Nearly 25 years ago Maria Fairhall sat in her GP's office processing the diagnosis of her husband's chronic health condition.
Maria and her husband had always been 'carers' for each other - together every day, supporting each other through life's roller coaster.
However, the journey from this day saw their roles shift considerably.
Juggling life between part-time work, long commutes and caring for her husband's deteriorating health took a considerable toll on Maria.
Both physically and mentally Maria was burnt out, leading them to make the decision she would take on the role of full-time carer for her husband in 2013.
Along with this decision, Maria and her husband also moved to Crows Nest, a small community outside Toowoomba.
Their new home provided a calmer and tranquil life, however the isolation due to moving away from friends and support continued to challenge Maria's fatigue and depression.
Accessing Government-subsidised services through the Home Care Package program has provided incredible support and relief to Maria and her husband.
"To have my husband still living at home and cared for is all we want. It's so peaceful here and it's where he needs to be," Maria says.
His ever-increasing specialised needs meant Maria was faced with re-evaluating the right provider of care.
"We needed a male carer, and we needed a carer who understood my husband's complex medical needs and could quickly schedule and align the right care," she explains.
A routine visit to the local post office in early 2020 turned out to be a life-changing trip, when Maria bumped into Carinity Home Care Lifestyle Carer David Asher.
Having been a recipient of David's care with a previous provider they switched to Carinity Home Care in July.
"They took all the stress away from me at the worst time in our lives. They've just taken everything that was problematic and sorted it," Maria says.
As their primary carer, David's training and experience has ensured the coordination and consistent delivery of specialised care and support for Maria's husband, including personal care, domestic assistance, social outings, and allied health.
Speaking of Steph Watson, Carinity's local Home Care Coordinator and her team in Toowoomba, Maria said: "they're like family, there's compassion. At a time when things should be getting harder, it's not harder. Everything is being done by Carinity in a way to make life so easy. I have Carinity by my side."
"For the first time in years instead of me being stressed, David and Carinity have taken my stress away. It feels so good."
