Still young, and already a caregiver

Children whose parents need care are thrust into the role while finding their footing in life

Nurul Syafiqah Roslan, 11, prepares breakfast for her mother, who has kidney failure, heart problems and uses a wheelchair. ST PHOTOS: JONATHAN CHOO, WONG KWAI CHOW
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When Miss Rachel Tan started university two years ago, she began contemplating suicide.

Her mother, 63, who has schizophrenia, decided to stop taking her medication after living with the condition for about a decade. This led to meltdowns where she cut up or threw things around and became verbally aggressive.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on May 06, 2018, with the headline Still young, and already a caregiver. Subscribe