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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

Alumni Erin Eickmeier and her sister, freshman Jenna Eickmeier, pose for a family photo.

Growing up alongside a sibling with a disability

Ava Silva, CJ1 Writer June 2, 2022

Jenna grew up with an older sister with a disability called Cri du Chat Syndrome. Jenna’s family learned about Erin’s disability when the hospital ran tests after she was born. “Having her...

“My sister has a genetic disability called Cri Du Chat Syndrome. She doesn't have a full chromosome like most people do. [This] can affect physical appearance. It took her up to seven years to learn how to walk, and she doesn't talk. She communicates a bit with sign language, but most of her signs are just made up. She's my oldest sister, so since I was born I've always grown up with a sister who had a disability and needed extra support. Having her as my sister made me mature faster and made me realize at a really young age, “oh, she's not like other people.” [Having her as a sister has also] helped me realize there are a lot of different people in the world and that not everyone's the same. Everyone is at different spots in life.”
—Jenna Eickmeier, 9

Jenna Eickmeier

Ava Silva, CJ1 Writer May 19, 2022

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Jenna Eickmeier