Balancing family care with higher education or work
A Young Carer's
Story
Representative Director (former young carer) Seigo Miyazaki
From my third year of junior high school, I supported my mother, who suffered from severe dizziness. In my second year of high school she was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy, and for 17 years I stayed by her side as her condition progressed day by day. By my final year of high school, as university entrance exams approached, my life was school during the day, cram school in the evening, and housework and caring for my mother at night.
Then one day, in the middle of exam season, my mother suddenly stopped waking up. Seeing her half bedridden, I gave up on going to university. For the next two years I cared for her around the clock while studying for the exams again.
In those days I had all but given up on my own life. Looking back, my world had become incredibly narrow. There were actually countless options right in front of me, but I was so consumed by caregiving that I couldn't see them. I believe that letting go of everything and leaning fully on someone else is also a valid choice. Whatever choice you make, the future you will surely be proud of who you are today.
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