'You grieve for the child you thought you were going to have' Johanne Powell talks about life as a carer
Johanne Powell, the mother of a 32-year-old disabled child Siobhan Powell, appeared on The Late Late Show to talk about the life of a carer.
Mrs Powell explained the difficulties associated with bringing up a child with disabilities and the dashed dreams you must grieve for the child “you thought you were going to have.”
Johanne, and her husband Alan, who are now in their 60's, appeared in an Irish Times feature last week discussing the exhaustion, depression and boredom they have experienced as full time carers for their daughter Siobhan who suffers from a rare genetic condition of ring chromosome 8.
Siobhan was born with a unusually small head and cannot walk or eat solid foods. She is also nonverbal and doubly incontinent.
Speaking on The Late Late, Johanne said: “People are afraid to say in public, the things that I am saying now, that I am bored, depressed, I want more, I want a life for myself.
“They are afraid to be judged and I can understand that.”
Johanne told Ryan Tubridy: “When you are pregnant, you have all these unrealistic notions for the child you are going to have... and I got a child that will never do anything, I will never have grandchildren ever. I come from a big family, I would love to have more children, we couldn't have anymore, it just didn't happen.
“I would love to have plenty of grandchildren to spoil and do things for and you grieve also for the child you thought you were going to have.”
Watch the full interview here.
