Shropshire 10-year-old celebrated for her incredible work on Young Carer's Day 2022

Maria Shah, who lives with her family in Whitchurch, has been a young carer for her twin-sister Shaira Shah since she was young and became a registered carer just before Covid-19 began.

Shaira was diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) about one month after her birth and has relied on support from her sister and family from a young age.

PWS is a complex genetic disorder that causes low muscle tone with consequent motor development delays and mild to moderate learning difficulties.

One common feature of PWS, is that it can cause an overwhelming chronic appetite which in some cases can lead to food seeking and stealing– although Shaira isn't currently experiencing this.

Marina Shah, Maria's mother, said: "I am extremely proud of Maria, she's a lovely little girl and at school they say how caring she is of other children."

Marina said that The Young Carers Service offers Maria the opportunity to get involved with activities that, as a family, they cannot do.

"The Young Carers service is absolutely fantastic and Maria mixes with children in similar situations. She goes swimming, and does Jiu Jitsu.

"Maria has struggled a lot with confidence but there she can meet young carers and it gives her that confidence and independence."

Maria has a lot of different hobbies and has completed all of her Beavers badges, now working towards obtaining all of her Scouts badges.

The pair have a close relationship as twin-sisters and sometimes Maria will read a story to Shaira or go out with her for a ride in the car.

On a day-to-day, Maria delivers 'personal care' to her sister including helping her get dressed, clean her teeth, go to the toilet, shower and making her food.

She also supports her family with the housework by doing the dishes, cleaning, tidying up and making tea and coffee.

Marina, who is a mother-of-four, gave up work due to her caring responsibilities and has a few health issues herself– potentially suffering from Long Covid.

"I resigned myself that I couldn't go back to work because there's always someone who needs to meet Shaira off the bus", she said.

However, with Maria's help around the house, Marina said that she can have a break from her caring responsibilities, noting "any help around the house is just amazing".

Maria plays an important role in her family and stepped up when her mum was bedbound for 4 weeks due to issues with her spine.

Crossroads Together is a charity which supports young carers of all ages and has bases in Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Warrington, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

For young carers like Maria, the team organise trips and activities such as horse-riding, bushcraft, fishing, which she would not ordinarily be able to do because of her caring responsibilities.

The Young Carers Service is commissioned by Shropshire Council and takes part in Young Carers Action Day which is celebrated nationwide on March 16.

The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the struggles and importance of young carers across the country, with the theme this year’s event being Taking Action on Isolation.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "Isolation has a big impact on young carers. Young carers often miss social opportunities or find it hard to integrate into peer groups in school.

"In the lead up to Young Carers Action Day, we asked the young carers we support to tell us what they do to help with feelings of isolation when at home.

"Many listen to music or YouTube videos, FaceTime their friends, walk their dog, generally things that involve listening to or seeing other people."

Crossroads Together offers a free support service to young carers across the county and they work with schools and families to ensure young carers are identified and offered support.

To find out more visit crossroadstogether.org.uk.