Ruby (16) has been supported by Julia’s House for seven years, after we started caring for her younger sister, Elisa, who has cerebral palsy.
“The first thing I ever did was a water sports trip to Rockley. I was very nervous but I made some great friends who could understand what it’s like to have a sibling who’s disabled. We still message and game on PlayStation.
Having Julia’s House there has made me feel less alone.
You can feel that no-one else can relate to you but Julia’s House has helped me understand that isn’t the case. Things that aren’t normal for others just became normal for me – I never minded if plans were cancelled if Elisa had to go into hospital, that was just my life.
Covid was hard as I was anxious about keeping Elisa safe. I was always testing and didn’t see my family very much, especially when Elisa was in hospital. I was really scared for them.”