Carer Stories
Juliana's story - Juliana and her husband look after their three year old son Joshua. Joshua was born with a rare chromosome deficiency called 22q 11.2 Deletion Syndrome. This affects Joshua’s ability to learn new skills which other children would normally develop naturally. Read more about Juliana & Joshua
Mary & Bernard's story - Mary, a retired special education teacher and her husband Bernard live with their son David, 41 who has cerebral palsy. David is also registered blind and has a range of learning difficulties due to his condition. Read more about Mary, Bernard & David
Robert's story - Jane Collins was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007. Her life took a dramatic change after being told she had only a few weeks to live - and so did her husband Robert’s.
Jane passed away in late 2009 and until then, Robert was Jane’s full time carer. The couple, who lived in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, went on a journey that saw them coming to terms with Jane’s diagnosis and a change in her health.Read more about Robert & Jane
Wendy's story - Seventy-six year old Wendy Ball and her husband, Peter, 81, have been happily married for over 50 years. They have four grown up children and live in an upstairs flat in Maldon, Essex. The couple used to enjoy a fulfilled social-life, going for leisurely walks, enjoying a play or spending time with friends and family. All this changed three years ago when Peter developed dementia and Wendy became his full time carer. Read more about Wendy & Peter
Tony's story - When Tony, 55, married his wife June he always knew that their lives were going to be different to other married couples. June, who is in her late forties, has lived with schizophrenia since before the couple met, and today, Tony is not only her devoted husband but also her full time carer. Read more about Tony & June
Frances's story - One couple to have benefited from the Caring with Confidence programme is Frances and Reg Winch. The couple, who are in their sixties, live in Maldon, Essex and for over two years have been living with the changes vascular dementia is having on their lives. Frances is now her husband’s full time carer and looks after all his personal care. Read more about Frances and Reg
Debbie's story - Debbie never planned to be a carer. But for the last 10 years she has been looking after her mother-in-law, Barbara. Barbara is partially sighted, suffers from diabetes and heart problems and was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Read more about Debbie & Barbara
David's story - Jackie Dutton used to be an active woman and if you had asked her where she saw herself in years to come her answer would have been one of optimism. She couldn’t have planned for the diagnosis she received in 1989 and neither could her husband David, 53, now her full time carer. Read more about David & Jackie
Pamela's story - Pamela Lee contacted Manchester Carers Centre about Caring with Confidence after seeing an article about the programme in her local paper. For over 20 years she has been caring for her mother, Ambrozine, 90, who now has vascular dementia. Together with the dementia, her mother suffers from impaired hearing and sight, arthritis, diabetes and has a cardiac pacemaker to correct her heart problem.Read more about Pamela & Ambrozine
Alf's story - Alf White from Solihull in the West Midlands has come to terms with his caring role with the help of the Caring with Confidence programme. Alf is now able to relax more using the techniques he learnt on the sessions and has been pointed in the direction of what benefits he is eligible to. Read more about Alf & Doreen
Susan's story - One person to have changed her life for the better since attending the Caring with Confidence programme is Susan King, 49, from Manchester. She has a new found confidence and has not only become chair of a Parent Carers Consultation group run by Manchester City Council, but is also a panel member for the Maternity Service Liaison Committee run by the NHS for the hospitals in the Manchester area. Read more about Susan & Paul