Nicholas cares for his little sister and mum.  His litter sister Andrianna lives with a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, while his mum lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurological disease.  

He is the extra hands and feet for Andrianna, as she is unable to walk and dependent on others.  It’s not unusual to find Nicholas wiping her nose when it’s runny, holding her legs while his mum transfers her from wheelchair to bed, and helping her play with her toys. 

Nicholas also provides extra support for his mum around the house.  Symptoms from MS can include Nicholas’s mum becoming extremely tired and having trouble walking.  During this time, you can find Nicholas lending a hand with dinner by chopping up veggies or stirring food, pushing the trolley at the shops and unpacking the groceries when they return home, unloading the dishwasher, hanging up clothes and cleaning up after mealtimes.  

When Nicholas is not picking things up from the ground when his mum drops them or reaching for things that have fallen under furniture, he is a companion to Andrianna. He considers keeping her company as one of his favourite things to do, as he gets to sing to her while keeping her safe.   

Nicholas tells us he will be putting his Young Carer Scholarship funds toward tutoring so that he doesn’t have to struggle with school so much, while giving his mum more time to rest instead of helping him with his schoolwork. 

As a young carer, Nicholas is the super sidekick to his family, providing extra support when they need a hand. Added to this, his independent nature to make his own breakfast and school lunches so his mum doesn’t have to, makes this young carer a well-rounded human ready to take on the world! 

Did you know nearly 8,000 young carers in Victoria are aged under 15 years old with some taking on care responsibilities from as young as five or six years old?