Our story

Peter and Doris Adu-Poku met when they were both teenagers in their native Ghana. They fell in love and Doris soon fell pregnant, despite family opposition to the relationship. When Doris went into labour in a Ghanaian hospital, little did she know that it was the start of what would be a long and challenging journey that would take them across a continent to find a new home in the UK. ‘Little Doris’ Adu-Poku was born disabled and with severe learning difficulties, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

In Ghana, to have a child who was disabled was seen as a curse. The solution? To have her killed.

Doris and Peter stood against the advice of their Ghanaian family to have their baby killed and despite subsequent difficulties, separation, heartache and broken relationships, they were determined to make family life work. The pressure was enormous, as was the stress of caring for a disabled child.

Thirty years later, the Adu-Poku family are happily settled in the UK, having overcome many challenges together.  ‘Little Doris’ now has two younger sisters – Patricia, a nurse, and Connie, an aspiring actress, part time studying food safety supervision.  The family are setting up the New Compassionate Charity together because they want to help other people who have responsibilities to care for others, and improve the lives of disabled people and their families.

Doris, Peter and their children are active Christians. They believe everyone has the right to life, whatever their physical, mental or emotional state. They also believe that every family with disabled children has the right to stay together and to find support. They are determined to make the lives of families with disabled children better, through encouragement, practical support, activism and prayer.

Life is about thriving, not just surviving. This is their honest story.