More than 25 years after Ruth died, I decided to see what articles and studies had been published on the effects of childhood illness and death on siblings. I headed to the Weiner Library at Fairleigh Dickinson University, located in Teaneck where I lived. I knew the task would be emotional.
When I passed through the library doors, I felt an immediate sense of purpose. I found the reference librarian. “I’m looking for articles or studies that have been done on the effect of serious childhood illness and death on healthy siblings,” I blurted out. She told me to check out the indexes for Psychological Abstacts.
I spent several hours going through them and jotting down articles of interest. I had to make a second trip to get copies of what I wanted to read. Literature on sibling illness and death were sparse, but what there was validated my own feelings. Continue reading Research on How Childhood Illness and Death Affect Siblings