A Dundee woman has praised her mum who for years has put aside her own pain to care for her family who suffer from a range of medical issues.
“For the 22 years I’ve been on this earth my mum has always been the most caring and genuine person in the world. She’s looked after her own and others all to help other people,” Heather Dowdles’s daughter Brooke, 21, said.
Heather was last year diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body and Brooke said her mum suffered from a lot of pain and dizzy turns.
“I’m the oldest of my siblings as I only have a younger brother but my mum has taken on my older cousin as her own as well as her kids.
“She’s a carer for my brother who suffers severe ADHD and he is being tested for ASD (autism spectrum disorder). My dad has disc deterioration and nerve problems. My cousin is bipolar and has an ADHD nine-year-old and a six-week-old baby.
Brooke said Heather called herself an “unofficial nana” to the family, from Ardler, but Brooke described her as Wonder Woman.
“Even through her health conditions she is the heart of my family and I couldn’t have asked for a better and more understanding mum.
“My mum is someone I could not live without and my family would struggle if she wasn’t around.
“She’s an amazing woman and to me, my brother Euan, my dad Craig, my cousin Shauni and her kids, my mum means the absolute world.
“I’d really like for people to know that no matter what no one should ever take their mums for granted.
“My mum is doing all she can to help us all and be our rock.”