YOUNG CARERS : CHILDREN OF COURAGE | Envoyé Spécial |

Nearly one person in six provides assistance to one or more dependent relatives. Illness, disability, or simply old age, and from one day to the next, these French people become caregivers. Among the 9 million caregivers in France, there are over 500,000 minors aged between 5 and 18, the equivalent of one or two children per class.

These young carers provide their loved ones with help that is sometimes comparable to that of an adult. They find themselves helping a brother or sister, but sometimes also their fathers or mothers, becoming their parents’ parents. Operating discreetly, these young everyday heroes often demonstrate remarkable courage, working for the good of their loved ones, but not always for their own…

For this film, we followed the daily life of 12-year-old Anaëlle, a caregiver for her mother, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Since childhood, the young teenager, helped by her two brothers from Bazas in the Gironde department, has assisted her mother in her daily life.

We also met 15-year-old Elwynn. This young girl lives in Amiens and looks after her whole family: her bipolar father, her burn-out mother and her autistic brother.

Finally, we met 13-year-old Isaline, who supports her mother, who is severely disabled following a stroke.