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| Brothers & Sisters Share Their Experiences | ||
Something that involves his legs I don’t know what it is called, but he has something that involves his legs — “encyclopedia.” That is what Charlie said. It is a long word. It is two different words--yes, it is Cerebral Palsy. I switched the “a” with the “s”. - Sylvie, 6 years oldAs a young child, I was very resentful of the fact that it seemed like my brother could get away with anything and everything because of his cerebral palsy. For example, if we were fighting and my brother lost his temper and hit me, my mom would ask me not to get mad at my brother and to forgive him because he has a disability and there are so many things that I can do that he cannot. She would get angry at me if I retaliated and hit my brother back. As a small child who believed her brother was no different than anyone else, my mom’s reasoning seemed so unfair at the time. I remember thinking, “why am I getting yelled at if he started it?” Now that I’m older, I can understand where she was coming from. - Priya, 25 years old I help him just like he helps me It is fun when I get to help him because sometimes when everybody is up ahead, I get to run back with him and mommy says, “Good job.” When he falls down, I help him up. And like when he wants to eat in the living room, I carry his food. I carry his dishes when it is empty for him, and I help him get in bed when he needs help. I bring him things just like he brings me things sometimes. - Sylvie, 6 years oldWell, I help Sarah by encouraging her, and I’m always by her side when she needs help. I help her at school sometimes. We play games together as in like I help her with her head movements. I talk to her using the mini-mark [communication device]. - Molly, 11 years old Well, it’s hard when you go out to fun places and everyone’s asking you about it. If they say, “What’s wrong with her?” We’ll say, “Sarah, is something wrong?” And like then we’ll say, “She looks fine to us. Thanks for your concern, though.” They get the hint. - Molly, 11 years old The most difficult thing is answering all those questions people ask. And I feel bad because Sarah is right there. That’s the hardest thing when we go out to fun places-- we always have to answer questions. - Molly, 11 years oldThey shouldn’t just say, “Well, you’re so special so I won’t be around you.” They should just say, “Well, since you’re so special I can help you and make you feel comfortable because you have cerebral palsy.” They should make them feel they are part of everything too. - Sylvie, 6 years old Oh, that they should let their children be. Don’t be all up on them since they have cerebral palsy. Don’t do everything for them. Let them try things on their own. - Sylvie, 6 years old Everyone is different. And if anybody asks about something that you are not comfortable with answering, you don’t have to answer. Kids should always treat people with cerebral palsy no different than any other people. - Molly, 11 years old I also find that it is also important just to listen to your brother or sister. A lot of times, kids with cerebral palsy are not heard which can extremely frustrating for them. Let your brother or sister be heard—talk to them and listen to what they have to say. I feel my brother is often times more insightful than my other friends because he’s been through so much. I’m often taken back by how articulate he is. - Priya, 25 years old
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Hospital Boston Department of Psychiatry. All Rights Reserved. The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice, which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional. Updated:April 26, 2009 |
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