Youngster the perfect "mum figure"

2:42pm Tuesday 12th August 2008

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SARAH McKean is a full time carer who gave up school to look after her ill parents.

She has been nominated by her sister Kelly, for News Shopper's Our Young Stars awards in the Best Community Servant category.

Sarah, who turns 18 tomorrow (Aug 21), was a pupil at Harris City Academy in Crystal Palace.

Kelly, who lives with her sister and parents in Cornish Grove, Bromley, said: "I've nominated her because she's done so much for my family and has never been acknowledged for it.

"She's had lots of trouble herself, she lost all her friends just to look after her family.

"My dad is not well, he's got dementia and suffers from strokes and my mum has depression."

Sarah has been a carer since she was 11 and gave up school after her GCSEs to concentrate on caring for her family.

She helps pay the bills, does the cooking, gets her father changed and makes sure her parents take their medicine.

Kelly, a pupil at Sydenham Girls School, Dartmouth Road, Sydenham, said: "She does everything that a parent should do."

The 15-year-old added: "She's struggled, she had a lot of friends before all this happened.

"Then all of a sudden her freedom had been taken away from her, just to look after her family."

Kelly attends Streetwise youth club in Anerley Station Road, Anerley.

She thinks there is not enough good news about young people printed in the newspapers.

She said: "All you hear about is young people being stabbed.

"There should be more good things in the papers."

Kelly said of her sister: "She has never been told how much she is appreciated.

"I couldn't wish for someone better to be a mum figure to me."