Sophomore Emily Gandy’s sister, senior Grace Gandy, lives life with special needs. Emily Gandy says her sister’s challenges have brought her scary moments, moments of joy and caused her to become more mature and responsible in her everyday life.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face while having a special needs sibling?

A: I feel like, since I’m a younger sibling, I’ve always felt like I had to have a sense of maturity that most kids always don’t have. I have this need deep down to always care for her, even though it might not be my responsibility, and I always want what’s best for her. 

Q: Are there any negatives or downsides to having a special needs sibling?

A: Sometimes the downside is the health issues that they have because you know that they don’t have as long a lifespan as the normal, average person, and sometimes that’s hard to understand and realize that they’re not going to be here as long as us. And it’s also that they have a lot more needs than other people, and taking care of them is a lot more difficult than an average sibling.

Q: Are there any positives or upsides to having a special needs sibling?

A: She’s just fun to be around. She’s just a bundle of joy. There’s literally nothing in the world that has ruined her like us. It’s nice to have a special sibling.

Q: What are some specific moments with Grace that you can think of?

A: So, one really bad moment that I can remember is when I was in second grade. Gracie got pneumonia, really bad one October, and she was in the hospital for about two weeks, really close to dying a couple of nights. And I remember one night that I was there because visiting hours were almost over, and I wanted to stay until they kicked me out of the room. But I remember seeing her oxygen drop, her heart rate drop and the machine going off and seeing all those doctors and nurses barge in the room and pick my sister up off the bed and put, like, some kind of machine on her back. I just remember being so scared, hiding under my mom’s blanket, and seeing Gracie. There’s a lot of good moments with her, she loves Six Flags. It’s probably one of her favorite places to go. So, I love being able to take her on the ride, and I love seeing a smile on her face and her copious amounts of joy whenever she’s on the roller coaster and just holding your hand.

Q: How has having a special-needs sibling affected your high school experience?
A: It has brought a lot of maturity in my life. I think having maturity and responsibility helps me with my schoolwork, my time management and how I’m able to balance things like homework, life, school and all that.