Caring for her son and husband and facing her own health challenges, Kylie Stewart would be forgiven for thinking the family had been dealt some tough cards in life.
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Mrs Stewart isn't pretending it's easy, but continues to count their blessings.
"You go through turbulent times and you go through more routine care times but I wake up every day and I thank God we're all alive," Mrs Stewart said.
She's sharing her family's situation to highlight the important role carers play as part of National Carer's Week, to encourage others to seek support and as hard as it is, to put themselves first so they can look after their loved ones.
Mrs Stewart, of Kolora in western Victoria, said she began unofficially caring for her husband Andrew early on in their marriage. Mr Stewart has multiple mental health neurodivergent and physical illnesses which include ADHD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Their son Ben, 14, was diagnosed with Global Development Delay at the age of three and it took another three years before they were told Ben had autism but there was more to come.
"I said to Andrew's psychiatrist, 'I need you to go back and look at Asperger's because it's what our child has just been diagnosed with', so they were both diagnosed within two weeks of each other.
"I've been caring for Andrew for many, many years and he's bedridden and doesn't leave the house very often at all."
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Ben also has epilepsy and the April arrival of his assistance dog Calvin, which helps to detect seizures, and help with his autism and regulate emotions, has lightened her load and brought so much joy to the family.
While not wanting to "paint a bleak portrait" of the role, she also wanted to be realistic. "Carers are the most selfless people in the world, we care because we love them," she said. "But caring is so draining and it's so hard and repetitive."
"Carer burnout isn't a phrase to be taken lightly and if you don't open yourself up to people, it can happen with the click of a finger..."
Mrs Stewart encouraged carers to register with with Carer Gateway which provides local, region-specific support and emergency respite funding. Individual assessments help to identify each family's specific needs which could be financial, emotional or social. "Have a look at it and register so that if your situation changes you are ready."
She said the South West Carer Respite Program through Warrnambool City Council and MPower carer support also provided great assistance. "The most significant message is if you aren't getting the support you need, you go down and they go down," Mrs Stewart said.
"I really encourage people not to shrink back or hide in the caring role," she said. "To not think it's not worthy. There's how many millions of us who are keeping the country going, because I'm keeping my family going...
"If I crash they're both going to be very quickly in emergency respite or worse. If there isn't any respite available, you can think the thoughts of 'what would happen?'"
She said her caring was motivated by faith and love and she constantly re-centred herself and asked if she was doing enough to ensure she's okay.
"I know there's many many blessings in the midst of it. The silver linings are there, they might not be there often and when I say many, they might be over time when you look back, but they are there if you choose.
"In this country we are pretty blessed already, even with trying circumstances. It is about trying to remind yourselves. It's not self talk or positivity. It's about being real with yourself. You're not going to feel like that every day but take care of yourself as a carer and put your needs first," she said.
"I encourage people reading this who aren't carers to encourage carers. If they meet someone who says they're a carer say 'well done', say, 'thank you you're doing an amazing job'.
"When someone says to me 'you're doing an awesome job, you're doing the best you can in the circumstances you're in'. It lifts me and makes my day," Mrs Stewart said.