We're not a 'normal' family but we're loving, caring, cheeky and unique! - Brodie's story #SandD2015

Nearly seven years ago, my sister Olivia passed away in her sleep, she had a condition called Rett Syndrome. She was unable to do the usual activities a nine-year-old would do. We were told that she was not going to be able to walk, talk or make a difference, she did all of those. She showed us how she could talk, walk and she definitely showed us that she would make a difference in this world. She was nine when she passed and, as I was seven, it made a large impact on my life.

A few years after, we decided to foster a little boy. He had a hole in his heart and was tube fed -  had never been shown the love a one-year-old should be shown. I had been asked questions on why my family would be fostering a child with severe needs, and each time my answer was because Olivia made such a difference in our life we wanted to make a difference in others. Sadly, 10 months later his conditions took his life. The doctors said that he was lucky to be with us for those 10 months and that he stayed alive by the love and affection that we shared.

After that, my parents insisted that we were no longer going to foster because the heartbreak of losing two people in our lives was too much to handle. As I was then nine I felt as if my voice should be heard. I explained to my family that if we hadn’t  fostered that little boy for those 10 months he would have never have experienced the love of a family who cared. Even though he passed away he was happy and had known what love was. This then made my parents think, they thought about maybe fostering another child who has a disability yet not one that was life threatening.

So, a few months later we had a call about this 10 year old boy who has global learning difficulties, autism and much more. We agreed that he was to become part of our family and we were so excited for him to become part of our lives.

Four years later…that 10-year-old who was shy and nervous is now my 14-year-old brother who enjoys being cheeky and mischievous. My experience of being able to watch him grow from a nervous child into a cheeky teen has been the best experience I could ever ask for. And yes my family isn’t the most ‘normal’ but it is the most loving ,caring, cheeky and unique family there is, and we would never be who we are today without the foster children who have blessed our lives.

By Brodie, 14

Brodie's blog was written as part of our Sons and Daughters Month blogging competition. Find out more about Sons and Daughters Month.