When a young woman took on the responsibility of caring for her sister with Down syndrome, she had no idea of the challenges that lay ahead. Little did she know, the joys and challenges of parenthood would bring immense fulfillment! Sarah Carolyn posted a captivating entry on social media, capturing cherished memories with her sister, Emily. These stories range from heartwarming to side-splitting, but they all beautifully capture the bond between these two siblings that has grown over time!

The story began with the unfortunate news of Sarah and Emily’s mother being diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Mom realized that she would require additional support at home, so she approached her older daughter to see if she would be open to assisting in raising her younger sister with Down syndrome. Contemplating raising her own sister filled Sarah with a “huge fear of failure,” according to her. She had “the great desire to protect/care for her,” though.

In the beginning, there were some challenges! Despite Sarah’s efforts, her sister with Down syndrome occasionally found herself in challenging situations. One particular moment that remains vivid in her memory is when Emily made a rather questionable meal choice.

“The day I thought I had everything figured out, until she dropped the bombshell that she ate 11 cheese sticks for breakfast,” wrote the older sibling in her social media post.

During another incident, Emily sent out an unsupervised email that was quite inappropriate.

When she sent an email to my nursing professor with the subject “suck it, Barb,” Sarah wrote, including the detail that “Her name was not Barb…”

Sarah embraced the challenges of raising her sister and wouldn’t trade her experience for anything else.

These challenging parenting moments were balanced out by incredible bonding experiences! Sarah had the privilege of witnessing her sister’s growth and transformation over the years.

“The older sister concluded that the greatest gift she ever received was the opportunity to help raise her.”