Elyse (10) cares for her sister Aisling (6) who has Cerebral Palsy, global developmental delay and epilepsy. It wasn’t until recently Elyse started to have more responsibilities in her caring role and signed up to Carer Gateway for additional support.
“My sister can’t crawl, walk, talk, eat, go to the bathroom or dress herself so it can be hard to get her ready to eat or change her nappy.”
As Elyse’s caring responsibilities increased, she found the biggest challenge is learning to manage other aspects of her life such as doing her homework and seeing her friends.
Image: Young Carer Elyse with her younger sister Aisling.
“At my age being a carer can be hard sometimes because I often can’t go to my friends’ houses plus it can be extra challenging having schoolwork to do as well”.
Carer Gateway has allowed Elyse to switch off from her caring role and experience fun activities such as horse riding, going to the zoo and days at the beach. It has given Elyse the opportunity to meet other young carers and feel supported by the team of support workers.
“Carer Gateway has helped me meet new people and do some fun activities which make me feel better and more relaxed.”
Hear more about Elyse's story below!
To learn more about Carer Gateway or The Benevolent Society, contact us on 1800 236 762.