Kelle Salle (2024) ‘I was just 7 years old when I saw my brother laughed at for his disability’ Emma Dooney (2023) ‘My brother is the reason I don’t want kids even though he’s my favourite human’ Courtney H. Van Houtven (2022) ‘Standing up for my sister’ Please note: This article discusses death and bereavement … Continued
On your radio Solihull – The South Asian Hour (2023) Adult sibling Monica talks about her experiences of being a carer Autism: In conversation with auticon (2022) Episode 9: Being a Sibling of an Autistic Person Tough topics in LD (2022) S2, Episode 2: Thriving in times of challenge with Charlotte Flynn Shapes of Grief, … Continued
An Irish Goodbye (2022) “On a farm in rural Northern Ireland, estranged brothers Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (James Martin) are forced to reunite following the untimely death of their mother (Michelle Fairley). But when the pair discover an unfulfilled bucket list belonging to their late mum, their pained reunion takes an altogether different course.” … Continued
I met my partner Isobel at work almost ten years ago. Neither of us were open about our sexualities at this point. We were good friends for around a year before getting together. I told Isobel about my sibling situation very early on as having a partner who accepted my family and all that it … Continued
My sibling situation that brings me here to Sibs is that my youngest sister has Down’s Syndrome. Like most of us it’s not that simple. There are many other facets to my identity associated with my family. My sibling to sibling relationship is probably the most simplest part of it. The most complex is my … Continued
My partner and I met through a dating app in my early 30s. We did our own thing after the first couple of dates, then came back together the next year. We lived apart in different cities in the UK for the first 2.5 years. We took our time in building a relationship. Our lives … Continued
By my mid 20s I had begun to realise that any boyfriend I brought home had to pass the fairly rigorous test of being able to love my family as well as me. It was a big ask, with two elder brothers who have learning disabilities due to Fragile X syndrome. My family seemed full … Continued
An extract from “The Sibling” by Jools Abrams (currently out on submission) Epilogue: Blackpool It is the first day of October, two days shy of my brother’s fifty second birthday, when we find ourselves on holiday again, the first without our parents, and the first time we are sharing a room since childhood. We are … Continued
I met my partner at my local library where we were both volunteering over the summer. Three months previously, I had split with my ex-girlfriend and quit a teaching job that was impacting my mental health – I was definitely not looking for a relationship! He struck me instantly as a kind, genuine person and … Continued