'I need to get clean for me and the baby': Pregnant woman who is homeless in Cork seeking treatment

A 37-year-old woman who is almost three months pregnant has spoken about her experience of being homeless on the streets of Cork.

Lisa, who is a drug addict, started smoking cannabis when she was just 16, before moving onto class A drugs.

Lisa said she has now reached a turning point and is desperate for help.

“This is my first time looking for treatment,” she said on The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM. “I’ve never asked anyone for treatment and I’m 37-years-old

“I need to get clean for me and the baby. If I don’t get clean, I don’t think I’m going to survive this time.

“Some nights I cry myself to sleep - most nights, actually.” 

Lisa, who is temporarily in a B&B was previously staying in a tent in Cork city during the winter.

She spoke about drinking to keep warm and how she feels judged by other people when out on the streets.

“People are looking at you, you feel ashamed,” she said. "I’m not a bad person.

“They think we’re just junkies but we’re not, we’re people. We have hearts, we have feelings. We’re human." 

Lisa spoke about the help she has received from the Street Angels charity.

“I’d eat when the Street Angels are around or if they came up to meet me. I don’t eat very often to be quite honest.”

 Lisa says she is being referred to a treatment centre in Tipperary and is hopeful for a fresh start.

“It’s pointless me being around Cork city when I know too many people,” she said.

“This time I’m looking for treatment. I know it will be the making of me because I’m a strong person.”