Bec's story

3 minute read
 

Meet Bec

Bec cares for her three children, Oliver, Theodore and Gwendolyn, who each require different levels of care.

Her daughter, Gwendolyn, needs the most care as she has a developmental delay and is at a high risk of developing Cerebral Palsy.

From parent to carer

Bec didn’t think of herself as a carer when she was caring for her sons Oliver and Theodore, but that changed when she started caring for Gwendolyn.

'I realised I wasn’t caring for them as a parent would, it was more than that,' she said.

On reflection of the past several years caring for her children, Bec realised she had to make a lot of modifications to her life, in terms of her own health and wellness, finances and career.

She wouldn’t change a single thing though. 'That’s what a parent does, you do it because you love them and want the absolute best for them.'

A carer at heart

Bec has a deep sense of care for others and has always wanted to help people. Beyond caring for her children, Bec loves her job as a high school science teacher and head of the science department. She also volunteers as a firefighter in her spare time with the Rural Fire Service (RFS).

'I first joined the RFS because I wanted to help people and have a break from my everyday life. It has actually become one of my greatest achievements, helping with the 2019/20 bushfires and getting elected as a Deputy Captain in my brigade. I’m the only female in my brigade too,' Bec said.

Support she didn’t know existed

Bec had no idea that Carer Gateway existed, because no one had told her. But once she found out about Carer Gateway, she started exploring and found the tips and skills courses pages.

'My stress levels would have been much higher if I hadn’t found Carer Gateway. Because I’m quite time poor, I like learning about topics such as the top 10 tips for parents. As a teacher, I’m also always looking for ways to upskill, so I really enjoy completing the skills courses,' she says.

If there was one piece of advice Bec could give to other carers in similar situations, it would be to not be so hard on yourself.

'You are doing the best you can. Just know that there are support services out there for you. If I had known about Carer Gateway and other services earlier, I would have had more confidence in what I was doing.'