I was in the final year of my Degree studying to be a Marine Biologist in England when my mum fell ill. I returned home to Northern Ireland to spend time with my mum, brother and little sister.
My mum died at Christmas and I stepped in to look after my younger sister. Taking on the role of parent to my sister was hard at the start, but now I have got used to it. I spend a lot of time helping her with her homework and I encourage her to do well at school.
I was put in touch with Kinship Care by one of my neighbours. I went to see them to get advice and they helped me apply for a Residence Order and financial support so I had money for food and to pay bills. I joined their Sibling Carer Support Group and met other people in a similar position. I attended courses on Managing Challenging Behaviour, Child Protection and Attachment. I also became a ‘Youth Champion’ and started volunteering so I could share my own experiences with some of the young people coming through the organisation for support.
Thanks to help I received from Kinship Care I am a lot more confident. I go to parent and teacher meetings and feel really proud at how well my sister is doing. I also attend bereavement counselling appointments with my sister so we can come to terms with our mum’s death. I hope to finish my Degree when my sister is a little older.