Yasir, Yusra, and Muhammad

When siblings Yasir, Yusra, and Muhammad are in a Sibling Support session or participating in the Friends Having Fun virtual group they exude an immediate jolt of exuberant energy. They bring their vibrant personalities, friendly competition, and passion to whatever they do, whether it is drawing their feelings, discussing their struggles or breaking out their best moves in a freeze dance.

Siblings Arlene and Ben

As August fades into September the reality of the school year on the horizon is hard to deny, especially with the wonderful backpacks of freshly packaged school supplies arriving at the door of FoK families. Though the end of summer can be a bittersweet time for any child, children reentering school after being sidelined by a serious illness may have many mixed emotions that are more than just the typical butterflies.

Sibling Spotlight: Ana, Elizabeth, and Ronald

Our Sibling Support Services encourages social emotional learning by having participants identify and discuss various emotions. Social emotional learning is important for children and adults in order to understand and express ourselves better. This is especially true when a sibling has been diagnosed with an illness. It raises various emotions for all family members. Some emotions that arise include sadness, anger and jealousy. In addition, through the difficult times families experience moments of joy and love. It is also possible to feel several emotions in one moment.