Levina was still in primary school when she first became a carer to her little brother, Kerry, who has autism spectrum disorder and is non-verbal.
“Being the eldest child, I had that maternal instinct to look out for him,” Levina says.
“I didn’t just leave it to my mum. He’s my brother and his family. And I love him.”
More than a decade later and Levina’s journey as a young carer has only deepened her bond with her brother, now 17.
“Kerry is probably one of the sweetest people I know and his biggest joy and greatest passion in life I would say is food and watching people cook.
“He is also super demanding and super bossy, and he just loves his fancy coffee.”
As part of National Carers Week, the NSW Government is recognising Levina and the many carers like her, thanking them for their extraordinary efforts.
At 23, Levina’s role as a young carer is made even more impressive by the fact she also supports her mum, a single mother with English as a second language.
“Being a carer can be hard enough and having to translate things into English and advocate on your parent’s behalf can be an added challenge,’’ says the Chipping Norton resident.
“But I’ve had so many years to practice. Since I was in school, I’ve had to juggle my caring duties with everything else.
“I take care of all the administrative stuff, all the forms and all of Kerry’s appointments but knowing I can alleviate some of my mum’s stress makes it worth it.”
And the best part of being a carer? For Levina, it’s seeing her brother live his life to the fullest.
“What makes Kerry a great person to care for is his affection towards you. It’s the best feeling watching him be happy and fulfilled. He has a great little laugh and is really cheeky!
“Even when it gets hard, being able to see that and to see him happy makes it so worthwhile – and it puts everything else into perspective.”
Levina adds that growing up, Young Carers NSW and Carers NSW were also a huge support.
“You get to know other people who can empathise with your situation and understand your experience a lot better than maybe some of your friends and family.
“And they’re always there to answer any questions you have.”
When asked what message she’d like to give other young carers, Levina had only one thing to say.
“Advocate for yourself and recognise you are a carer. You might think you’re just helping out a loved one but you’re doing so much more than that.”
If you’re a carer and looking for support visit carer gateway or call 1800 422 737.
Kerry and your mum are so lucky to have you, Levina. Beautiful.
Go Levina! It seems like you juggle a lot in your day to day life, which I imagine can be a challenge however you’re doing amazingly!