The Sholls are a boisterous family – with four boys, the eldest being Ezra at 12, picture comfortable cacophony, with bikes and balls, soccer practice, and schoolwork done around the kitchen table.

And over the course of a weekend, everything changed.

Ezra started to feel poorly, and after being taken to hospital he received a life-altering diagnosis. He spent the next six months in intensive care, and his mum, Natasha, found herself transitioning from lawyer and writer to full-time carer for her pre-teen.

After 360 days in hospital, Ezra was discharged and returned home. Still bubbly, still super independent, still social, albeit requiring 24/7 care.

The way he has navigated the last two years has been remarkable, especially for someone so young. And the way Natasha has stepped into such a challenging new role is inspiring.

“All it takes is one look and I can tell if he is uncomfortable or overwhelmed or struggling with pain, and I know what’s required to help him in that moment,” says Natasha. “But the work that unpaid carers do falls well outside the gambit of what it means to be a good mother or father or brother or sister or child.”

“The work involved is multidisciplinary, crossing over into the categories of nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, dietetics, speech pathology, just to name a few.”

“The level of responsibility is high, with unpaid carers often needing to be trained in advanced life support, tracheostomy care, tube feeds, PEG feeds, administration of medicine, wound care, preventative care, the list goes on.”

Natasha and Ezra were invited to appear on ABC’s News Breakfast to celebrate National Carers Week, and we couldn’t ask for better advocates.

“It is a privilege to be the primary caregiver for our son,” says Natasha. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. But the reality is, we actually couldn’t have it any other way. This is what’s required of us. And we can’t do it alone.”

Thank you, Natasha <3

Watch Natasha and Ezra on ABC News Breakfast where they share their story and talk about the importance of National Carers Week.