My youngest brother Reuben, who has Down’s Syndrome, suffered a breakdown 4 years ago. It was a form of regression that locked him into himself. After two years of moving between my parents and partner´s homes, as we were trying to get him better, he moved into a care home in Dorset, UK. Then the … Continued
Written by Louise Walters, adult sibling to brother who has autism We are going to the farm today and we are going to have a picnic. You watch me write the words on your white board. You jump up and start pacing the minute I put down the pen. You are ready to leave now. … Continued
I have a very close relationship with my brother Kev who has Down’s syndrome as there’s only a three-year age gap between us. He’s always been very protective of me and worries even if I just have a sniffle or a slight cough. In the past three years, I’ve actually had two surgeries for separate … Continued
“Being a sibling has taught me so much. It has taught me to be resilient, to never judge a book by it’s cover and most importantly it has taught me about unconditional love” – Chloe Newton Check out Chloe’s article in iNews: “What growing up as a ‘glass child’ with a severely disabled sister taught me … Continued
Above: In this video, Charlotte Flynn shares what she has learnt from her sister who has learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues. My sister has taught me to… Be compassionate There are people who interact with my sister in exactly the way that she deserves. These people brighten her day and make her feel … Continued
Above: Joan and her sister, Irene Sibling Joan Corrigan shares her experiences in this powerful two-part blog ‘Accountability’. We know that many siblings will relate to Joan, when she says: “The powerlessness I feel is the worst, but not for me, for my sister. I feel this strong compulsion to protect her, given my skills … Continued
Around eighteen months ago, our family were informed that my brother D’s appointee, the manager of the project where he lives within a supported living community, was retiring. We were asked whether we as a family would like to take over the appointeeship, or whether we wanted his local council to step in. We had … Continued
Conversations with Carers explores the lived experience of paid and unpaid carers through a series of podcasts and articles, which have also inspired 5 short dance films performed by disabled and non-disabled artists, some of who are also carers. Conversations with Carers is created by Rashmi Becker, MBE, Founder of Step Change Studios, and supported … Continued
A well-meaning HR Manager once told me that she understood the difficulties I was having juggling issues with my brother’s care and a full-time job because she was a working parent and she too had the juggle childcare and work. I responded (perhaps slightly unfairly on reflection) by pointing out that as a parent she’d … Continued
I was 6 years old and my sister, Sophie, was nearly 5 years old, when Kathryn was born. Kathryn was a really easy baby, but when it came to her two year check – things weren’t quite right. Physically she was fine, but she wasn’t meeting milestones mentally and didn’t have any language. That has … Continued