WHEN DEE Hodgson’s first baby, John, was born, Dee was only sixteen and John suffered from acute asthma. The relationship with John’s father was short-lived and Dee was left to bring up John alone.

“Going backwards and forwards to hospital with John was an enormous strain,” says Dee. “But we developed an amazingly strong bond and for eight years I coped well. Then I got seriously ill and had to go into hospital myself. My illness put me out of action for some time, and John and my two younger children were taken into care.

“The other children were used to separations because I left them with other people while I took John for his many hospital visits, but for John the separation was devastating. The bond between us seemed ripped beyond repair.”

After Dee came home from hospital she tried to rebuild the relationship but the trauma had been so acute that this proved impossible.

“John and I had built up an emotional brick wall to cope with the pain of separation. Every effort to break down the wall failed. John became more and more out of control. I had a fourth child by now. It proved impossible to have John at home with the other children. He stayed in care for ten years. During that time we only had sporadic contact.”

Ever since she was small Dee had searched for God, trying several faiths. Finally she became a Christian and joined a church in Malvern.

One day in 2003, she opened the door to find John on her doorstep. She was horrified at his appearance.

“He was pitifully thin and leaning on a walking stick because he’d been badly beaten up. He told me since he’d left his last care home, just before his eighteenth birthday, he’d been taking crack and heroin and living homeless. Now he was in bad trouble with some dealers. He’d decided his whole life had to change and asked me to help. I knew at once he was completely genuine and that - because of that - God would come to his rescue. Many years before I’d been a regular visitor to Jesus Army. I rang their central office and asked if there was a ‘safe house’ John could go to. Within hours they’d found him somewhere.”

John didn’t expect a great deal from the visit but to his surprise he found faith in Jesus and began to tackle his drug problem. Eight weeks later, Dee received an invitation to his baptism.

“I was so touched by all I saw I decided to become a church member, too. In the past, naturally speaking, John and I had tried everything to be reunited - and utterly failed. Now we both belonged to the same church and both badly wanted to try again.

“I wouldn’t like to give the impression that it’s all been plain sailing - it’s not been an easy process and it’s still going on. But nothing can take away from the wonderful work that Jesus is doing in both our lives.

“My life was full of chaos, illness and darkness. So many families, like us, have experienced the heartache of broken relationships. I want to say to them ‘Don’t give up hope – reach out to God for His help. With Him all things are possible!’”