Helen Ries was in her forties when her father died in 2011, and then her mother in 2014, a turn of...
Category: Caring for a Sibling
Am I Obligated to Look After My Insufferable Mother?
My mother has an undiagnosed mental illness that makes her incapable of accepting reality and that...
Careers and Caregiving: An impossible juggling act?
My story speaks to the structural constraints on faculty members in “the sandwich generation” and...
‘A Last Act of Intimate Kindness’
I am the only family member with whom Jay maintained contact for the last three decades. Over that...
In ‘Corsicana,’ Will Arbery Puts Art, Family and Down Syndrome Onstage
Arbery, who grew up in Dallas with seven sisters in a conservative Catholic milieu similar to that...
My Autistic Brother And I
Being away from Casey after growing up with him for almost 20 years is difficult. I worry about...
Needing Each Other is Human
If your relationship is making both of you happier, then why is it wrong to need each other? How...
The Art of Disability Parenting
Robert has cerebral palsy, and he has weathered multiple complications in his seven years. I don’t...
Some young adults with disabilities are stuck in long-term care. They say that’s discrimination.
For the past decade, [Victoria] Levack has lived, reluctantly, at the Arborstone Enhanced Care...
Beyond Britney: Abuse, Exploitation, And Death Inside America’s Guardianship Industry
BuzzFeed News has scoured hundreds of thousands of court documents, obtained confidential mental...
How Much Must I Give Up for My Schizophrenic Brother?
One of my brothers is moderately schizophrenic; he does well on his medication but is increasingly...
Don’t Let a Loved One’s Health Problems Come Between You
I’ve seen people with difficult-to-manage physical and mental health conditions (or hard-to-break...
The Story Of Britney Spears Is A Story Of Disability Rights
A conservatorship — often called a guardianship — puts a court-mandated guardian in charge of...
You Robbie, You Baka
I knew twins sometimes switched places and went to each other’s classes, waiting to see who’d...
My sibling with disabilities embarrasses me
Children growing up with a sibling who has a disability may experience moments of embarrassment...
The Teacher Who Never Spoke
Duane was born healthy, as far as anyone could tell, but when he was three months old he was...
Supporting someone who self harms
Is someone you care about cutting themselves? This guide to supporting someone who’s engaged in non-suicidal self harm helps you understand their behavior, how to support them, and how to support yourself.
Juggling Her Brothers’ Needs and Her Own
Ms. Gonzalez Gil, 18, is now a senior at the High School for Health Careers and Sciences in...
What I never knew about my mother
Soon we will mark the five year anniversary of my mother’s death. Soon it will be five years since...
Young caregivers put future careers at risk, study shows
One in four Canadians aged 15 to 19 helps someone with challenges resulting from illness,...
The Emotional Impact of being a Sibling to a Brother/Sister with a Disability
I recently spoke before 2nd-5th grade students during a career day event at Estes Elementary...
Mr Rain Jacket
How my brother survived so long out on the street eludes me still. Much of it, I’m sure, had to do...
I worry about how to care for my brother with autism and his mental health when my parents are gone
My parents have long avoided having the talk with me about how I can take care of my older brother...
My boyfriend makes fun of my depressed half-sister
Dear Prudence, My 19-year-old half-sister is currently living with me. Her mother basically drove...