Dylan's story: rocking out

Dylan's story: rocking out

Dylan is a young carer who helps support two members of his family: one with a physical disability and a sibling with additional support needs. While he shares caring responsibilities with both of his parents, the demands within the household mean that Dylan has very limited time away from these responsibilities.

After school, Dylan spends much of his time at home. Opportunities to socialise with friends or to spend one-to-one time with his parents are often restricted. His sibling requires frequent attention, making it difficult for Dylan to have space of his own or to enjoy quality time with either parent.

Through conversations with his support worker, Dylan identified a clear need for a break not only from his caring role, but also an opportunity to spend meaningful one-to-one time with his dad. He shared how they both love music and often talk about bands and concerts whenever they get the chance, listening to music together at home when time allows.

With support from Time to Live funding, Dylan and his dad were able to plan a special trip together. The grant covered concert tickets for a band they had both wanted to see for a long time, along with a meal beforehand. This created an opportunity for them to relax, connect and enjoy time together outside of their caring roles.

He reflected on the importance of having that uninterrupted time with his dad:

“Being together with Dad, just the two of us, we both relaxed and it was good to have that time together, just singing. We hope we can do this again. I did have a great break away and I was glad that I could talk to my sibling about the concert too, something that I could share with them.”

The positive impact extended across the whole family. While Dylan and his dad were out, the other parent was able to provide dedicated, uninterrupted support at home. This allowed Dylan to enjoy individual attention and a meaningful break, while his dad could also temporarily step away from daily caring pressures. Equally, Dylan’s sibling benefitted from focused one-to-one time with the other parent at home, enjoying their own quality time and attention.

Find out more about Time to Live here.