As she stepped in to help raise her sister with Down syndrome, the young woman had no idea of the challenges that lay ahead. Parenthood brought with it a rollercoaster of emotions that Sarah Carolyn could not have anticipated. However, the rewards of this journey have been immeasurable. In a heartwarming social media post, she shared some of her most cherished moments with her sister, Emily. These moments ranged from emotional to humorous, but they all exemplify the deep bond that has grown between the two siblings over the years.
When their mother was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer, Sarah and Emily’s world turned upside down. With the need for more assistance at home, their mother asked Sarah if she would be willing to help raise her younger sister with Down syndrome. The thought of bringing up her own sibling brought an immense fear of failure to Sarah, but at the same time, she felt a great desire to protect and care for her.
When Sarah first started caring for her sister with Down syndrome, things weren’t always smooth sailing. Despite her best efforts, there were still moments when Emily got into trouble. One particular incident that Sarah remembers vividly is when Emily made a questionable meal choice.
In her social media post, the older sibling recounted the day when she believed she had everything under control, only to be surprised by her sister’s breakfast confession: “She ate 11 cheese sticks for breakfast.”
Emily once sent out an email that was unsupervised and lacked decorum.
Sarah recounted an incident where her nursing professor received an email with the subject line “suck it, Barb,” despite the fact that her professor’s name was not Barb.
Sarah wouldn’t have it any other way, despite the fact that raising her sister was a lot of work.
Throughout the years, Sarah had the opportunity to witness her sister with Down syndrome undergo growth and change, which made up for the challenging moments in parenting. Moreover, she was present during some of her sibling’s most significant accomplishments, including job pursuits and having her photo showcased in Times Square. These experiences provided a chance for the siblings to bond and create lasting memories together.
“My older sister concluded that the most valuable gift she ever received was the chance to assist in raising me,” said the speaker.
