Evie Richards – Exceptional Young Carer, shortlisted nominee

Evie is the rock of her family. Her brother Brody is 6 years old, is non-verbal and was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. It was a struggle for Evie to understand at first, but with the guidance of her parents and her researching ways to help, she has been a fantastic help with his development.

Evie will spend hours of her time with Brody, teaching him different ways to communicate and has successfully taught him how to count from 10 backwards and some words. She will often give up spending time with her friends to spend time with her brother.

She has spent time educating her friends on her brothers needs and she understands that helping to occupy Brody will give her parents a short break, which she is more than happy to do whenever they need.

Brody's face lights up whenever he is with his sister and her parents are certain that the time Evie has dedicated to teaching her brother has had a huge impact on his development.