Taking Care of Siblings

My sister paced the hallway, screaming. Her hands covered her ears. My mother stood next to her, still dripping from the bath. Mom calmly encouraged meditative breathing but my sister kept yelling about what the voices in her head were telling her. I could only watch. [Read More]

Whether you have been part of AKALAKA from the beginning or this is your first time hearing about us, you may be asking, who exactly are sibling caregivers? Am I a sibling caregiver? We hope to elucidate on this question and expand on the roles of sibling caregivers. [Read More]

John Denver’s “Country Roads” may hold deep meaning for many people, but for my brother and me, it symbolizes childhood bond, the comforts of nature, a triumphant exodus from institutionalization, and return to home and family. [Read More]

One of our goals here at AKALAKA is to help sibling caregivers of artists, musicians, athletes, academics, entrepreneurs (AKA “individuals”) living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) understand the complexities of disability services. If you become an AKALAKA member and participate in our introductory class, you will receive detailed lessons... [Read More]

I have often felt a void between myself and my peers. As a caregiver for my profoundly disabled brother, James, I spent many nights in high school awake and comforting him after a seizure. My daily life, which consisted of switching between homework and G-tube feedings, was not something my... [Read More]