Introduction
A brain injury affects everyone in the family, including brothers and sisters. Siblings often feel abandoned or forgotten as parents spend long hours, days, weeks, and even months at the hospital or rehabilitation program. As they are shuttled to school, stay with friends or relatives, and overhear conversations, things often just don't make much sense. Common questions are "Will my brother live? What does it mean to have a brain injury? Will he be different now? How long will it take for him to get better?" The unspoken question is "What about me?"
The following essay by Katie Beck is a poignant reminder to parents and clinicians that children of all ages need comfort, time, attention, information, and support, not only during the initial crisis of injury but over time as well. When Katie, now 13 years old and entering eighth grade, was recently given a school assignment to write about conflict, even her parents were surprised to learn how deeply she had been affected by her brother's brain injury eight years ago.
Pediatr Nurs. 2013;39(6):309-310. © 2013 Jannetti Publications, Inc.
