Tiffany: My Sister, My Maid of Honor
Tiffany is my older sister. She was born with moderate cerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair and needs assistance throughout the day to maintain her independence. Tiffany lives in a group home run by Easterseals Blake Employment & Community Living.
A few hours after my parents brought me home from the hospital, Tiff, told them to ‘take me back.’ Despite this first meeting, we grew up to be as close as any two sisters could be. We shared a room and had the usual high points of talking in our bunk beds long after bedtime, and the lows of fighting over what music to play.
The first time my husband Ben met Tiff, she asked him about a million questions, and he did his best to answer. When she boldly pushed herself over to him and reached out to hold his hand and he reciprocated, that was the moment that I knew he was the perfect man for me.
Tiffany was, by far, the best Maid of Honor. She took her duties extra seriously, reviewing them over and over as the day came closer. She held my vows, and give me Ben’s ring when it was time to exchange rings.
Tiffany still tells me what to do, and I am fiercely protective of her but thanks to the Easterseals Blake Foundation, Tiffany has her own independent adult life!
- Olivia Kirchner, Tiffany’s sister
Easterseals Blake Employment & Community Living operates community-based small group residential homes for children ages five to 17, and adults with moderate to severe intellectual and/or physical disabilities.
