Although caregiving is hard, Kai thinks we should embrace the experience and learn from it.
Transcript
The most positive experience of this whole caregiving experience was the fact that I had a really close relationship with my dad, and with my mom. And I felt, with all the sacrifices that they did for us—they sent us away to get a great education, knowing that they could afford it, but money could have been used for other things, but they felt this was their duty as parents to make sure that we get a great education. So, just the sacrifices that they made for all 3 of us kids. It felt good, looking back; it felt good to be able to give back to my dad. And it wasn’t the easiest experience but I’ve learned life is going be full of these experiences and if we just embrace it and realize that we’re all going to go through a caregiving experience; you learn a lot. With this experience, I look back on all of the difficult moments, and each moment was a lesson for me. And I think the last impression I have of my dad, when he made the decision, was you’ve got to enjoy life and you’ve got to enjoy every moment because you never know when you’re going have to make this decision. So, I don’t think I would ever change anything. Everything was supposed to happen for a reason, so I would definitely not change any moment of that whole experience.
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- Providing support – KaiDuring a week-long training session, Kai and his mother learned to run the dialysis machine overnight.
- Personal growth and transformation – KaiAlthough caregiving is hard, Kai thinks we should embrace the experience and learn from it.
- Interaction with professionals 2 – KaiKai suggests that healthcare professionals get to know their patient and family, especially when visiting their home. Get to know their likes and dislikes, and how they like things to be done.
- Interaction with professionals – KaiIn one of the most difficult moments, Kai and his father met an excellent doctor who was honest and made Kai feel included.
- Impact on professional life and career 2 – KaiKai became involved in a video project to raise awareness for youth caregiving, and helped start a youth support group.
- Impact on professional life and career – KaiKai started working to help out financially, but was so distracted by the situation at home that he was eventually fired.