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Caring for a sick loved one often has a profound impact on people's lives, personally and emotionally, of course, but also an impact on working lives, on careers.

That can be just as great.

It's estimated there are almost six million carers in the UK, almost half of them

have been forced to give up work. And that is a choice made by people the world over. Famously,

Celine Dion, best known of course for My Heart Will Go On, the Oscar-winning ballad from the Titanic

film soundtrack. Well, Celine Dion put her career on hold

indefinitely in 2014 as her husband battled cancer. The French-Canadian singer was herself

suffering from an undisclosed illness too. Now, I imagine that for Celine, the financial toll of a career break of that kind,

might not have been as unmanageable as it is for most people.

It's a decision she could afford to make.

But then again for many carers, finances don't come into it.

The comfort of a loved one trumps all else,

and it doesn't always have to mean the end of a career.

I'm Evan Davis, and in this episode of the decisions that made me, the series of interviews

from the team behind the bottom line, I'm going to hear about one career trajectory that changed

dramatically because of caring responsibilities.

My guest today is Chris May.

He is the founder of Maiden.

Now, it's based in Bath.

It makes software systems for the National Health Service.

But we will look at Chris's career more generally.

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