Meet: Siblings
Do you have a brother or sister? Do you always get along? Does your brother or sister embarrass you? Well, we all feel that way about our siblings sometimes. It's a normal feeling. No one gets along all the time. Still, we love our siblings. Here are some stories from brothers and sisters of kids with disabilities and special needs. If you would like to submit your story or point of view about siblings, click here.
Jerry
Jerry is Eric's brother. If you haven't already, you can meet Eric by clicking here. Here is an essay Jerry wrote about having a brother with Down syndrome.
It is very cool to be a big brother of somebody who has Down syndrome. Even though he can't do some things, he can still do a lot. We sometimes will go outside and swing together. He cheers for me when I play sports. He cannot talk that well, but I teach him to say different words. My mom always tells me to be careful with his neck. I am always careful. I carry him up the stairs on my back. I sometimes will chase him and play tag. I have a scooter and I let my brother ride with me. As you can see, it is great to have a brother with Down syndrome.
Hannah's Story
Hi, I have a brother with Cerebral Palsy. He is 17
years old and his name is Matthew. There are many different effects of
Cerebral palsy. Matthew can not walk, see, or talk he can think, but we don’t
know how much he knows.
Every morning when I come downstairs he is eating
breakfast. He won’t take a bite till I say something because he wants to
know who it is. When we talk he knows who we are just from hearing our
voice. Matthew has many friends like Kelsey, Katie, Adam, Michael, and Kevin.
Other people have Cerebral Palsy have graduated from collage, so it affects
people differently. I guess my life is different from others, but I don’t
mind I love my brother.
Katie Suwala
My name is Katie Suwala and I am 14 years old. My brother, Jason, who is 18, was born with a chromosomal abnormality which left him blind, deaf, short, and mentally retarded. Jason almost died a few times because he became dehydrated. Even though I was only four years old, I was really scared and worried.
Jason is totally dependent on someone to take care of all his needs. Someone has to watch him all the time so he doesn't get hurt when he is on the floor or in his walker. He has some cool equipment such as a swing in his room, a mobile stander, and a scooter so he can move around the floor and bang up the walls!
It's fun to listen to the different sounds Jason makes - he learns new sounds everyday. Jason is also learning to sit longer and to roll on the floor more. It's good to have Jason around, because in a lot of ways, it is like having a little baby brother to take care of.
Even our dog, Penny, loves Jason. When Jason's on the potty or on the floor, Penny lays right beside him. Sometimes Jason will pet her.
I like to visit Jason's school because they treat my bother like he's a part of the family. It doesn't even seem like a school because he has so much fun and they keep him busy.
I also like it when Jason comes to my basketball games. When I get frustrated during the game, all I do is look over at his happy face and I feel better.
Katie Suwala, age 14
Views From Our Shoes
Allison Hansen
Hi! My name is Allison Hansen. My older brother had a heart transplant in 1994. When I was told he needed a transplant, I didn't know what to feel. I had mixed emotions. My brother was in the hospital for 53 days. I almost never saw my parents except for in the morning, and sometimes at night before I went to bed. This year, by brother and I go to the same school. I don't think my life is any different from other kids my age, because I'm not the one who had the heart transplant. But some kids tease me about my brother. I also don't like it when they always ask "how is your brother?" and never ask about how I am.
One good thing about having a brother with special needs is that I get to learn about the body and the hospital. I also get included in some of the parties my brother goes to, and I get to celebrate that my brother is alive. The bad thing is all the attention he gets. Sometimes I feel left out. People think of me as "Jacob's Sister," and sometimes I don't feel like I get enough attention from my family.
I am 18 months younger than my brother. I think that if he was younger than me, I would understand everything better. I feel like my brother really grew more mature after his transplant, and I know he went through a lot. I've been to a Sibshop before and it really made me feel SPECIAL.
I think brothers and sisters need to be noticed more. We are special too. My advice to others like me is that you always need to remember that your parents love you, no matter how left out you feel. Your special needs sibling needs the special attention at that time. If you need to spend more time with your parents, tell them. I strongly encourage you to attend a Sibshop because they really make you feel important. Also, don't be angry at your brother or sister just because they need extra attention. Be happy that they are still living.
~Allison Hansen, age 12
Views From Our Shoes
Helen Rittelmyer
I guess I'm glad to have a sister with special needs. It has opened my eyes to a world of people I never would have known about. Bt, not having special needs myself, it adds stress to what would otherwise be a normal sibling relationship - which is rough just by itself ... It really makes me mad when kids slap their chest with their hands and go, "I'm a retard!" One day that happened in the lunchroom in 2nd grade. And let me tell you, it is very loud in the lunchroom. Yet I could still hear a kid saying, "Hey look, I'm a retard!" It made me so made! But with my anger is also pity that those people will never know what neat people retarded people can be.
~Helen Rittelmyer, age 10
Views From Our Shoes
Brandon Urban
My name is Brandon Urban. I am 8 years old. My brother Todd is 17. He has autism and doesn't talk. A lot of people say that my brother is retarded. I really do not like that! When I grow up I will take care of him. Even though he is autistic, I love him! When I need help he always helps me.
One thing that I don't like is when he does bad stuff, like when he smeared peanut butter on the wall. My other brother Derek, 13, and I go to a sibling program once a year where we swim and eat ice cream sundaes.
~Brandon Urban, age 8
Views From Our Shoes
Joe Hockaday
Having a brother with special needs makes my life different from others because he likes to follow me everywhere - even to the bathroom sometimes!
He gets mad at the smallest things. Sometimes he hits himself in the head and that scares me. Sometimes he hits me for no reason.
Sometimes he can be in a bad mood, but we have fun too. We like to laugh and talk and play like other brothers. My friends are really nice to him.
My advice is to respect your sib and treat him like everybody else. Try to understand his needs.
My best time with my brother is when we go to the desert and ride our dire bike. He doesn't ride by himself so sometimes he rides with me and that makes him happy and me too.
~Joe Hockaday, age 12
Views From Our Shoes
Steven Meade
My name is Steven Meade. I am 10 years old. I have a twin: her name is Kristin. And she has cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is damage to the brain that affects how her muscles work. Kristin did not get cerebral palsy from getting in a car accident or anything like that - she was just born that way. Kristin had to have a shunt put in to drain extra fluid around her brain.
Kristin has had three surgeries to help her walk better. She had her first surgery when she was six. She had to wear a big purple cast from her waist to her toes for six weeks.
Kristin and I go to the same school now, but we didn't always. She went to another school for a special program. We are going into the fifth grade.
Even though we fight a lot, we've had some pretty good times. You know, there are some good parts about having a sister with a disability. For instance, when we went to Disneyworld we got to use the handicapped entrance instead of waiting in line for rides and shows.
So, as you can see, Kristin and I have some good times and some not-so-good times. But we really do love each other. I think other brothers and sisters all over the world love each other whether they have special needs or not.
~Steven Meade, age 10
Views From Our Shoes
|
|
Meet the Kids
Meet Famous People
Meet Siblings
Read about People with Disabilities
|