FEYLYN MERCEDIES LEWIS, PHD

Feylyn grew up as a youth caregiver for her disabled mother. In 2013, she moved to the United Kingdom to obtain her PhD in Social Work, studying young adult caregivers in the US and UK. In her talk, When Children are Society’s Safety Net, she shares with us the journey that sparked her passion, research, and support of youth caregivers. Dr. Feylyn Lewis grew up as a youth caregiver for her disabled mother. In 2013, she moved to the United Kingdom to obtain her Ph.D. in Social Work, studying young adult caregivers in the US and UK. Currently, Dr. Lewis is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, while also continuing to practice as an independent researcher and consultant. She is a Caregiving.com Champion, representing caregivers in the Nashville area. Dr. Lewis served as the Hunt Research Director at the National Alliance for Caregiving during spring 2021. Dr. Lewis completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Sussex, where she co-led the United Kingdom research activities of a European Commission-funded research project to investigate the mental health well-being of adolescent young caregivers in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Prior to her research career, she was a nationally certified mental health counselor. She presently sits on the Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research Advisory Panel of PCORI, the board of trustees for the Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove (UK), the National Advisory Council for the American Association of Caregiving Youth (US), and numerous other committees. She resides in Nashville where she continues to provide care for her mother. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The 2022 KCK Youth Caregiver Awareness Drive has ended and this Sunday during my LIVE Podcast, I will be announcing the awardee of the KCK Youth Caregiver Award. Set your reminder NOW and turn on your post notifications because this will be one to remember! I'm also excited and honored to have Youth Caregiver Researcher, Speaker, Writer, Advocate, Dr. Feylyn Lewis, of Nashville, TN joining me as my special guest. I am sooooo excited about this celebration and can't wait to see the smiles on these faces. See you Sunday! #KCKYouthCaringDrive #YouthCareTooMovement #KaylinsCaringKonnectionInc #KaylinCares #KaylinInspires #PowerTeen

Session 8 of the Children and Work Research Series with Dr. Feylyn Lewis (Vanderbilt University School of Nursing). For more information on the session and the series, see: https://www.childrenandwork.net/research-series

Dr. Lewis conducts international research with children and young adults who provide care for sick or disabled family members and friends. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, she has cared for her disabled mother since she was 11 years old. This experience led her to research lives of young caregivers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. While continuing to build impact through research, Dr. Lewis remains committed to raising the profile of young caregivers through blog writing, podcasts, and speaking engagements around the world.

Why is it important for young carers to be identified?

Why does this population of children need dedicated commitment from researchers, policy-makers, and professionals?

Feylyn Lewis, PhD student from the University of Birmingham, talks about Identity and young adult carers