Sibling Grief | Meghan Gross | TEDxFortWayneStudio

When I was 3-weeks away from turning 13, my 7-year-old brother (my only brother), was hit by a car and died. My loving parents were trying to survive and I felt alone. No one could relate to my loss. Sure, people could attempt to understand the despair my parents felt, but putting themselves in the shoes of a 13-year-old girl? No one wanted to touch that with a 10-foot pole. People would call and ask me to tell my parents they were thinking of them. But what about me? It felt as if people thought my loss was lesser because it was my brother. As I’ve grown and had a family of my own, I’ve begun to understand more about sibling grief. My grief experience of loneliness and exclusion isn’t unique–there is an underwhelming number of resources for siblings– in fact, they are often called the “forgotten grievers.” I have a unique perspective on sibling loss. A common sibling loss story is one of cancer, suicide, or old age. I am an actual sibling who has gone through this unique type of loss. I’m in a healthy place to help people feel seen and heard by talking about my experience and what helped me. In an effort to help other siblings, I’ve started The Andrew Project as a way to create more resources for siblings. I’m currently writing a children's book and will be published in a compilation book published by DaySpring in the fall of this year. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx