 Being a young carer means loving 
 someone unconditionally 
 and wanting to truly help them, 
 no matter what the problem is, 
 and it means putting others first 
 before yourself. 
 I think being a young carer is 
 having the constant worry of 
 not knowing what's going to happen 
 today or tomorrow. 
 It's dealing with a parent's 
 emotional behaviour, 
 so it kind of feels like the roles 
 are sort of reversed, in a way. 
 I think I became aware that my mum 
 had bipolar when I was about 14, 15.
 I know she can't control it, but 
 I think if I just work around her 
 and help her in any way that I 
 can, then she appreciates it. 
 To begin with, I was in sixth form 
 and I was doing A-levels, 
 but the stress of home life really 
 started to impact me 
 with my schoolwork, so I felt 
 it'd be better if I dropped out, 
 started working and then come back 
 to school later. 
 I've had to mature really fast 
 and I don't mind it. 
 I just wonder what I'd be like if my
 life was the same as my friends'. 
 Most of my friends live quite a 
 lavish lifestyle. 
 I'm not saying they're rich 
 or anything, 
 but they don't have to worry 
 about money issues, 
 whereas I have the constant worry 
 of paying bills. 
 When I first heard of cosplay, 
 I was 11 
 cos in year six you have 
 something called World Book Day, 
 and at World Book Day, you dress up 
 as characters from books and, 
 at the time, I was very into manga. 
 My brother used to pick me up from 
 school occasionally and he said, 
 "Oh, you're like a 
 little cosplayer." 
 And that's when I started proper 
 looking into cosplay, 
 and I attended my first 
 Comic-Con when I was 13. 
 To begin with, I didn't think I'd be
 able to financially afford to 
 make my own costume, 
 so what I'd do is, 
 I'd go to charity shops or the 
 market and they would usually have 
 £1 pieces of foam or people 
 would leave behind tops 
 that I could alter. 
 I feel like people treat me 
 differently in cosplay 
 because, even when they know me, 
 they kind of forget how old I am. 
 I appreciate not being 
 treated like a kid 
 when I've got this mature 
 aspect to myself. 
 I maybe choose younger characters 
 because I had to mature so fast, 
 and because I never had that 
 younger girl kind of mind-set. 
 Cosplay gives me an escape from 
 the expectations put onto me. 
 I feel as if, for a minute, 
 I don't need to worry 
 about paying bills, 
 I don't need to worry about my mum, 
 I don't need to worry about 
 any of these other things 
 that a 17-year-old 
 shouldn't be worrying about. 
 When I start putting the contacts in
 and putting the eyeliner on, 
 I'm, like, "Yes!" 
 It gives me that 
 little spark of excitement. 
 You just feel so happy because 
 that work in progress, 
 all that's leading up to that 
 one day at that convention, 
 and because you're 
 surrounded by people that 
 like you for who you are 
 and like your costume, 
 so that's all that matters. 
 I cosplay as Roadhog from Overwatch.
 Roadhog is a bodyguard and he 
 cares for other people, 
 which makes me relate to him 
 because I care for my mum, 
 so I'm sort of like 
 my mum's bodyguard. 
 When I'm in costume, I just feel 
 like, with the character, 
 you can take on their persona, 
 and when people see you, 
 they'll be, like, 
 "Oh, you're so-and-so!" 
 You feel the urge to be that 
 persona for someone else. 
 Cosplay's changed my life for the 
 better because it's given me 
 a chance to rediscover my 
 childhood that I never had, 
 so I'm very grateful for it. 
