Caring off grid

I am 16 years old and help look after my uncle who has brain damage. I have been helping for around 7 years now and it is amazing at how far my uncle and family have come so far.

We have moved around a lot.  At first was a bit of a struggle because I had to juggle depression and helping everyone so things run smoothly. We have also done lots of travelling to W.A and back, camping along the way.

There was a lot to do and that’s when my depression got the worst. Just recently we moved to Lake Bennet for a few months. There was no house where we lived so we camped in tents and an old caravan. I often went on lone trips during my lunch breaks to collect wood to heat up the fire for showers and also for dinner and my uncle’s cups of tea.

My depression has improved over the years and so has my uncle’s disadvantages. He can remember a lot better and he has lost a lot of weight over the years. We are travelling around Australia soon so there will be plenty of times to help out and I can’t wait to see how everything goes over the years.

Other stories

To the heavens and beyond

When I was 19 years old, I was enrolled to study full time at university. Two weeks prior starting, my mother came home and said she needed to talk to my brother and I. My brother 25 and myself sat down and mum told us that she had been diagnosed with cancer. They did not […]
Read full story

Big brother, big adventure

To most people, I appear as an average young person. I am studying my degree, making weird dad jokes and dying my hair too many colours. But a look behind the curtain shows much more beauty and challenge than is expected. I have grown up with my older brother for 21 years. He has high […]
Read full story

The Young Carers Bursary made a difference

Dad had a car accident when I was young. He can’t walk around much, and is on a lot of medication for the pain. It’s just the two of us. Being a carer isn’t something I chose. It’s something I’ve had to grow and learn to accept. A lot of the time I don’t really […]
Read full story