A BLOG written by a teenager from Camelford has been featured in a new guide for first-time family carers.

The Odd Pigeon, a blog page set up and written by 16-year-old Olivia Ferguson, known as Livvy to friends and family, has been referred to as a helpful resource in NRS Healthcare’s first time family carer guide, which was released on Valentine’s Day.

Livvy, who has been a carer for her mum, Kirsty Ferguson, since the age of eight, set up The Odd Pigeon when she was just 14 years old, in order to create a space where she could highlight the highs, lows and challenges of being a young carer daily, while battling school, her studies, activities and maintaining relationships with schoolfriends.

Livvy said it can be challenging to balance schoolwork with time to work on her blog, but still receives numerous views every day in over 65 different countries. She said: “It’s great to see it being used for something that will ultimately benefit others.

“It is challenging being a student alongside a carer, as it first and foremost affects my attendance. But with a lot of dedication and hard work, I’m managing with the support of close family and loved ones, achieving over 18 distinctions half way through my first year.

“When I started my blog it was primarily to vent and raise awareness, and I feel that this opportunity for recognition by NRS Healthcare is going to be a vital tool in helping first time family carers to adapt and establish a health relationship with caring.”

Her mum Kirsty was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 35. However, Kirsty doesn’t let her illness define her, having been elected as mayor of Camelford in spring 2018, while also working on the town council’s events working group and attending numerous events in the local community.

As could be imagined, the mum-of-three is extremely proud of her youngest daughter: “Livvy has been caring for me following my MS diagnosis since she was eight years old. Now, almost 17, she is my rock and best friend.

Knowing I have Livvy there to help with personal care and jobs around the house is amazing. However, despite being extremely proud and grateful for her help, I do feel guilty that her life hasn’t been the same as her peers. She has missed out on many opportunities, but being a young carer has brought her many new friendships across the country, who do the same for their parents or siblings.”

Speaking about Livvy’s recognition through NRS Healthcare’s latest guide, Kirsty added: “Livvy strives to get this message across in her blog, The Odd Pigeon, so we are thrilled that NRS Healthcare recognised this in their first time carer guide. I’m beyond excited for Livvy’s future.”

NRS Healthcare told the Post that they chose to include Livvy’s blog in their latest guide, in order to provide an insight of the daunting process that can come with caring for a family member, as well a useful resource to ensure any new carer does not feel alone.

A spokesperson for NRS Healthcare said: “As a company which has been providing independent equipment to older and disabled people for over 70 years, we are well aware that many family carers are often thrust into their roles unexpectedly. A lot of the time, they have never taken on a caring role before and it can be overwhelming to suddenly be responsible for another person.

“Young carers in particular can appear very resilient in their duties, when underneath the surface they often feel isolated and anxious about their responsibilities. It’s for this reason that we included Livvy’s blog, The Odd Pigeon, in our First-Time Family Carer Guide. We want to ensure any young carers reading our guide, who are new to the role, understand that they are not alone and that it’s okay not to be ‘perfect’. We believe Livvy’s blog shows that young carers have more than just one side to them — not only are they carers, they are also extraordinary young people with their own hobbies, feelings and capabilities. Many young carers work extremely hard in school to make their family proud and yet also dedicate much of their free time attending to the needs of their loved ones.”

One excerpt from Livvy’s blog, which caught the organisation’s attention, speaks about the guilt some young carers can feel in their role. It reads: “You spend nights wondering, ‘Why can’t I just do it?’ The answer is simple, nobody’s perfect, no matter how hard you try pleasing everyone it’s simply not possible. Having a bad day is okay, it doesn’t make you stupid. It just proves you are human.”

To read more about NRS Healthcare’s First-Time Family Carer Guide, visit www.nrshealthcare.co.uk/articles/news/what-to-expect-as-a-first-time-family-caregiver.