When you think of "young caregiver" it seems only natural for the brain to automatically defer to daughter, granddaughter, wife, sister - but what about the husbands, son's, grandsons and brothers who are stepping up to the plate and fighting the fight alongside their loved one everyday.
My guest today, Justin Bajema is doing just that. Justin has been caring for his wife Sarah since 2013 . After the onset of a chronic migraine, her health slowly declined until she was bedridden for three years. It has been a slow climb since then, and while Sarah’s health has improved, she is still mostly homebound. In addition to the chronic migraine, she’s been diagnosed with ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia and a dysautonomic condition called POTS.
Justin was one of the first male caregivers I connected with when I entered the caregiving space on Instagram and was honored to have him speak out, for the first time, about his care journey as one of the Millennial Caregiver Spotlights I showcased in 2019. Caregiving has often been an isolating experience for Justin, but connecting with other caregivers online and hearing their stories has helped him feel less alone.
As a co-host of the In Sickness Podcast, Justin hopes sharing his story can help others in similar situations.
So to all the male caregivers, you are seen, heard and do not go unnoticed for what you do. And to society, let's start making them more a bigger part of the young caregiver narrative.
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Where to connect with Justin:
On Instagram - @bajema and @insicknesspodcast
Where we can connect:
Join the Young Life Interrupted Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/younglifeinterrupted
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/young-life-interrupted-a-podcast-for-young-caregivers/id1578015965
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