成人快手

The credit crunch has hit us all, you鈥檝e got bills coming in and you just don鈥檛 know how they鈥檙e going to get paid. Sound familiar?

But how would you have coped with it when you were 18 and looking after your disabled mother? Rob is in that very situation right now.

I went along to The Junction in Redcar to meet a few young carers and a couple of people who are being 鈥榗ared for鈥�.

Rob brought his mum, Barbara, along to have a chat about their role reversal way of life.

As soon as Rob walked in the room I could tell he thought the world of his mum but he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Rob with his mum Barbara

Not only has he been helping to look after mum since he was small, his Dad died on his birthday in 2006 then to top it all he found out he was diabetic the following year鈥� on his birthday.

He told me about the money troubles the family have and having the cost of Dad鈥檚 funeral then soon after his Nan鈥檚 funeral has really taken its toll on the family鈥檚 financial situation.

Helping others

Yet still Rob finds time to help others, 鈥淚 do a lot of volunteer work. I go to St Johns Ambulance and learn first aid and I also volunteer with The Junction because they have given me so much and I would like to give something back.鈥�

Rob is also thinking about his future and believes vehemently in education.

He says, 鈥淭he first 25 years of your life should be mostly about your education and what you do about your future, job wise. Then after that you can think about families and all that because then you have money for a family and you have a steady job to keep that family going until you retire. That鈥檚 what many youngsters don鈥檛 seem to realise these days.鈥�

Sounds like a very old head on young shoulders.

Even though he is a carer for his mum he has made time for work and his own education, 鈥淚 also go to college to study business retail and administration and do a paper round on the morning and I have just recently got a job with Pizza Pot in Marske.鈥�

Rob is so grateful to The Junction and said, 鈥淭he reason The Junction is important is because it helps young people to become more confident in themselves as well as others and provides information for young people on different things and gives them other young people who have the same problems at home.鈥�