See Beautiful Grant Applicant: Special Needs Siblings

The feature below is brought to you by Special Needs Siblings, an organization that is in the running to receive a See Beautiful Grant. For more information about all of our giving initiatives, please click here. 

To learn more about Special Needs Siblings, please visit their website page: here.

Siblings Speak

The journey of Special Needs Siblings, Inc began in 2015 with me, Jeniece Stewart - a pregnant mother of 3, expecting a set of twins. Now, I am a proud special needs mother of 5 (oldest has autism & epilepsy) who noticed that my children were growing distant, and I desperately wanted to help them. 
My oldest son Christian (14) had been going to different appointments on a weekly basis since he was 3 years old. These appointments vary in length, location, and type. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, pediatric neurologist, genealogist, ect… Well, it was not just Christian attending these appointments on a weekly basis; his siblings accompanied him. Then one appointment Caleb asked me if he could take medicine because Christian always gets medicine. He was really confused as to why Christian was receiving extra stuff. 
My first reactions were anger and defense. I did not understand why Caleb would want to take multiple medications. Why would you want to have daily seizures, blood drawn, attend appointments and experience side effects… why?!   While processing the question Caleb asked, I recalled the missed moments with Jada and Caleb when I was busy attending to Christian. I felt a rush of overwhelming emotions: guilt, pain, sadness. It hit me… I put so much emphasis on understanding Christian… I missed how out of place Caleb and Jada were feeling. I honestly never even asked. I knew they were healthy, so I assumed they were fine. 
My heart ached for them because my love for them was not less, but they felt that way. I sat and thought… am I alone… is it just me? This prompted me to search social media and websites for sibling support. I wanted to connect with other siblings and ask them about their personal experiences, but I discovered a lack of community awareness and assistance for the siblings in our families. The support for mothers, fathers, and varying disabilities was everywhere. It is easy to overlook the siblings within disabled families, but it is crucial we do not. The resources for the typical siblings were scarce. I longed for support. I could not find it, so I created it.
This fueled my passion to create Special Needs Siblings, Inc. because siblings in our special families are too important to ignore. Special Need Siblings, Inc (SNS) is a unique local non-profit with a global vision to provide awareness, support and resources for siblings of disabled individuals.

There is a lack of resources and support for siblings of disabled individuals, yet there are millions of siblings who are an untapped resource who can, with the proper support and encouragement, make a positive impact in the lives of their brothers, sisters, and others with disabilities. SNS gives siblings the opportunity to connect with other brothers and sisters with disabilities. This connection offers a comfort and relief knowing they are not alone. This is beautiful.

Many of the estimated 4.9 million individuals with developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the United States have brothers and sisters. Siblings are there through the appointments, the tears, the joys, and sometimes become the caregivers after their parents have passed. I launched an Instagram account and Facebook page. Using the hashtag #SpecialNeedsSiblings, I asked parents to share their experiences, pictures, and stories while sharing my own. I encouraged parents and siblings to celebrate the siblings of the family, who at times were more like silent partners. I challenged parents to look in the mirror and ask tough questions while encouraging them to start fresh! We have grown from zero followers to over 20K in three years with connections around the world. Special Needs Siblings transcends every group, every nationality, every class, every race and siblings are the unsung heroes.
We are in the process of launching our next campaign, The Siblings Speaks Podcast - candid conversations with super siblings. The podcast will use technology and storytelling to create a safe place empowering the siblings to unite and share their story. We are forming unity in our disability community by allowing siblings, parents, and supporters to connect and learn more about the importance of supporting siblings. We are bridging the gap in our special families by giving siblings the opportunity to use their voice.
We do this by using our platform as a place where siblings and parents can come and share their unaltered story. We give them an area where they can feel free to let their guards down and simply be siblings. Siblings of disabled individuals are incredibly special humans. Our desire is for them to feel encouraged, empowered, and loved at each step of their journey. There is a pure beauty in the heart of every sibling that the world should know more of. By addressing the needs of siblings, their brothers and sisters with disabilities will have better outcomes. 
Now, we have so many dreams for Special Needs Siblings, but we cannot do it without help. Our goal is to raise support so that we can fully assist our families both locally and abroad. If you are interested in more information about Special Needs Siblings and how to get involved or support us, you can find us online:
www.specialneedssiblings.com
www.siblingsspeak.com
IG: @special_needs_siblings
FB: @specialneedssiblings
TW: @SNSiblings

Written by: Jeniece Stewart

Founder of Special Needs Siblings