YOUNG carer Saskia Meijer is not like most 15-year-olds.

When the teenager was just seven-year-old her mother Marieke was left with spinal damage, following a fall.

Although she enjoys spending time with her friends, this has now become a rarity.

Sharing care responsibly with her brother and mother’s partner, Saskia has taken on the day-to-day chores around the house including cooking, cleaning and laundry.

She also monitors her mother’s medication, ensuring that she is not in pain.

Saskia, a year 11 pupil at Swanmore College, said: “It’s a big responsibility being a carer, it can be stressful and hard to manage to spend time with my friends.

“We have to rely on each other.

“I have to support and look after her but she is also my best friend, she knows me so well.”

The teenager is currently studying for her GCSEs and dreams of one day becoming a journalist.

“Recently it worries me that mum’s condition is getting worse.

“I have always wanted to go to university in the Netherlands but now I don’t know if I will be able to go.”

Saskia’s mother currently walks with the aid of a stick, but as her condition continues to deteriorate she may be forced to use a mobility scooter.

“Some weeks are really bad, I look forward to having a break and being around other young carers,” said Saskia.

Comic Relief has been funding projects supporting young carers since 2009 and since then they have helped more than 5,000 young carers in the UK access support networks to improve their emotional well-being.

“Comic Relief fund a lot of young carers.

“We go to Thorpe Park in the summer and on day trips. It just gives us an opportunity to be a child and have fun.”

Saskia has now been vlogging alongside four other young carers about their experiences.

To watch these videos visit: youtube.com/user/rednoseday