Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Author Note:
Brittany K. Bisese, O.B.B School of Education, Samford University
Brittany Bisese is a Junior Early Childhood, Elementary, Collaborative and Special
Education major at Samford University.
older brother did not want anything to do with him. He viewed his younger
brothers condition as an excuse to not have a relationship with him. She described
it as he checked out, didnt want anything to do with him and didnt want to hear
about it.
Both his sister and mother experienced feelings of guilt, denial, longing for
the past, longing for him to change back to the way he was before he was began to
change, misunderstanding, and hurt from the things he said and did to them. Yet she
told me that as time went on, she and her mother have come to be at peace with the
permanency of his condition and both aim to ensure that his life will be as
meaningful and filled with love as possible.
As for reactions of friends and extended family, the interviewee said that
they were overall very supportive. The immediate family tried to keep the issue
hush hush for a while in hopes that it would go away. Eventually, the family finally
told friends and extended family. The extended family and friends shared a similar
reactions, support for the family, but discomfort interacting with him. She talked
about how most people would ask how the family was doing and ask to support
them but seemed to forget to talk to her brother and see how he was doing. They
forgot that he too was a person, and that it was hardest of all for him. Some still do
not know how to interact with him and choose simply not to. Yet she told me how
she wishes that they would overcome this sense of discomfort and treat him as a
regular human being.
After getting over their initial feelings, both of her parents have not stopped
fighting for her brother, especially her mom. The interviewee talked about how
although her brother has done and said many hurtful things to them, they recognize
that it is not him acting and speaking but it is his illness. They love him
unconditionally in spite of it. The interviewee talked about how her mother devotes
so much of herself to her son and continually loves, provides for him, and ensures
his happiness each day.
Her biggest message that she wanted to pass onto other people is the
importance of recognizing that people with disabilities as people too, wanting to be
treated with respect and dignity. She talked about how people often think to ask
how the family of someone with a disability is doing. Yet they seldom ask how the
person with the disability is doing. They think about how hard it must be for the
family to deal with something like this on a daily basis; yet he lives in fear of his
mind every day and never knows what will happen next. She said, the most
important thing anyone can do for someone with a disability is to treat him or her
with respect, as one should treat any person. Everyone should strive to ensure that
the person feels loved, accepted, and treated like an equal. Each person has value
and purpose and deserves love and recognition.