Growing up without one of your siblings is a unique type of loss, and there can be lots of situations that other people your age just don’t understand.
Like deciding what you’ll say when people ask, “Do you have brothers and sisters?”
Do your school friends know about your sibling who’s gone?
And what do you do on days when your parents are sad, but you had a good day and you’re ready to chill? It can be a lot.
Today, Annalise is sharing her story about being a bereaved sibling as a teenager. It’s all in her own words.
Thank you so much, Annalise, for sharing your story with us. We are so grateful for how you’re speaking up to help others. If you are growing up without one of your siblings, and you want to share your story, please email tjwithers@rednose.org.au.
My brother, Nicholas
I’m 13 years old and I’m working in hospitality while I study.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet my brother, Nicholas, as he was born before me.
I have a living sister. She’s 15 and her name is Isabella.
How my family remembers Nicholas
My family does have a special way to remember my brother. We remember him by having a bear on our Christmas tree every year.
Also in my parent’s room, we also have a bear that represents him.
We also go to the Walk to Remember and say his name every year that we can.
If you’ve lost a sibling, I want you to know…
I would like to say that just keep having faith and everything will be okay.
Also, there are other people in the world going through the same thing as you.
If you’ve only got living siblings, I want you to know…
Our family always remembers our brother; he’s a part of our family, no matter what.
How I got support from Red Nose
I first found out about the support that Red Nose gives people from my Mum.
I would like to come to a support group one day, so I can try and offer support to other families.
Red Nose helped me understand other people’s situations, and also how people manage that.
Kids’ support groups at Red Nose
If you want to join one of our kids’ support groups like Puggles QLD, please ask your parent to post on your state or territory’s Red Nose Facebook group.
Thank you!