of-two, says she is using a wood burner and heated blankets to keep little Anastasia, 7, warm.
The schoolgirl was tragically diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour in March 2021 and doctors gave the family the crushing news she would only live for one more year.
Now as Anastasia's condition begins to deteriorate her 35-year-old mum has described how she is finding it difficult to keep her child comfortable through the night because she cannot afford to put the heating on.
Alexandra who lives in a village near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk said: “The cost of living has just skyrocketed. We’ve had to turn the heating off twice.
“We just want to spend time with her but all my time is spent worrying about this.”
The once “healthy and popular” schoolgirl has a Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) tumour - which is highly aggressive and difficult to treat.
Anastasia is unable to speak or walk and has to eat through a feeding tube, report Mirror Online.
The little girl is in her final days as doctors didn’t think she would live past March.
Anastasia is currently at home surrounded by family and supported by nurses, so the family can spend precious time with her instead of having her in hospital.
She is living with mum Alexandra, dad James, 35, and little brother Ryker, three.
Alexandra, a support worker, said: “Anastasia is getting towards the end and we’re still having to rattle around for money.
“Our heating has gone off twice as we’ve run out of oil. It’s just impossible.
“It got so bad we were all camped in her room with a wood burner. We were throwing wood on the fire to make the room warm enough to get through the night.
“The other time we ran out of oil we were having to put heated blankets on Anastasia because she was turning blue.
“We haven’t been able to give her a warm bath or shower sometimes. It’s crazy.
“There are weeks when we can’t afford basic things.
“We put away £1,000 for last Christmas but that was eaten up beforehand by food and heating costs.”
Anastasia was described as a healthy girl before the devastating diagnosis last March, a week after her sixth birthday.
Doctors said that Anastasia’s tumour was incurable and gave her around 12 months to live.
Alexandra said: “Anastasia was a perfectly normal girl. She was doing really well in school.
“She was a singer and dancer. Totally healthy and normal girl.
“She had a lot of friends and was one of the more popular girls in class.
“The diagnosis came completely out of nowhere. We noticed one day that she was a bit weak on one side.
“The doctors found a tumour and she was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. That’s when her whole life changed.
“She’s just so poorly. Last night she was struggling to breathe.
“I’m thinking how many more days are we going to have. It’s a nightmare.”
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