'Young carers are often forgotten about'

Éireann cares for her dad, who has arthritis and lost his hip after a workplace accident.

The 16-year-old lives in Edentober near the Irish border in County Louth and goes to school in Northern Ireland.

She is one of thousands of young carers throughout the UK and Ireland who help look after their loved ones.

A recent survey by Carers NI found a quarter of respondents described their mental health as bad or very bad.

Éireann said: "This is a topic many young people are scared to talk about, but you should be proud to look after someone, not ashamed."

She shared her story as part of the BBC Young Reporter Competition 2022.

BBC Young Reporter works with schools, colleges and youth groups across the UK to provide 11 to 18-year-olds the opportunity to tell their stories to a real audience, develop media skills and find out about careers in the broadcasting industry.

You can find stories by other young people on the BBC Young Reporter website.

Video journalist: Niall McCracken