APPLETON, Wis. — Being a sibling to a child with special needs can present challenges while growing up. Randy Young started attending Wisconsibs 18 years ago and kept coming back for more.
“I could just really forget about the outside world a little bit, and enjoy my time here,” said Young.
Young’s brother has Down syndrome and that put Young in some difficult situations to manage while growing up.
“When I was in school, I would have to sometimes help with his behavior and as an elementary school kid, that’s a lot of responsibility,” said Young.
Families of children with special needs often focus their attention on the kids who require the most help.
One of Harriet Redman’s two children was born with a disability, but she wanted to make sure the sibling didn’t get lost in the shuffle.
“I was looking for information on how to raise a child with a disability and their sibling, especially knowing that a sibling has a relationship with their brother or sister forever, their whole life,” explained Redman. “I was looking for information, resources, data, research... nothing. So, I teamed up with some other people who are also interested, and we got an organization started.”
They started sibling programs in 1996. Recently, a five-day camp at Plamann Park in Appleton, Sib Days of Summer, allowed the siblings the chance to get away and interact with other kids in similar situations.
“I’ve made some of my best friends here at Wisconsibs. The connections I have here are unreal, how long-lasting they’ve been,” said Young. “I don’t think I’ve had such strong relationships with anybody for this long. I mean, it’s really special and you don’t get it in many other places.”
Executive Director Bill Grinnell said he could have used a program like Wisconsibs for his family.
“We have four boys. Three of our four boys had a combined total of 35 brain surgeries, and then we had one son who didn’t have any of those challenges,” explained Grinnell. “We didn’t realize it at the time that he did have some challenges, just not in the same way that his brothers did.”
Grinnell is focused on spreading the Wisconsibs offerings across the state, especially into the Madison and Milwaukee areas.
“We’ve got all sorts of different opportunities for all age levels of siblings to find resources to help make their lives a little bit better and their families a little bit easier,” said Grinnell.
Young, and many others who have gone through the program, volunteer and give back to the organization that positively impacted them when they were younger.
“It’s important to carry on that legacy. I think that’s the biggest reason I came back, is to make sure that what I was given is still being given today,” said Young.
The bonds built through Wisconsibs are strong. Redman wrote a letter of recommendation for Young to attend college and medical school. She said she loves to see past participants return and thrive.
“It’s delightful. It’s like being a grandma to all these kids. You saw them being kind of squirrelly as little 6-year-olds and now they’re responsible as leaders,” she said.
With many extra challenges and responsibilities at home, acting like squirrelly kids may be just what these siblings need.