my new website at: www.patriciaebauer.com. -- pb]
Teens talk candidly about growing up with a sibling who has special needs.
Twenty teenagers and young adults in the Minneapolis area have teamed up to produce a book about growing up in households with a sibling with special needs. “”Who Asked Me: A Journal of Discovery and Sharing By and For Siblings of People with Developmental Disabilities” is an attempt to present their lives honestly, from their own point of view. Among the topics covered are admiration for their siblings, impatience with people who use the word “retard,” embarrassment, and worries about adult responsibilities.
Mostly … the siblings wrote about love, complicated though it may be. The teens … agreed that their lives have been enriched, not cheated, by having these siblings.
One lovely example: “My brother,” wrote Tess Hayes, 14, whose older brother Brett has Ring 22 syndrome, “is an inspiration not only to me, but to every individual that has the amazing chance to meet him. I just hope that I, too, might one day live life as fully as my brother does, for that is truly a gift.”
The book is available here. Tips on strengthening sibling relationships are here.
From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
1 comment:
Thank you for reviewing this important piece. I'd like to add that my wife, Adele Bergstrom, conceived the idea for the book, and produced it in partnership with Fraser Center, utilizing a grant from Sappi Paper. She donated all of her time with no expectation of financial gain. We are the parents of a child with Down Syndrome whose picture appears several times in the book, including on the cover. Regards, Jeff Light
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