Annual Siblings Awards
Our Annual Siblings Awards recognise the amazing unsung heroes of the Dravet Syndrome community
Siblings of those diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome may not experience a typical upbringing. They may be exposed to many difficult or upsetting experiences, such as seeing their brother or sister have a seizure or undergo emergency medical care.
They have to adapt to the day-to-day pressures of living with Dravet Syndrome - the fact that there are times when plans are cancelled or holidays aren’t possible and the simple fact that their parent(s) are stressed, worried and exhausted. Their peers, friends or colleagues may find it difficult to understand what they’re going through, and they may experience feelings of isolation that often go alongside the pressures of living with a disabled sibling.
“Harry’s sister Lilly has it very tough, as I can’t just go out, it all has to be planned and sometimes days out are cut short due to a seizure or his behaviour. She amazes me with how, no matter what, she sees Harry as just Harry, not different.”
We often hear about the many, amazing things that these brothers and sisters do for everyone in the family. Their selflessness, empathy, kindness and compassion continually inspire us. This extraordinarily close sibling bond continues throughout their lives, even when a sibling has flown the nest of the family home.
“During lockdown, Abi’s day centre was closed so Rose formed a bubble with us and took Abi into her home every day for a couple of hours, to break up Abi’s day and to give me some time.”
Unfortunately, the demands of everyday life means that siblings don't always get the recognition they deserve. Our Annual Siblings Awards are to recognise and congratulate these unsung heroes of the Dravet Syndrome community.
The Annual Siblings Awards 2024
‘Super Sibling Awards’ for siblings from 5 - 15 years old
We encourage nominations to be made when the sibling is old enough to understand and fully enjoy the award. Remember, that they cannot be nominated again until they’re 16 years old.
‘Sibling Recognition Awards’ for siblings 16 years old and above
We’re always keen to receive nominations from older teenagers and adult siblings – DSUK may not have been around when these siblings were younger and we like to acknowledge that siblings continue to be a big part of the lives of those with Dravet Syndrome as they grow older.
The closing date for the 2024 nominations is Friday 6th December 2024.
Awards will be announced on Friday 13th December 2024 on our social media channels and winners will be contacted directly.
Awarded siblings receive a Gift Voucher and a Certificate.
Guidelines for entering
- You can make a nomination for an award at any time throughout the year.
- A sibling can only be nominated once in each category
- The nominated sibling must be registered on our database (visit 'Join Us' to register) and must reside in the UK
- If you are not registered with us, you can nominate a super sibling here
- You’ll be asked to include a photo in your nomination form submission and a reason for their nomination. Maybe they have;
- done something extra to help their brother or sister
- done particularly well at school, college or university, or got through a difficult time at work
- helped to organise a fundraising event or raised awareness of Dravet Syndrome amongst their peers, friends, networks or colleagues
- simply been consistently kind and caring towards their sibling.
