Caring for the Care Giver:
Care Givers
Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, August 6 and November 26, 2006
Show 321
Julie Turkoske's 14-year-old daughter, Emily, was born deaf and blind due to a chromosome abnormality. Emily is dependent on a wheel chair. Sometimes Julie feels overwhelmed and depressed caring for her daughter. "Other people without disabled children don't really understand." "Many caregivers do suffer from depression. It can be situational or biochemical," says Dr. Jamie. "When I feel stressed, Emily holds me, and all those stressful feelings are squeezed out of me. I realize that Emily is not the stressor, it's other things like insurance, and outside pressure. Emily is a gift." "We do need a positive outlook as caregivers," Dr. Jamie tells us.