Leah has become our youngest volunteer at 16 years old. She is trained and ready to go as a Young Carer Peer Support Volunteer.
Leah describes herself as a born carer and has been looking after her older brother since she was 7. Her brother, now 31, had childhood leukaemia and his chemo damaged his heart. He has since suffered from PTSD and psychosis.
When Leah was younger, her caring role was about playing games and distracting him. As she’s got older, she has taken on more responsibility to make sure he’s active and happy.
Caring has given Leah a close bond with her brother and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
“We get on really well, we have similar musical tastes and he was the most supportive person when I came out.”
With her life revolving around caring for her brother, Leah has little time to let off steam and have her own space. This is where Carers First Young Carers comes in. Before the pandemic, the hour at the monthly Young Carers Group was Leah’s time.
“It took me away from the stress of my caring role. Everyone is on the same level and we help each other.”
The pandemic has hit young carers like Leah particularly hard. Studying for her GCSEs, Leah has struggled to fit homework on top of six hours of schoolwork during the day and her caring role. She misses seeing her extended family and friends and despite video calls, she has felt isolated. She has been afraid to leave the house in fear of exposing her brother to the virus.
Despite how much she has on, Leah sees volunteering as a welcome distraction.
“I’m super excited to learn new skills. It has felt a little stressful at times with all I have on, but the team have been so supportive, and I’ve had fun. Young carers have helped me so much and I want to help other younger carers and the staff.”
When asked what advice she would give to her younger self, Leah says:
“I would tell her life is going to have its ups and downs. It’s going to be tough, but people will be there to help and everything is going to work out.”
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.