Help doesn’t always wait for the “right” time. For Jessica Guthrie, the need for hers came early, uninvited, and was life-altering. An only child with a single mother, thousands of miles away, and newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s presented Jessica with an unexpected career pivot. 

Bright, driven, and a rising star in the education system, Jessica was only 26 when she became her mom’s full-time caregiver. Eleven years later she shares the details of a schooling no syllabus could cover: one about family, race, work, resilience, and finding joy even when it feels impossibly distant.

🎵 Ed Sheeran has already planned Eject—his posthumous album—and included it in his will. He’s asked his wife Cherry Seaborn to pick the 10 tracks from his work since age 18.

📝 Marilyn Hagerty, the 99-year-old journalist whose Olive Garden review went viral in 2012, has passed away. 

🪢 One in four U.S. adults are now part of the sandwich generation, supporting kids and aging parents. That’s nearly 25% of the workforce.

🎬 Known for his work in Butch Cassidy, among countless other films, actor, artist, and conversationalist Robert Redford passed away at home in Utah this past week.

Jessica Guthrie was in her mid-20’s when she became her mother’s caregiver. At an age when most people are building careers, swapping apartments, or planning the next trip, Jessica was scheduling neurology appointments, managing medications, and caring for her single mother, who had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Being an only child meant there were no siblings to tag in. “It was just me,” Jessica says. That reality shaped every decision, including whether to stay in Texas where she worked as an educator or relocate to be closer to her mom. Eventually, she moved. Despite it being an easy decision for Jessica, the logistics were grueling and the emotional weight of stepping into the role of caregiver so young was heavier still.

Caregiving wasn’t in Jessica’s five-year plan, but neither is it rare. Nearly one in four caregivers today is a millennial, juggling careers, relationships, and young families alongside the unexpected reality of caring for a parent. For Jessica, that meant exiting her career path to step fully into caregiving.

She describes it as a crash course in adulthood most of her peers couldn’t fathom. “I was watching my friends build their lives,” she says. “Meanwhile, I was helping my mom navigate losing hers.”

Jessica is candid about the added challenges of being a Black woman in the caregiving space. “Families like mine are often navigating care without the same access to resources or support,” she explains. And while caregiving is universal, she’s quick to note that systems—from healthcare to workplace culture—don’t serve everyone equally. Representation matters, not just in who tells the stories, but in who designs the policies, programs, and benefits that caregivers rely on.

While Jessica shares that her former boss and colleagues were incredibly supportive, she recognizes that’s not always the case. “There are caregivers in every office who are afraid to say they’re caregivers,” she says. Not because they’re ashamed, but because they fear being judged or sidelined. For her, the biggest lever of change isn’t more employee handbooks or benefit packages, it’s managers. “A manager can make or break someone’s caregiving experience,” she says. “Check in with your people as humans, not just employees.”

Despite the losses—time, career, identity—as she once knew it, Jessica hasn’t lost sight of joy. “It’s a daily choice to see the glimmers,” she says. That might mean a smile from her mom, a moment of connection, or simply the solidarity of knowing she’s not alone.

And she’s not. Millions of caregivers worldwide are walking versions of her story. Jessica’s hope is that as more voices speak out, caregiving will move from an invisible burden to a cultural priority. “Our experiences overlap more than we realize,” she says. “And because there are so many of us, the tide has to turn.”

Jessica’s mission now is to equip and empower family caregivers, especially those feeling overwhelmed, unseen, and under-supported. Not by sugarcoating the experience, but by telling the truth: caregiving is isolating, demanding, and exhausting. And yet, there’s still humanity and happiness to be found, if you know where to look. Follow Jessica as she continues to raise awareness and spread joy. 

👉 Caring for a parent living with Alzheimer’s? Alzheimer’s Association has support programs and a 24/7 helpline.

Helpful care-focused finds we’ve identified and researched so you don’t have to. 

The Millennial Caregiver is a been-there-done-that-let-me-help guide for younger adults juggling major life milestones, like Jessica. 

Covering career, relationships, parenthood, and caregiving, Rachael Piltch‑Loeb draws from her own experience caring for her father with early‑onset Alzheimer’s. Rachel cleverly weaves together research, emotional insight, and down‑to‑earth tools for: