Life after being a long-term carer

Update 24/11: my sister found a wad of cash that when halved was a little more than my fundraiser target. I have disabled donations but will keep this fundraiser visible for a few more days in case others have bookmarked. Thank you for reading and your kindness ❤️

----------

As some of you may know I've been a carer for my parents since 2017. First it was to assist Mum with looking after Dad, then Mum passed unexpectedly in 2019 after a short cancer battle. I then became Dad's sole carer until his passing on November 17. His passing was expected but we hoped to enjoy one final Christmas. I found his body unresponsive at 9am. Soon after finding myself alone and dealing with police, ambulance, and detectives. That afternoon dealing with undertakers who almost dropped him (Dad would've found that pretty funny!)

There are funds available to take care of his cremation and memorial but everything else like bank accounts, Superannuation is all tied up. My Centrelink carer's payment will cease shortly.

For the first time ever I'm living alone. My sister is a nurse and lives in Bendigo but currently doing contract work in South Australia and Tasmania. I'm a quiet person and have few friends, my extended family all live north of the city. I have a support network but the closest in my life live some distance. I've been with my partner Leah for about six months - what an introduction to the family!

Anything raised will go towards essentials. I intend to keep studying and find some casual work early next year. Having built and lived here all his married life (54 years), Dad has accumulated a lot of crap so I'm intending to spend the next month or two decluttering and selling stuff. Losing Mum was incredibly traumatic and resulted in my treatment for PTSD, now "seeing" Dad has brought back unwanted memories...even with a Mental Health Plan there are still out-of-pocket expenses I didn't count on following Dad's death...even skip bin hire. Once things have settled and I'm feeling better about myself and the world I'll also rescue a dog! Living alone I'll need that companionship and something to cuddle when I'm needing it!

I didn't want to be one of those people who needs a bit of help, but here I am. GoFundMe suggested a target but there's no way...even enough to cover meal delivery (like a YouFoodz, HelloFresh) for a fortnight would be amazing, that way I can focus on other tasks. Anything above and beyond will contribute towards getting my life back on track (e.g. assistance with resume etc.)

Thank you,

Brett Young