Iona Shanks

Iona Shanks is a young carer who writes on behalf of The Carers TrustShe is 19 years old and lives with her mum and younger sister in Scotland. Iona cares for her mum who has end stage renal failure and receives dialysis three times a week. In addition to undertaking most of the household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, laundry etc, one of Iona’s main caring roles is to help look after her 11 year old sister, through practical and emotional support.
Iona has been the main carer for her mum since she was in primary school and as a result missed a substantial amount of school time. Her ambition is to be a journalist.