Hey hun, I read the story about your family, and all of this is so very sad. Is there any way your niece can be put into a safe place, say a boarding school, a supervised teen living community or something? The story even worries me as an outsider, so I can only imagine what you are going through. None of this is your fault and you are trying to help, so please don't punish yourself for other people's mistakes. The sad thing is that your niece is effectively a child, and her mother seems too ill to take proper care of her, as you / others in her family are unable to fill the gap for various reasons, I wonder if your niece would accept outside help? Not sure if I am too naive regarding to availability of teen care facilities and your sister's openess to letting her daughter move to a place that is likely safer than home, so please ignore my thoughts if I completely off the track. Please don't give up on yourself and your family. I know it is difficult and unfair, but they need you and I truely admire your strength! Please stay strong. Love, Sophie