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It is great to help your family when you can, especially if someone is fighting something serious such as cancer.
What would you do if you were asked to help out with your grandma one day, but then you got sick just before the day, so you didn’t want to expose her to your germs?
That is what happened to the young man in this story, so he suggested that his brothers step in to help, but mom and dad won’t make them. Instead, they are making him feel guilty for not stepping up.
He is doing the right thing here, and it is sad that nobody else seems to care for grandma’s health. Read through the full story below and see what you think.
Quick Explanation: I got asked by my parents if I would be able to help watch my nana (who has lung cancer and is currently going through chemo and is on an oxygen machine) for about 8 hours after her chemo appointment. I got asked this a last week on Friday September 4th.
The last thing Grandma needs is to get sick.
I M19 agreed even though I just had a work accident which left me with a fractured toe because I believed I’d still be able to get her food and water and keep her entertained.
Over the weekend, I ended up catching some form of respiratory sickness, which I still have Friday 11 Sept. On Labour Day I was still sick and told my parents I am unsure if I will be able to help watch my nana.
They said that it would be nice if I could still do it but they will ask around and see if someone else can help.
Honestly, he shouldn’t still be contagious by then, even if he doesn’t feel 100%.
I have two brothers (M21+M23) who live with my parents, my girlfriend (F18), and I. My parents naturally went to them to see if they could help.
They told my parents that they have a DND session planned, and would like to not have to cancel. My parents allowed them to go to DND and then told me that they hope I’m no longer sick by Friday the 11th so I can watch my nana.
I tell them the odds are low as I’ve been feeling like crap but I’ll let them know.
It is surprising that his mother seems so unconcerned about grandma.
I messaged my mother this morning and told her how I am not feeling good and that I’m scared about getting my nana sick right after chemo because that can be deadly for her.
She messages me back saying your brothers aren’t available we need you to do this. I respond with more concerns about getting her sick and how this is about her safety not mine.
The brothers really should step up.
She tells me how she thinks it’ll be fine but if I don’t want to do it then she won’t go to her concert today.
So, then I felt bad and said why don’t you tell my brothers to cancel their dnd game because they don’t even do anything around the house until they’ve been asked to do, so why should they get a free pass on stuff like this and then my mom says I can’t do this right now just forget it.
Even Dad doesn’t want to force the brothers to help.
I end up calling my father and explaining the situation to him, he agrees with me that my brothers don’t do very much on their own terms and that they can cancel 1 week of dnd for their nanas wellbeing.
He then told me that if they don’t agree that my mom will end up staying home from the concert. I said that it’s not right that they get to pick and choose stuff like this when you let them get away with this much.
He definitely did the right thing. And he should tell Grandma about his illness so she can decide.
Then my dad said I know and told me he had to help my nana out of bed so he had to hang-up.
After all of this I feel really conflicted on if I did the right thing or if I did the wrong thing because I feel like I did the right thing for my nanas health, but I’m feeling like I may have ruined my moms concert night.
For some reason, he seems like the only one who is taking Grandma’s health seriously. If he is contagious, he shouldn’t be around her. Either way, his brothers should really step in.
Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about this unfortunate situation.Never Miss a StorySign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.
It seems like mom would still be upset even if this commenter is right.
This commenter says he is right not to go.
He just wants to protect his grandma’s health.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an incoming college student who does not want to share their grandparents’ monetary gift with a medically complex sibling.
It really could kill her.
This commenter says to stay away from her.
It is crazy that they even want him around Grandma, it could kill her.
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Senior Contributing Editor, Workplace & Community
Michael Levanduski is a veteran journalist and digital culture specialist with over 15 years of professional writing and research experience. While his background spans emerging technology and complex technical subjects, Michael specializes in analyzing workplace ethics, property disputes, and viral interpersonal dynamics across modern digital forums.
Since joining TwistedSifter in 2024, Michael has authored some of the publication’s most widely read coverage on corporate policy, malicious compliance, and neighborhood relations. Rather than simply aggregating online debates, he brings rigorous research, organizational context, and an empathetic editorial voice to everyday human dilemmas—transforming raw forum discussions into insightful, highly engaging narratives.
When he isn’t covering internet culture, Michael enjoys traveling, keeping up with tech trends, and spending time with his family. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Categories: Family & Relationships, Life & Drama Tags: · aita, cancer, family, family drama, health, helping out, illness, picture, reddit, siblings, top