‘Helping my mum is so rewarding!’
Tracey is forever grateful to her daughter and fulltime carer Samantha
Every mother thinks their child is particularly special but none more so than Queensland mother Tracey Bygrave, who describes daughter Samantha as her “guardian angel”.
“I don’t think I’d be alive if it wasn’t for Sam,” says Tracey, 43, who suffers from debilitating mental and physical health illnesses. “She’s the most amazing human being in the whole world.”
Samantha began caring for her mum and eight-year-old sister Jessica when she was just 11 years old.
Juggling the transition to high school and daily chores was a struggle for Samantha, now 18, who reflects on how those initial years caring for her mother were the toughest.
“I had to mature a lot so I could take care of my mum and my sister,” Samantha tells Woman’s Day. “I would usually be the one to organise and make the dinners, help my sister with homework. I was the one that was on top of everything.”
“I had very little time to complete my assignments.”
But despite setbacks in high school, Samantha soon found her stride, and thanks to hard work, dedication and the Young Carer Bursary Program she started her dual degree in physics and computer science earlier this year at The University of Queensland.
“When I heard I’d been accepted for the bursary program I felt so happy, it’s just made this year completely financially stress-free,” smiles Samantha.
And she has big plans for the future.
“I do have a passion for radio astronomy, but my biggest aim is to be able to provide myself and my family a better life.”
While Samantha admits she does sometimes struggle with not having the same freedoms as her peers, the teenager still finds time for herself.
“I see my friends every weekend. They are the people I turn to,” she says.
“We are really close, and since they’ve been with me since high school, they understand my struggles.”
And while some days can be tough, Samantha believes her role as a carer has helped make her the strong person she is today.
“Knowing that I’m making my mum’s life so much easier, that I take a lot off of her shoulders... that’s really rewarding,” she says.
“I think we have the strongest bond – we will spend hours chatting every day. She supports me too. She is not only my mother, but she is my best friend.”
It’s a selfless act Tracey is grateful for. “She’s everything to me. I’m so proud.”
There are more than 235,000 young carers in Australia, with some as young as eight years old caring for sick or disabled parents or siblings. With 1000 grants available, the 2022 Young Carer Bursary Program is taking applications from August 16. To apply go to youngcarersnetwork.com.au. To find out how you can help a young carer visit thecarersfoundation.org.