Carer 'sacrificed health' for son

18 June 2012 Last updated at 01:25 ET

A mother from Northern Ireland who has cared for her severely disabled son for almost 20 years has joined calls for carers to be given more support.

Tracey Sloan has been describing how she put her own health at risk because of the strain of looking after her son Philip who has cerebral palsy.

She postponed a cancer check-up because there was no-one to look after him, but was later diagnosed with the disease.

Her call comes as a survey found carers are sacrificing their own health.

The study, carried out to mark Carers Week, suggested that 40% of people who look after family members or close friends put off their own medical treatment in order to meet the needs of those for whom they care.

For the past 19 years, Ms Sloan's daily routine has been dictated by the demanding medical needs of her son, who suffered a seizure at birth.

Your mental health drags you down. It's hard to keep going all the time.

Three months later Philip was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and was not expected to live beyond the age of three.

However, the teenager has defied the odds and will celebrate his 20th birthday later this summer.

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Carer 'sacrificed health' for son