Congratulations to Runner-Up winner Evelia P. N. from San Diego, California.
I have been a caregiver for about ten years. I used to work in an orthopedic medical office, but I decided to quit my full-time job to become my father’s caregiver. My father passed away five years ago. He was diabetic and was on dialysis for about three years, but he ended up taking his own life. I had always cared for my parents because I wanted to, not because I had to. I wasn’t being paid back then to take care of my father. But once I became a full-time caregiver for my dad, who I was very close to, I learned a lot about illnesses and mental medical conditions. My dad suffered from depression and that’s why he decided to take his own life, which traumatized me. But to honor my dad’s memory, I decided to become my mom’s caregiver and help other people even if I don’t know them. If I see an elderly person on the street or at a store, I always offer to help. It is what we as humans should do, and maybe if we did there wouldn’t be so many people feeling depressed.
