Jennifer C.
When Jennifer’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jennifer immediately recognized that she would take on the caregiving role. Caring for her mother felt like a natural extension of the care her parents had given her throughout her life. Because of the...Abby
Abby, a social worker from Maryland, began her caregiving journey at the age of nine when her grandmother suffered a brain aneurysm. By the time Abby turned 11, she became her grandma’s primary caregiver.
Trixy
Trixy and her husband are devoted caregivers to their daughter, Harper, who lives with profound medical challenges. Diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), Harper developed cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia with dystonia, and severe vision impairment. As...
Brittany
Brittany’s son, Camden, has cerebral palsy. He is trach dependent, G-tube dependent, non-ambulatory, and communicates with an assisted communication device. Brittany is his caregiver. Every day, she provides typical nursing activities like moving him from place to...
Dianne | Green Bay, Wisconsin
I am his primary caregiver.
Anita
When Anita’s mother’s health started to decline, Anita retired early to provide her with personalized care. Anita’s mom is blind, has dementia, and is battling three types of cancer in different stages. Melanoma on the bottom of her foot has caused mobility issues and...
Yang
Yang has been caring for her son who was diagnosed with chronic heart failure at a young age. After several surgeries as a child, her son received a heart transplant in 2018 at the age of 15. Yang believes that caring for his chronic heart condition prepared her...
Nancy
Nancy began caring for her husband about eight years ago when a routine blood test diagnosed him with early-stage blood cancer. The doctor informed Nancy’s husband that his best hope for longevity was a stem cell transplant, so he went on the waitlist. There was a lot...
Jeanne
Jeanne has been caring for her daughter since she was very young. As a child, a viral infection attacked her daughter’s heart, causing her to need a heart transplant; in 2020 as a young adult, Jeanne’s daughter needed a kidney transplant as well. Jeanne has been her...
Albert
Albert cares for his partner, who has received a kidney transplant and was undergoing dialysis when he and Albert started dating. Albert knew going into the relationship that he would be a part of his partner’s care team one day. Albert’s partner was able to remain...
Abena
Abena’s husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, shortly after she became pregnant with their first child. Her husband lived with his tumor for a little over four years before passing away. Abena did almost everything for him, from managing his medication...
Maggie
Maggie has been a caregiver for both her husband and her son, both of whom had blood cancer. While her husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, her son was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2019 and ended up needing a bone marrow transplant....
Pedro
Pedro is originally from Brazil, and moved to the United States when he was 21. While he lived in Brazil, he was a caregiver from the age of 12 for his grandmother, who had pulmonary fibrosis. Pedro was one of several family members who cared for his grandmother, but...
Brenda & Rob
Rob was in a car accident years ago, which means Brenda normally has to take him to doctor appointments and help him with his medication. In addition to Rob’s medical condition, the couple care for their daughter and grandson, whom they often help through daily life....
Veronica
With a background in special education, Veronica had wanted to take care of a child with special needs, and she was quickly matched with Elena, who has cerebral palsy. When Veronica married, she trained her sister Giselle to take her place as Elena’s carer, but still...
Claire
Claire’s husband was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy several years ago, leading to the eventual need for a heart transplant, which he has now received. Claire did not become his care partner immediately upon diagnosis because he was still very fit and active,...
Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn’s wife has lupus and other related diagnoses, and Gwendolyn has been caring for her for the past ten years. Neither Gwendolyn nor her wife have received many resources or much information on the disease, and Gwendolyn herself is rarely recognized as the care...
Zuzette
Zuzette and TeriLynne are from the Gila River Indian Community and have cared for their aging parents, as well as their own children, two of whom have chronic conditions. Zuzette is the primary caregiver for her and TeriLynne’s mother, and supported their mother in...
Autumn
Autumn was 32 when her mother was diagnosed with a progressive neurodegenerative disease. As the only child of a single mother, Autumn knew she would be her mother’s caregiver one day, but neither she nor her mother expected that day to be when her mother was only...
Gabriel
A recent high school graduate, Gabe grew up in a household with his mom, 3 siblings (he is the youngest), and his grandpa who had a serious mental illness. Gabe spent much of his childhood helping around the house and caring for his grandpa. Being a caregiver at such...
Sherry
Sherry is a caregiver for her husband, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At the start of her caregiving journey, Sherry struggled to find caregiving communities, and it was difficult for her to share her concerns with others. However, once she made those...
Shawn
Shawn has been caring for her veteran husband for 7 years and is an integral part of his care team. Her husband told her about his PTSD and recovering from alcoholism on their very first date. However, Shawn did not fully understand the extent of his condition and its...
TeriLynne
Zuzette and TeriLynne are from the Gila River Indian Community and have cared for their aging parents, as well as their own children, two of whom have chronic conditions. Zuzette is the primary caregiver for her and TeriLynne’s mother, and supported their mother in...
Rona
Rona lives in rural Oklahoma and is the mother of three children. Her youngest child is a 13-year-old with Down syndrome. Her daughter is non-verbal and has significant intellectual disabilities. She can’t be left unattended. Though Rona feels fortunate that she and...
Beth
Beth’s husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. He had surgery immediately upon diagnosis and, due to some complications, remained in the hospital for three weeks, where Beth stayed with him the entire time. Her husband eventually went into remission but...
Sarah
Sarah spent several years caring for her brother who suffered from cognitive decline, endured physical challenges, and was diagnosed with COPD. He used alcohol to cope with his conditions, which complicated the care Sarah provided. After her brother passed, Sarah...
Jennifer M.
Jennifer M. is a caregiver for her younger brother, who was wounded in Iraq in 2005, and her mother, who suffered a stroke in 2007. Jennifer feels that early intervention for caregivers is important because it can help alleviate some of the negative impacts, both...