‘I Ended Up In Hospital’: Mum Reveals The Devastating Toll Of Caring For Her Autistic Son - 18/08/2026

For any parent, the fear of something happening to your child is overwhelming. But for Dervla Burke O’Connor, that fear is part of everyday life.Her nine-year-old son Paul is nonverbal, has an intellectual disability and needs round-the-clock care. Every day brings its own challenges — from helping him with the simplest tasks to dealing with meltdowns, the risk of injury and the constant worry that he could come to harm.Dervla says caring for Paul is something she and her family do with enormous love, but the physical and emotional toll has been immense. She says the stress and anxiety became so overwhelming that she ended up in hospital herself.She says families like hers can feel isolated and exhausted, while also carrying a deep fear about what the future holds for their children.Dervla Burke O’Connor joined us on The Agenda this morning to share her story — of loving her son deeply, while trying to cope with the extraordinary demands of caring for him every single day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.