St. Jude Appreciates Siblings

When a child is battling cancer or other serious illness, the entire family is affected, including siblings. Recognizing the important role brothers and sisters play in the healing process, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital recently hosts events like Sibling Star Day, an event dedicated to celebrating the brothers and sisters of St. Jude patients. The annual event, designed by St. Jude child life specialists and social workers, is filled with activities to commemorate each sibling’s journey through a brother’s or sister’s fight against illness.

“Because parents are overwhelmed and expend their energies providing information, support and comfort to the child who is sick, they sometimes have difficulty providing enough time and attention to siblings,” said Shawna Grissom, director of the Child Life Program at St. Jude. “Siblings can be overlooked.”

St. Jude provides activities and programs that include patients’ brothers and sisters throughout the year, but having a day dedicated to siblings is a distinctive way to shine a spotlight on them. “When siblings rally around the patients, not only does it aid in the healing process, but it also becomes a coping mechanism for the entire family,” said St. Jude Social Worker Kathy Clayton, in an Interview with the St. Jude Magazine.

St. Jude supports all members of the family throughout a child’s illness. Recognizing the importance of siblings is just one of the many activities, the Child Life Program is happy to provide to families.

With your donations, we can help St. Jude find more cures, so that fewer families go through the chaos of having a sick child.