Nicholas Goberdhan

Nicholas Goberdhan is a PhD candidate in Communications Studies at Concordia University. His research looks at young caregivers and the intersection of caring, culture, and identity. The work comes from somewhere very personal. 

He grew up as an only child in a low- to middle-income household, living with both parents. His mother lives with mental health-related challenges, and while his father worked to maintain financial stability, Nick took on a different kind of role within the home. Not one defined by physical care, but by awareness, anticipation, and emotional responsibility.

From a young age, he learned to read his mother’s distress and changes in her well-being, to notice when something was shifting, and to intervene early when things felt unstable. What he now understands as caregiving did not feel like a defined role at the time, it was just something he did.

“I realized that there were certain caregiving things I would do that weren’t physical. I did a lot of sitting nearby, being very aware of what was happening, and understanding that in certain situations where there was emotional distress. I would be present and I learned how to diffuse situations.”

This form of caregiving was constant, but largely invisible. There was no formal support, no guidance, and no shared understanding of what he was experiencing. Much of his childhood was shaped by uncertainty and   the need to stay alert to changes at home.

“I would listen for tones in her voice that sounded distressed. I had this kind of hyper-awareness – a sense of when something wasn’t quite right. At the time, I didn’t think of it as care work. But it was.”

Cultural context also played a significant role in shaping his experience. As part of an Indo-Caribbean family, mental health was not openly discussed. That meant that many struggles remained private. Even when things became difficult, reaching out didn’t feel like an option. When support did come, it was usually at a breaking point involving emergency rooms or hospital visits when things had already escalated.

“The only time support was present was when things turned into a crisis. It would be about mitigating situations without police getting involved and doing more harm than good.”

Today, Nicholas continues to live with his parents, who are now separated but share a home. His caregiving role has evolved over time, shaped by experience and a greater degree of stability, particularly financially.

That stability has shifted his role. It’s less about reacting now, and more about maintaining those conditions. The awareness he developed early on is still there. It doesn’t really go away.

“There’s always that uncertainty… like, could this be the day things escalate? Even when things are stable, that question is always in the back of my mind.”

That experience eventually led him to his research. He is also part of the Young Caregiver Council of Canada, an organization he connected with in his mid-20s that brings together and supports youth with diverse care experiences. The organization focuses on advocacy for change, support, and the value of young carer stories.”

Looking back, he doesn’t point to one missing service or one moment that could have changed things. It’s something broader than that. The gap, for him, is everything that happens before and after a crisis. A system that reacts, does not anticipate, and leaves caregivers to navigate uncertainty on their own.

So, young caregivers manage as best they can – on their own, quietly, consistently, and often without being seen.