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Video length: 3 min
Young family caregivers: “I know that my life will never be like that of others”, at 15, Elwynn helps her sick father
Young family caregivers: “I know that my life will never be like that of others”, at 15, Elwynn helps her sick father
(SPECIAL SUBJECT / FRANCE 2)
On April 25, “Special Envoy” highlights courageous teenagers, who face a difficult daily life like adults. In France, there are around a million minors assisting a sick parent. At 15, Elwynn took on a caring role for her father that turned her life upside down.
Elwynn is 15 years old, the age of carelessness… but for her, life has decided otherwise. After her week at boarding school, to relieve her mother, this second year student spends her weekends spent with her brother, who is autistic, and her father Stephen, who suffers from bipolarity and Parkinson’s syndrome. You have to help him prepare his pill box, manage his medical appointments, spend a lot of time reassuring him… “I could do a lot of other things instead, recognizes the young girl. But I prefer to do that. Because it’s important for me to help my father, because he needs it.”
On Saturdays, Elwynn takes a skating lesson, the only activity that allows her to escape. Stephen, who hasn’t seen her practice in months, promised to accompany her that morning. Waking up is difficult, but his daughter values his presence. A way for her “to see that [s]our father is well, and [s]e convince him that he is like the others. Sometimes I need to see this, she says. That makes me happy.” Stephen is moved to tears when he sees her evolve. “For her to flourish, that’s what I want. When I’m not well, I suffocate him with my demands, and I steal his youth, he regrets. I’m having a hard time with it.”
“I know it makes me grow in a different way.”
Elwynn knows well that her life “will never be like what others can experience”, that she loses “important moments”, but she wouldn’t exchange it for any other. “I know it makes me grow in a different way. (…) I really like the way I live, she says. I’m very close to my family, and for me, that’s important.”
In France, around a million minors assist a sick parent. For these young family caregivers, there is no status, no financial assistance, no social, educational or psychological support. In order to provide them with answers, association, Jade (Jeunes AiDants Ensemble), was founded in 2017. It is financed 70% by private donations, 30% by public money.
Excerpt from “Young carers: courageous children”, a report to watch in “Special Envoy” on April 25, 2024.
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