Lyndsey’s story
Kids’ Young Carers Club has supported Lyndsey, aged 13, since she was nine years old. She lives at home with her parents and has a much older sister. Lyndsey shared her story with us.
Becoming a young carer
Lyndsey’s life changed overnight in 2019 when her dad suffered a brain stem stroke whilst at work. He was working alone at the time but was thankfully found relatively quickly, and received medical assistance. The stroke led him to become a quadriplegic. He spent months in hospital, needed extensive rehabilitation, and is still ongoing medical care.
Lyndsey has found the past few years very challenging. She gets frustrated that she can’t always see her friends because she is caring for her dad. She worries about him when he has to attend hospital appointments and she sometimes struggles to remember if she has given him his medication.
By attending our support clubs, Lyndsey’s confidence in her role as a young carer has increased.
Lyndsey says
“I have made amazing friends who are going through a similar experience and they understand if I can’t meet up because I’m caring for dad. I would tell others in a similar situation that things might seem bad now, but they will get better.”
Lyndsey’s mum says
“The support from young carers has been incredible. Lyndsey’s older sister was away at university when Graham became ill and this meant that Lyndsey often had to deal with her emotions alone as I was at the hospital constantly and dealing with the emotional trauma myself. It was very hard.
“The Young Carers Club gave Lyndsey the time and space to talk about her dad, express her worries as well as helping her to cope with the grief of effectively losing him. They used to spend so much time together, swimming and going on bike rides; we were a very active family. Young Carers has been a lifeline for us as a family and we can’t thank you enough for everything that you do. Graham will never get better and will constantly need care but knowing that Lyndsey has that support makes it a little easier.”
Your donation can change lives
We’re on the side of two million children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs and their families. With your help we can create life-changing opportunities for young carers like Lyndsey.