By Bethany BROWN

Hearts for Siblings – a community formed for people who have siblings with disabilities – celebrated its official launch at the Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA on Saturday, Aug. 6. Rachel Lee, a senior at Village Christian School and founder of the group, said that the launch went extremely well. The mission of Hearts for Siblings is to create a safe environment to empower siblings of those with special needs and encourage deep conversation – and Lee said their first meeting was “very successful” in accomplishing exactly that.

Lee previously emphasized that there is a lack of information regarding the experience of having a sibling with special needs. She said that some common experiences are feeling like they need to be perfect or can’t express their own feelings or their problems are minimized making the sibling feel isolated or neglected, like they must grow up very quickly. This can ultimately lead to having a skewed idea of the family and the home.

The group of teens first spent time introducing themselves to one another over shared snacks then played icebreakers/games such as Jenga before easing into the topic, discussing their personal experiences and feelings. They were able to find a sense of comfort together, a closeness and safety because of the universal willingness among the group members to confide in each other.

“It really reaffirmed why I created this group,” Lee said. “The topic discussion was one of the most rewarding and powerful experiences. I could see how I related to other siblings’ struggles, and I was also able to see entirely different perspectives, how our experiences are different but similar.”

The goal moving forward is to work around school hours to arrange regular meetings that can continue throughout the fall semester, ideally every two months. The next meeting is scheduled for October.

Lee said she and co-founder Chloe Chong’s plan is to develop an online forum soon so that even if they can’t meet in person group members can easily communicate with and provide support to each other in times of need.

According to McRory Pediatric Services, parents can mitigate some of the challenges these siblings face by consciously giving them one-on-one time, being open and honest about family matters, celebrating their achievements and success, watching closely for signs of worry or stress, and not allowing them to take on too much responsibility. Recognizing them as individuals and respecting their boundaries are two dominant ways to support siblings as they prepare for a future, both as part of their family unit and as people with their own goals, hopes and dreams.

“After listening to the stories of my peers, I now, more than ever before, can see the need for this group,” Lee said. “I hope that we can continue to build a strong community that is built on understanding and empathy and that Hearts for Siblings can be a haven for all to share the things that may be the most difficult.”

To stay up-to-date about the next meeting and other group events, they can be reached via Instagram @heartsforsiblings or through the website www.heartsforsiblings.wixsite.com/website. They can also be contacted directly at heartsforsiblings@gmail.com.