Carers Week Our dedicated helpers

Jamie-marie & Helen ‘Being a carer takes a lot of responsibility’

In many ways, JamieMarie Genito is just like every other 10-yearold. She goes to school, enjoys dancing and piano lessons, and struggles to put down her new ipad when asked to. But unlike other kids her age, Jamie-marie is also her mum Helen’s sole carer. “She’s just fantastic,” says the Melbourne mum, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and diabetes. “But I really want her to remember the fun parts of her childhood and not just taking care of Mummy all the time.” Helen was diagnosed with MS at 38, just after Jamie-marie was born. She and her husband Jamie, who also had diabetes, spent seven years trying for a baby and succeeded on their third round of IVF. Yet, when JaimeMarie was just two years old, her father passed away from diabetes-related complications. Then, in 2010, when Jamie-marie was four, Helen had a major MS relapse, which left her with a permanent progressive weakening of the left side and an ongoing tremor. Luckily, Jamie-marie was happy and willing to step up and help her mum around the house. She now does the laundry, y, folds clothes, washes the dishes, makes sure the flooror is clean and ensures thereere aren’t any trip hazards. Shehe also helps her mum with her medications, and lays outut her clothes.

“Being a carer takes a lot of responsibility,”ponsibility,” says Jamie-marie. Marie. “But Mum always looks after me when I’m sick,ick, so it’s nice being able to helpp her too.”

With MS comes the constantnt threat Helen n may lose her balance, lance, so Jamie-marie Marie is always readydy to grab her walkingalking frame or caneane if they’re needed. ded.

Dynamicc duo

Jamie-marieie hopes to one day become a doctor, a scientist or a teacherr so she can help make the world a better place and, most importantly,mportantly, find a cure for her mum’s disease – which she e likens it to an electricity circuit.

“The brain in is the light switch and every single part of your body is a light bulb,” she explains. “But with MS, it’s like the electricity can’t get through to the light bulbs to make them work – that’s what’s happening to Mum.”

Despite the difficult times, this mother and daughter duo couldn’t be closer.

“It’s hard sometimes because I have to balance being Mum and Dad and Jamie-marie has to balance being a child and a carer,” says Helen. “But we’re very close. She’s my world.”

‘It’s hard sometimes. But we’re very close. She’s my world’