You're often the most overlooked person in the room. This page is for you, at any age.
When a child is diagnosed with thalassaemia or sickle cell, the whole family changes. The well sibling often becomes "the easy one", the one who doesn't need attention, who absorbs less of the worry, who's expected to be okay.
But siblings carry their own quiet weight: worry, jealousy, guilt for being healthy, identity questions about your role in the family. None of it is silly. All of it deserves space.
For being well. For sometimes feeling left out. For sometimes feeling angry. None of those feelings make you a bad sibling.
About your sibling. About your parents. About your own future kids if you find out you're a carrier.
The feeling that your needs come second. That asking for attention would be selfish. It's not, and we'll say it as often as you need to hear it.
For being part of a family that's been through hard things. For your sibling's resilience. For your own.
Sibling-only family days, picture books, gentle conversations. Parents are welcome but it's their day.
Sibling chat group. Twice-yearly camps for teens-of-affected-siblings. Solo space from the family role.
Sibling-only peer group. Conversations about carrier testing for your own family planning. Long-form counselling if you'd like.
You may be a carrier. It matters for your own family planning. We can support you through testing and counselling.
You've already got so much on your plate. Knowing the well sibling needs support too can feel overwhelming. The truth is, most siblings are doing okay. But all of them benefit from being seen.
Some small things that help: occasional 1-on-1 time, asking how they're feeling about everything (not just school), and validating their experience, even when it's complicated.
And: you can refer your siblings to us directly. We'll handle it with care.
Email us, we'll get you set up with whatever's the right fit. There's no awkward in asking.
