Mother of autistic child who survives on just £147 a week bursts into tears after multimillionaires promise to clear her debts and help set up her ‘dream’ special needs charity

The mother of an autistic child burst into tears after a multimillionaire promised to clear her debts – and help her achieve her dream of setting up a special needs foundation – on Rich House, Poor House.

The Channel 5 programme, in which wealthy and less fortunate families swap lives for five days, showed the heartwarming moment in which property tycoons Rick and Lorraine Gannon vowed to support Michelle, who has only a carer’s allowance to raise her and her husband’s two children, in her ambitions.

On this week’s episode, airing on Sunday, she became visibly emotional as she promised to ‘work her socks off’ and make her dream of helping kids that need additional support a reality.

The show delved into the lives of both households in Worcester.

The Gannons have two children – Ben, 20, and Charlotte, 15 – who they raise in a beautiful six-bedroom, six-bathroom house worth £1.5 million. The specially adapted house includes a gym, snooker room and an office.

The family’s eldest son has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which means that he cannot walk and has limited use of his arms.

They own £8.5 million pounds worth of property, which is let out to around 120 tenants – but in the show, were forced to tackle a weekly allowance of just £147, which Michelle and her mother-in-law Sue, must stretch to take care of Toby, three, and Nellie, two. Michelle’s husband also lives with her and their children, but didn’t take part in the TV programme.

‘That’s not a huge amount for a family to survive on,’ Rick said. ‘Especially if a child has special needs.’

‘I’m going to be totally honest with you, we’re going to struggle,’ Ben added. ‘We do live an expensive lifestyle.’

The challenges started as soon as they walked through the front door of the three-bed semi-detached house and had to exchange their son’s wheelchair to a non powered one to be able to get through the door.

With no safety bed, Ben also had to sleep on a mattress downstairs, which he admitted was ‘different’ and he ‘kept slipping’. 

In her note, Michelle also apologised for the ‘hole in the ceiling’ which resulted from a leak in the bathroom.

On the other side of the city, the mother-of-two and Sue were given a lavish weekly budget of £2,000.

They praised the huge property – and Michelle revealed she was ‘instantly’ relaxed by seeing Ben’s room, which showed them that they ‘knew what we’re going through’ in caring for a family member with special accommodations.

She also got to take the kids to a Safari park, which excited little Toby – who rarely speaks as he is autistic non-verbal – and even made him happily remark on the ‘splashing’ penguins.

‘I wish we had a bit more money because I did enjoy taking them and seeing the smiles on their faces,’ Sue – who works in a shoe shop – added. ‘And I would like to do it a lot more often.’

Michelle also opened up about her dream to start up a foundation in her late father-in-law Nigel Prosser’s honour – which would be centred around children with special needs.

On the charity’s website, a message from Michelle reads: ‘The Nigel Prosser Foundation was established in loving memory of Nigel Prosser, a remarkable man whose sudden passing in March 2023, left an irreplaceable void in the lives of those who knew him.

‘When I delivered my eulogy at Nigel’s funeral, I made a promise to his beloved grandson, Toby, that I would always help.

‘Nigel’s unwavering support and love for his family were evident in everything he did. He often said, “I know Toby is different, but he’s great, isn’t he?” This sentiment reflects Nigel’s deep appreciation for individuality and the joy he found in family moments.

‘He was not only a dedicated grandfather but also a cherished friend and advisor to many. His kindness, humour, and wisdom touched countless lives.’

During the experience she found herself inspired by Rick – who too embarked on a passion project for his son by founding Worcester’s very first power wheelchair football club, helping raise a whopping £20,000 to start it up.

Michelle was ‘blown away’ by his dedication.

‘Ben had a dream and Rick made it happen,’ she said. ‘I gave a dream and I’ve got to believe I can make it happen.’ 

The Gannons also found themselves moved by Michelle’s work with Special Steps – a nursery that helps children with special needs – and heard of her own motivations to set up a foundation. 

Rick, Lorraine and the children all got on the phones as they helped rally around local businesses for raffle prizes and set up a GoFundMe for the charity.

They were inspired after Michelle’s mother Helen told them how Sue’s partner recently passed away from cancer.

‘Michelle promised Nigel that she would make sure Sue was OK so they decided to move in and been there ever since,’ she explained.

When the two families got to reunite and reflect on their experiences, Rick revealed that he is going to clear Michelle’s debts to hopefully ‘release the pressure’ they’re under – and finish the work needed on their bathroom.

A grateful Michelle immediately became tearful, but the Gannons then promised they would ‘supercharge’ her foundation, and support on the legal and social media side.

She said she was going to ‘work her socks off’ and couldn’t believe her dream is going to become a reality. 

FEMAIL understands that Michelle, her husband and their children have since moved out into a different property.

The episode also saw Ben – who’s soon going off to college – feel more independent after he and his sister had to do a grocery shop by themselves for the first time. 

‘Ben has never looked at a price tag before,’ Lorraine revealed as she tasked her two children with a £40 budget.

The siblings were clearly not in their element and spent an hour trying to navigate the aisles. They didn’t know ‘how big’ potatoes have to be, and even wondered if they needed to weigh them.

Elsewhere, Charlotte was overwhelmed by the different cuts of chicken on offer as she struggled to find a breast fillet. 

‘We got the sweets because to be honest we did deserve a treat,’ she revealed, chucking a bag of chocolates into the trolley – and they came in on budget.

He later admitted the experience was useful in helping him prepare for being more frugal ahead.

Rich House, Poor House airs on Channel 5 at 9pm on Sunday, January 19