Sandwich Generation Caregiver Finds Release in Running
Lori Lebson, 41, is like many unpaid caregivers – stuck in the sandwich generation, raising two children while also caring for a loved one, in Lori’s case her mother, who was suffering from multiple sclerosis. In fact, Lori, who lives in Boston, started her caregiving journey right at the time she began attending college, continuing for 18 years until her mother’s passing in 2018. This journey inspired Lori to get her PhD in Neuroimmunology, and has since dedicated her career to helping others struggling with MS.
For caregivers like Lori, who were taking care of children on one side of the spectrum and her ailing mother on the other, the one person she couldn’t take good care of was herself. But Lori found some relief in running.
“Running has always been my therapy,” she says. “I do it to clear my mind and get away from all the noise. It’s a time to focus on myself so I can show up for my family.”
Unpaid caregivers have one of the toughest jobs, juggling the heavy load of caring for a loved one, often at the expense of taking care of themselves.
According to the Carer Well-Being Index, a survey of more than 9,000 global caregivers finds that 89 percent of caregivers said they put the needs of their loved one over their own.
Through Embracing Carers, a global initiative designed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of caregivers across the world, caregivers can connect to support and advocacy resources, expert advice and tangible solutions – year-round.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David cates
