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Interview: Danielle Matheson, 12, young carer

3 mins read Social Care Interview
The summer holidays are almost over and Danielle Matheson is looking forward to getting back into the classroom. "I really enjoy school. I like lessons like maths, drama and dance," exclaims the 12-year-old from Brighton.

Rarely are those words delivered with such enthusiasm from a child sat on the wrong end of a six-week break. But for Danielle, time off from school offers little in the way of respite.

Her stepfather suffers from epilepsy and bleeding on the brain, while her mother has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. As a result, Danielle has spent the last six years supporting one or both parents as well as her four-year-old sister.

"I have to remind mum to take her tablets, help her get things when she's too ill to move and help with my little sister. That means getting her breakfast, cleaning her teeth, brushing her hair and getting her dressed - things like that," she explains. "Dad is not as bad as he used to be, so all I have to do, really, is remind him to take his pills. Then I do the washing up and drying up. Sometimes when my mum and dad are really ill I help with the dinner."

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