Seven years. She comes with her aunt, who took her as a daughter, accomplices, smiling, Ana (fictitious name) telling her something about school while she waits for María (fictitious name) to confirm the presence of both for the weekly grief support consultations in the PIN – Partners in Neuroscience, a clinical center dedicated to developmental and behavioral disorders, in Paço de Arcos.
The mother died three years ago. Ana stayed with her paternal grandparents, who also died after a year and a half, and with her father – who, alone with her, sank into suffering and sought the impossible anesthesia in alcohol. . One day, at half past two in the morning, the aunt received a call from her brother-in-law. The police called the cafe where he was with the girl, drunk, he wanted to talk to her. Let him come for her niece, because she was in no condition to take her to her house or take care of her. This is how, in June of last year, María, a single-parent family, had two daughters: hers, nine years old, and her sister’s.
“My brother-in-law already had psychiatric problems and, with the death of his wife and parents in such a short time, he was lost,” says this nurse. “I thought that having Ana could be good for him, but I was careful. When I got that call, I realized I had to stay with my niece.”
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Mental is a section of the Observer dedicated exclusively to issues related to Mental Health. It is the result of a partnership with the Luso-American Foundation for Development (FLAD) and the Hospital da Luz and has the collaboration of the College of Psychiatry of the Order of Physicians and the Order of Portuguese Psychologists. It is completely independent editorial content.
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Source: Observadora
