What’s it like to grow up with a disabled brother or sister?
Hear more about the experiences of siblings in the video below, which was created in 2021 to celebrate Sibs 20th anniversary
Tag: Impact of Covid
Steven – “I couldn’t wish for a more caring or loving sister”
Whenever I’ve been asked to describe my life being the younger sibling to someone with a disability, I always use the same analogy: It’s like walking into a film that’s halfway through. The reason I use this analogy is because I have only been around following my sister’s illness. My images of life before I … Continued
Josh – “People often don’t realise I am an identical twin”
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
Lisa – “My brother, sister and Mum all have disabilities”
I have an incredibly unique family as both my brother and sister have a degenerative disease of the nervous system. My Mum is in the last stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). So from the get-go I was in a world of disability, experiencing the good, the bad and the down right ugly!!! The advice I … Continued
Spoken word poetry, ‘Risk Assessment: High’ by Shamini Sriskandarajah
Shamini entered Poetry for Good, a national competition that ran in the Spring of 2021. Her piece ‘Risk Assessment: High’ was highly commended in the spoken word category. Many siblings will relate to this powerful and articulate poem, that highlights the unseen work of sibling carers during the pandemic. “I entered this competition because I … Continued
National Siblings Day 2021: Jane
My sister, Mary Kaye, was born with cerebral palsy (CP). She has had a number of other health complications throughout her life which can go a long with CP. I am 70 years old and Mary is 5 years younger than I. Two brothers fill out our family of 4 children. In our family there … Continued
National Siblings Day 2021: Shamini
The day my sister was born, I had no idea this tiny baby would become the most important person in the world to me. Nearly four decades later, we are soul mates. As children, we could be silly together but we were too different to enjoy the same things. That all changed when I took … Continued
Coronavirus: Sarah – “Covid is a very real threat”
Living through the pandemic coronacoaster has been even more challenging for those of us who have been shielding to protect clinically vulnerable siblings. My brother Dan has Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities due to a rare genetic condition called ATRX. Our younger brother Sam who had the same condition passed away suddenly from sepsis … Continued
Coronavirus: Sarah-Jane – “It was stressful supporting my sister through a major operation”
This pic was taken in autumn 2020 when my sister Carol had just had a hip replacement at Hinchingbrooke hospital in Cambridgeshire. It’s not the most glamorous pic but then, it’s not always glamorous being a sibling is it?! Carol has Apert Syndrome which for her means she has some physical and some mild learning … Continued
Coronavirus, 2 years on: Sally – “I am now classed as disabled and have my own blue badge. I feel really guilty to have given my parents another child with a disability”
During covid my whole life changed. I work for the NHS on a critical care unit and am a single parent to a little boy. My dad and mum usually help out with adhoc care. My brother Mark has learning disabilities, and in December 2019 he had to move in with my dad as an … Continued