'Every day's a gift' Young carer Freya on helping to look after her little brother

WHEN people imagine life with a seriously ill child, the focus often falls on the parents. But for families like Freya Liddell’s, it is the siblings who can quietly bear some of the heaviest burdens.

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Freya, now 21, has grown up alongside her brother Harry, who has complex medical needs. From the moment he and his twin sister Bonny came home from hospital, Freya was a key part of the family’s care team - not by obligation, but out of love.

"Harry is a cheeky monkey," she said. "He has the most amazing eyelashes that anyone would be jealous of - I know I am! He's got such a personality and can really make your day if you catch him giggling. I view him no differently than any other of my siblings, as medical conditions don’t define you and he is my brother first, and a medical mystery second."

She added: "The only thing is that tomorrow is never guaranteed, but that just makes it more of an adventure as every day's a gift."