YOU may not know her but if you live in Kyabram, you would almost certainly have seen her over the past six months — a woman wandering the streets with nowhere to go.
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Her name is Lisa Yates, and after a hard life and a lot of knocks, her sad story had, incredibly, hit a new low.
She once thought she had reached rock bottom; that it simply couldn’t get any worse, any more depressing.
But it did.
Six months ago she was made homeless; which is how she became a fixture drifting around the fringes of our society, lost in her own netherworld and, at night, seen shivering at the bus station, struggling to sleep.
To be on the streets in summer is one thing; but with winter temperatures already hovering around 0°C — and it will get colder — it’s a frightening prospect.
From a ward of the state in Melbourne as a child, to a heroin addict and being bullied out of her home late last year to bear the cold winter alone — 2020 has become the culmination of a lifetime of hardship.
Lisa is now 48 and suffers from cachexia — a disorder causing extreme weight loss and muscle wasting — and was truly at her lowest point only a few weeks ago.
‘‘I’ve been on and off the streets since I was young; but in my older years it’s much tougher with the muscle deterioration in my legs,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve had it the worst I’ve ever had it.’’
Lisa moved to Kyabram years ago for a fresh start; after finally putting her dependency on drugs behind her.
But in December last year she found herself on the streets once again after giving up the lease on her house due to an unfortunate set of circumstances.
‘‘Once I gave it up, I was out on the streets and sleeping at the Kyabram bus stop — all I had was a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.’’
Lisa appeared to have been given a lifeline through government housing in Bendigo; but was forced to leave yet again after only a month.
‘‘It was a crack house a year before I moved in. They had to repaint it because there was apparently ice stuck to the walls,’’ she said.
‘‘Knowing my history, I have no idea why I was put into a drug-oriented environment.
‘‘I left because I didn’t know anyone there, I don’t know anyone in Bendigo. I don’t have anybody anywhere.’’
Lisa said she had been profiled by strangers her whole life, whether it be due to her chequered history or appearance.
That has only been more prevalent over the past few months.
‘‘If you look at me now compared to how I looked before I moved here there’s quite a difference,’’ she said.
‘‘Out on the streets I’ve had people walk past and laugh at me. Most people won’t even talk to me.
‘‘People look at me and see someone with no teeth, tattoos, unwashed hair and wearing the same clothes as yesterday and they just make up their minds.
‘‘I have often asked myself what I have done to be so hated. Do I have to touch drugs again or do I have to go to jail or have to kill myself to actually be heard?’’
And while she is the first to admit she has made her fair share of mistakes — one of which cost her a six-year jail sentence — Lisa said all she wanted now was some peace.
‘‘There’s a time when you get to a certain age where you just want an easier life; and to not be abused or hurt by anybody,’’ she said.
‘‘I just don’t want other people to go through what I’ve gone through.’’
Fast forward to June, and Lisa was finally able to find a safe place to stay in Seymour thanks to Wellways — a mental health service based in Shepparton.
Lisa said while she was still adjusting to the change, a roof over her head was a far better alternative than sleeping outside in the middle of winter.
‘‘I’m not cold anymore, I can eat and have a shower where I couldn’t before,’’ she said.
‘‘I just stick to myself, but the owners of the property are beautiful people.
‘‘We’re trying to get an assistant dog that can bark and understand when I’m having a seizure or if I fall because of the muscle deterioration.
‘‘I’m also waiting for an appointment for a brain and nerve specialist in Melbourne because they don’t have any of those here.’’
And looking to the future, Lisa said it was about as bright as it had ever been.
‘‘It does not matter how old you are or what situation you’re in, there is always someone who will care.
‘‘I was at rock bottom, but I’ve learnt that life just continues.’’