Kelsie's story

My name is Kelsie, I am 16 and live in New South Wales. One thing you should know about me is that I love to spend time outside. Additionally, I LOVE travelling and meeting new people.
I have been caring for my sister for 8 years. My sister requires care because she has an intellectual disability. I have to care for my sister because her disability impacts her daily life. We live in the same household so it affects mine as well. However, I also have to supervise her at school and be her representative with teachers. Just like me I’d imagine other young carers would also have to speak on behalf of the person they care for me and manage tasks at home.

Being away from my sister makes me feel stressed and worried. Being a carer has changed my life because I've matured quickly and become an independent person. Because of my caring role I am unable to dedicate as much time to my studies as I need. I am usually preoccupied with doing stuff around the house and I don't have this time to complete schoolwork.

Being a carer has taught me how to solve problems and be resilient in the face of challenges. I would cope better with my caring role if I had the chance to have time by myself. Whether this is a day or a few hours. It would give me the opportunity to calm down and focus on important tasks at hand. To redirect my energy towards personal goals.

I would like others to realise that being a carer shouldn't hold you back from pursuing anything in life. We need to spend time helping the person we care for and we should focus energy towards following our dreams. Being a carer doesn't mean you can't achieve. My piece of advice to my fellow young carers is to try and live a balanced lifestyle. Prioritise caring on the same level as your own health, leisure and workload.