It's hard to know what happened without hearing both sides of the story.
In this case, what we can guess it looked like from her manager's point of view was: she kept taking days off, with excuses that didn't seem to make sense (can't find car keys), and now she wants to take three more days off.
Without trying to blame anyone, I feel bad for her and hope her boyfriend recovers.
Oh, sure, I wasn't really commenting on the original story but on the parent's assertion that it'd also get you fired in Europe, which I think is either untrue or too general a statement.
Firing a single mom for needing to take time off to take care of someone close to her, especially when it would appear her performance has been at least acceptable (if maybe not her attendance)... right or wrong, it's still a bit of a dick move, wouldn't you agree?
In this case, what we can guess it looked like from her manager's point of view was: she kept taking days off, with excuses that didn't seem to make sense (can't find car keys), and now she wants to take three more days off.
Without trying to blame anyone, I feel bad for her and hope her boyfriend recovers.