A lot of you probably think you have the best siblings in the world. Hate to break it to you… but you don’t. Mine are better and I’m not even going to feel sorry for saying that because it’s true. I have two older brothers named Daniel who is 26, and Joel who is 24. As a 19 year old I am the baby of the family, but we have a very interesting sibling and family dynamic. Joel has epilepsy, extreme ADHD,some other mental handicaps,, and Type 1 diabetes. From this alone it’s probably pretty clear I have always had a different family situation than most kids.
Since I was born, Joel has made an impact in my life whether I knew it or not. Having a brother with special needs has instilled many traits in me such as compassion, patience, and openness to differences. By simply growing up with Joel these characteristics have become a part of my personality. One of the biggest impacts Joel has had on my life is my involvement in the lives of kids with special needs. Throughout high school I volunteered in the special education classroom at my school, along with a young group called Capernaum that is specifically designed for teens and young adults with special needs. This passion for special needs has extended far beyond volunteering and has led me to work at a respite care facility for kids with special needs, and made me decide to want to become a special education teacher.
Each week over the summer I will be writing about different aspects of what it’s been like for me to live with a sibling that has special needs. I will discuss some of the benefits, downfalls, and other aspects of what it’s like to have a sibling with disabilities. My goal through these articles is to show others what it’s like to have a sibling with special needs, sympathize with others that have a sibling with a disability, and tell parts of my story and the impact that having a brother with special needs has played on my life. I hope to cover many topics that are prevalent to others that have siblings with disabilities to show them they aren’t alone and there are others that understand their struggles. I would love to hear from you about questions you have about having a sibling with disabilities or any other questions or topics that you would like for me discuss in an article. I really look forward to sharing my life experiences with you all over the summer through this series.
