My brother Lionel, died in January 2020 of acute myeloid leukaemia. Lionel was 70 when he died; for 68 out of his 70 years he had been supported tirelessly by my mother, who died in 2017 aged 94. My sister Liz and I only had to take full responsibility for Lionel’s wellbeing for the brief … Continued
Sibling Truths Important: This is a personal account that may/may not be reflective of other people’s experiences. There are many times when having a sibling with a disability is hard; life-changingly, cripplingly hard. I feel we don’t speak about this enough. Social media is full of posts of parents celebrating their children’s disabilities, sharing moments … Continued
Olly and I were born twenty years ago. We are identical in every way until he was diagnosed with autism, learning difficulties, and ADHD. This has led to us having different life plans from the start: I am destined to care for Olly all my life, while Olly is destined to be cared for. Olly … Continued
Ewen is my big brother and he has consumed my life from the moment I entered this complex world. I never recall questioning why Ewen didn’t talk, nor why we couldn’t attend the family meet-up or neighbour’s birthday party. My pride for my brother has always been in great abundance, not leaving any space for … Continued
The thing about being a sibling to someone with a lifelong disability is that it is very difficult to know how you feel about it. The depth of emotions are never linear and only as an adult have I realised the significance of what this has meant, how it has shaped me, and how it … Continued
It is difficult to talk about the realities of being a sibling without feeling I am doing my parents an injustice for the incredible job they did raising us. Ultimately, however, no amount of love can ease the pain of experiencing just how cruel the world has the potential to be that young. … Continued
I am a twenty-year-old who has a disabled sister who is now twenty-one. They received an autism diagnosis at birth. Growing up with my disabled sister certainly had ups and downs. On reflection, a feeling of volatility stands out: you would never really know how a day would go. Many days were happy such as … Continued
Hear more about the experiences of siblings in the video below, which was created in 2021 to celebrate Sibs 20th anniversary
I’ve been a sibling carer for my non-verbal autistic and epileptic twin brother my entire life. Yet, I only labelled myself a ‘carer’ at the age of 23, just two years ago. I found out I was a carer in the midst of the pandemic, a time where like many, I was riddled with fear … Continued
“About this talk: Having lost one brother to the world of autism and another to a terminal illness, Alicia Maples never knew a normal childhood. Expected to always put on a brave face, Alicia played the role of good girl on the outside. One the inside, however, she was dying. In this heart-wrenching talk, Alicia … Continued