Genevieve is a 36 year old woman who is a full-time carer for her 21 year old brother, Yagan, who has an intellectual disability and mental health problems.
Genevieve:” I started caring for Yagan in early 2011 as another family member couldn’t continue as his Carer. It was a big adjustment for me. I’ve had Yagan in my life for many years and looked after him but having him live with me full-time has been hard. I’ve been depressed and without any real support. I had to move house and try and get financial support from the government which is pretty impossible. I get $50 a week as a Carer and this really doesn’t cover anything – the government doesn’t help and it’s so hard to find any services at all that take the load off. Yagan has complex needs, including low self-esteem and depression as well as physical issues. I don’t have family support so I pretty much do it on my own and work full-time to support us.
Coming to train with Margie is my one outlet. It’s time each week where I get to look after me – let out stress and get stronger, physically and mentally. I don’t have much time for myself and I don’t have anyone looking after me. When I’m at VIBES I feel like I am being looked after and I’m starting to see the benefits – I’ve lost some weight and I’m feeling better about myself. I won’t be able to afford the training without the support and hope I can be a part of the program. I also hope Yagan can too – when he’s feeling positive my life is much easier!”
“I enjoyed training with Margie. It was really good. She is really nice and I felt comfortable. I really want to lose weight. I want to do this program. I found out that I have a lot of problems with my body. I want to fix them. ” I really want to keep working out it is fun and I feel good when i am working out.
