When people talk about Isla’s journey, they often talk about me, her dad, her grandparents or her therapists.
But there is someone else who has been part of every step.
Her sister, Violet.
From a young age, Violet has grown up around hospital appointments, therapy sessions and a life that sometimes looks a little different to other families.
Yet she has never questioned it.
To Violet, Isla isn’t a diagnosis.
She isn’t a chromosome deletion or duplication.
She isn’t the child who needs extra support.
She’s simply her sister.
I’ve watched Violet adapt to Isla’s world in ways that make me so proud.
She celebrates Isla’s achievements as though they are her own.
She understands when things take a little longer.
She helps without being asked.
She encourages without even realising she’s doing it.
Most of all, she loves Isla exactly as she is.
As a mum, I often worry about whether I’m getting the balance right.
Whether all my children feel equally seen and heard.
But watching the bond between Violet and Isla reminds me that love doesn’t keep score.
It simply shows up.
People often tell me how amazing Isla is, and they’re right.
But today I want to celebrate Violet too.
Because growing up alongside a sibling with additional needs shapes a child in ways that are hard to explain.
It teaches patience.
Compassion.
Understanding.
And a kind of empathy that can’t be taught.
I couldn’t be prouder of the sister Violet is becoming.
And I know Isla couldn’t ask for a better one.
Chloe x
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