Emma never expected that she would become a full-time carer for three people. But life is always full of the unexpected, and for Emma it all began when she met the love of her life and her now husband.

He had some severe health issues, survived a life-threatening pulmonary embolism and went on to have two more during their relationship. She left her job to care for her husband full time and soon after this, found herself also responsible for caring for her husband’s mother who was showing early signs of dementia and his sister who has an intellectual disability.

“It’s definitely 24-hour care. You just don’t know if you’ve got to get up in the middle of the night because something’s happened.”

The demands of caring for three loved ones across two different locations, 100 kilometers apart, took a toll on Emma’s health. She began to feel overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure.

“All three of them had high care needs, I felt like I was being stretched in every direction. I thought, if I don’t get some help, I’m just going to crumble.”

Emma found Carers WA through an online search. They provided her with counselling sessions to help navigate the emotional challenges of caring, as well as occasional respite services that offered her much-needed breaks.

“They helped to justify it’s okay to feel like this. You’ve got every right to feel overwhelmed. You are doing so much and it’s okay, and we’re here to help you to get through it. So it was just so reassuring”

It was these support services that gave Emma the space and hope to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse whilst still continuing to care for her family.

“Carers WA has given me that ability to keep going when I just thought it was too overwhelming. They’ve helped me to achieve my goal of wanting to do something for me, and without them, I would be lost”

 Emma’s loyalty, courage and determination, along with the support of Carers WA, has enabled her to not only meet the needs of her loved ones but also pursue her own dreams.