Famous Carers

No matter how famous, or smart or creative you might be, your loved ones are the one you love. And you’d do anything for them. There are plenty of examples where despite their amazing careers or profiles, famous people became carers.

While Albert Einstein is well-known for his amazing brain (and wild hair-style), he was also a carer for his wife Elsa. They had been together 17 years and at the age of 60 she became seriously ill. But despite his internationally renowned career he was able to balance his work while being her carer.

Even England’s monarch, Queen Victoria did not sidestep the role of carer. She might have been one of the most famous people in history but she was also carer to her husband, Prince Albert. She loved him deeply so when he developed a chronic illness she balanced her royal duties with her care. She may also have had some help.

Artist Vincent van Gogh’s brother Theo was his carer. And Vincent may not have been able to express his creativity if it weren’t for Theo’s efforts. When the artist wasn’t particularly well-known, his brother supported him with money and encouragement. And when Vincent started to suffer from mental health issues, Theo was his support system and carer.

Even the President of the United States Franklin D Roosevelt’s wife Eleanor became his carer - overnight. He became ill and was quickly paralysed from the waist down. But the First Lady not only cared for him during the worst days of his illness, she went on to become famous in her own right as an influential advocate for social equality and justice.

Poet Emily Dickinson created her own style in an era when poetry rhymed so it was no surprise she took on the role of carer for her mother Emily. This happened in her early 20s as her mother was chronically ill and bed-ridden and continued for some 30 years. Despite the social isolation as she rarely left the house, Emily expressed herself through beautiful poetry.

And C S Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, married later in life to teacher Joy Gresham. They were married in 1956 and remained happy but it wasn’t that long before he became her carer as she died of cancer in 1960.

Source: 

https://www.carersvictoria.org.au/facts/anyone-anytime

https://www.biography.com/people/cs-lewis-9380969 & the film Shadowlands.