My Dad was dying and we were living in his work van

"I had to say goodbye to my home."

Will* was just 11 when his dad, Mark, was diagnosed with cancer.

When Mark’s* medical bills started to stack up, the family’s income slowly disappeared. As a single parent, Mark could no longer afford to keep up with the rent and support his two sons.

It didn’t take long for life, as 11-year-old Will knew it, to drastically change.

The family of three were evicted from their home and the only ‘roof’ they had left was Mark’s old work van. That van became their home.

Since Dad had no job there wasn’t enough money to pay our rent. We could only take a few things – like school and cooking stuff – and we put it all in Dad’s work van. That’s where we slept. It was awful.

Will recalls the helplessness and embarrassment of living in the van. For a young boy, the pain wasn’t just losing a roof over his head – it was watching his father grow weaker every day, suffering through the effects of cancer treatment.

“Dad had been sick for a while, and when he started getting treatment for cancer, he had to give up his business. Dad’s company was mostly just him. My brother and I wanted to help, but we couldn’t do the work for him. I felt so guilty.”

Fast facts: Hidden homelessness in Australia¹

Every night, over 122,000 Australians are homeless - living in their cars, a garage or other temporary, often insecure accommodation.

Over 17,600 children who experience homelessness are younger than 12 years old.

Will and his older brother, Noah, tried their best to stay strong, but the weight of homelessness, combined with their father's illness, was overwhelming. At school, they felt the stares and dreaded the questions. The shame of wearing dirty uniforms haunted them. Every night, the family parked their van on a quiet street, trying to disappear from the world.

“Dad wanted us to keep doing well at school. We tried to study but there wasn’t much space to do our homework, and we couldn’t keep things clean. I was embarrassed and I didn’t want my friends to know I living in a van.”

The van became their new normal. They washed in park toilets, unable to shower or clean their clothes properly. Studying was nearly impossible, with no space and no stability. But their dad, even in his most fragile state, encouraged them to keep going, to keep trying.

But then, the unthinkable happened.

Mark’s treatment wasn’t working. He had to tell his sons the devastating truth.

"Dad asked if we wanted to live somewhere else, away from him. But we love him. We wanted to stay and take care of him."

For Will and Noah, no amount of hardship could take them away from their father. But as Christmas approached, the situation grew more desperate. Then, a glimmer of hope appeared. The hospital where Mark was being treated connected the family with Mission Australia.

That night, they slept in the van for the last time.

Mission Australia stepped in just before Christmas, securing temporary accommodation for the family. They helped furnish the place with the basics – a fridge, bedding, and a few pieces of furniture.

On Christmas Eve, one of our caseworkers brought over gifts so Will and Noah had something to open on Christmas morning.

Will recently learnt that he’d been offered a place at a selective high school. Mark hopes that he will be well enough to accompany him to school on his first day. We will continue to give Mark and his boys the care and support they need. We are in it for the long haul.

“Mission Australia helped us. But I’m really worried about the other families who still don’t have a home. Can you please help them this Christmas?”