A grieving Scots granddaughter with MS is facing homelessness after being told she must leave the home she lived in with her gran before she died of Covid.
Caitlin Paul had been living with her gran Elizabeth, 72, on and off for five years before the pensioner was admitted to hospital with sepsis in February 2021.
The 24-year-old moved into her gran's Glasgow flat permanently to look after her beloved dog Buddy while she spent ten months recovering in hospital and re-learning basic motor skills.
Caitlin became her gran's main carer when she was discharged from hospital on November 10, 2021 and the OAP was given a new wheelchair adapted home by Cadder Housing.
The pair planned to put Caitlin on the tenancy agreement so she was officially on documentation but tragically Elizabeth caught Covid just days after being discharged from hospital.
She died a short time later - before the tenancy documents could be updated.
Caitlin, who suffers from MS, will be evicted from the house on Thursday and has nowhere to go, leaving her homeless with two dogs.
She told the Record: "Me and my gran were really close so I stayed with her all the time. Last year she was unwell and had sepsis so I had to phone an ambulance and she was taken into hospital.
"We got a call saying she wouldn't make it through the night and then another call the night after that, but she did.
"She was in hospital for ten months and lost all her mobility. She had to re-learn how to feed herself but she did - she was amazing.
"She was a tenant in a flat with Cadder Housing but they offered her a specially adapted home when she was in hospital.
"I got the house ready for her coming home, and decorated it so it was nice and fresh. We had lots of balloons up for the day she got out of hospital.
"I even had a sausage sandwich ready for her as she hadn't had one in ages."
The family had a small gathering to welcome Elizabeth into her new home but tragically days later Elizabeth, Caitlin, her mum Deborah, auntie Jacqui, sister Beth and uncle George, all tested positive for coronavirus.
Caitlin said: "She got out of hospital and then we caught Covid three days later. My gran was ok at first, but a few nights later she went downhill and I had to phone an ambulance.
"She didn't want to go into hospital. She was really upset and scared she wouldn't get back out. But it was the best place for her as she needed oxygen.
"On Monday, November 22 my gran was told she was getting on Tuesday and an ambulance had been arranged to bring her home.
"That night she took a turn for the worst. The hospital called and told me to go up, but when I arrived to see her she wasn't herself.
"We just had to sit with her until she died."
Elizabeth died in the early hours of Tuesday November 23 at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after her lung collapsed due to Covid complications.
Tragedy struck again when Caitlin's uncle George - Elizabeth's son-in-law - died from coronavirus in the same hospital on November 27 just four days later.
The devastated family were left to plan two funerals and fork out thousands of pounds.
Caitlin began to fear for her future as she was never added to her gran's tenancy agreement.
Less than three weeks after her gran's sudden death, she met with Cadder Housing on December 13 she was told their hands were tied and given three weeks to evict the property.
Caitlin was then admitted to hospital with MS and Cadder gave her an extension until January 20.
"I completely understand I'm not on the tenancy agreement but we never thought anything like this would happen," Caitlin said.
"I never wanted to stay here permanently, as I'm not in a wheelchair and the house could go to someone else who needs it. I only wanted to stay here until I had somewhere else to go.
"They told me to contact Shelter Scotland and said they had been trying to get me temporary accommodation through the council.
"My MS has got worse with the stress and so has my mental health. I haven't even had time to grieve the loss of my gran and my uncle.
"I felt like they could have at least said you can stay until you find somewhere else to go. They didn't even offer to help with storage."
Caitlin now faces sleeping on her auntie's couch after she is evicted and has nowhere to move into full-time.
Her sister, brothers and cousins have now set up a fundraising page to try and pay for temporary accommodation so Caitlin has somewhere to live.
Cadder Housing were contacted for comment.
Donations to the page can be made by clicking here.
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