Two teenage brothers sitting next to each other smiling on holiday.

When Charlie’s brother, Howard, was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, everything changed. Like many siblings, Charlie tried to stay strong. He didn’t want to add to his parents worries, but inside, he was struggling. Talking about this time, Charlie, 17, said:

“When I first heard about Howard’s treatment, my first reaction was guilt. I felt guilty that he couldn’t play sport and do all the usual things he loved, whilst I was winning events and was fit, and healthy. 

I felt like I had to win everything because Howard was ill – I felt that I had to almost do his physical activity for him, and if I didn’t win, I was somehow going to make things worse for him. 

I found myself going to the gym almost to escape, and I would walk home because it was longer than taking the bus, and it gave me time. Time to just be by myself and think. 

I didn’t want to have friends back to the house as I knew Howard was sick – it wasn’t a space for fun, and it certainly wasn’t good for him to see me having fun and him being denied. I felt alone and guilty. Mum would ask me how I was doing, and I would always say I was ok, as I knew she had so much going on.”

Talking about Momentum’s support, Charlie said: “During our difficult time, Momentum was there to help us carry some of the load, when it felt too heavy to manage alone. It gave me the reassurance that I was not forgotten, not alone, and that there will always be people willing to go the extra distance with you.”

Our recent Momentum survey found that 67% of siblings experience significant emotional strain when a brother or sister is seriously ill. Encouragingly, 84% reported an improvement in their emotional wellbeing when Momentum was there to support them as well.

Momentum supports siblings through one-to-one sessions with Family Support Workers, sibling meet-ups, tailored therapies and counselling, and bereavement support when a child sadly dies. We’re raising £15,000 to expand this support so more children like Charlie can get help when they need it most.

Find out more about how you can help make a difference here