Balloons fly in memory of Downpatrick woman

Balloons fly in memory of Downpatrick woman

20 April 2016

CATHERINE Kenny’s sister has spoken of her continuing shock one month after the sudden death of her homeless “baby sister.”

Hosting a balloon launch in memory of 32 year-old Catherine, who died on a Belfast street following years of alcohol and drug addiction problems, her sister Lee Maria Hughes says her loss continues to feel unreal.

Speaking after the balloon release at the Model Farm and following a special Month’s Mind Mass in St Patrick’s Church in Downpatrick, Lee Maria said she hopes steps will now be taken to properly help the homeless community.

She said she is determined to continue to fight for better professional help for the community in memory of Catherine, who first began to experiment with drugs as a teenager.

Despite extensive family support and efforts to find private accommodation for Catherine, Lee Maria said her family was unable to solve her mental health issues and was therefore unable to adequately help her.

She said this is where she feels homeless people are being let down.

“There are a lot of people shouting from the rooftops saying homeless people need somewhere to live, but one of the big issues is a lack of mental health support in this country,” she said.

“That is where I believe Catherine was let down through her years of addiction. My husband and I got her private rentals numerous times but what we could not provide was a link to help her stay ok.

“There needs to be a message out there that when people with addiction or metal health problems get housed they should not be forgotten.

“They need a professional organisation on hand to make sure they are linking in with proper support. Unfortunately that does not happen and it never did with Catherine.

“From our situation, and from what we experienced, I believe I know where the link broke. Catherine had a family but we couldn’t fix her mental health so we could never manage her addiction problems.”

As Lee Maria continues to lobby for improved mental health support for homeless people, she said the realisation that her sister is gone is only slowly dawning.

“After our mummy died I became a confidant to Catherine,” she said.

“I am not able to really comprehend or think about what has actually happened. I can’t say how I feel right now because it is all so unreal.

“A lot of people knew her and and that is comforting as we had something very special. She was my baby sister.”