A YOUNGSTER from Brington has been named runner-up in a national writing competition for his moving story about his disabled brother.

Eleven-year-old Ira Bornstein wrote My Life With a Special Brother about Elia, who is deafblind.

In the prize giving ceremony held by the deafblind charity Sense, actress Rebecca Front (The Thick of It, Horrid Henry, Grandma’s House), presented Ira with a certificate.

In his story, caring Ira wrote: “I love my little brother just the way he is and my love to him will never change.”

Elia has Microcephaly, which means he has sight and hearing impairments and other additional needs.

Ira, from Brington, said: “It was so much fun reading out the story I wrote about my brother who I am so proud of, and I really enjoyed meeting other people like me who have brothers and sisters who are deafblind.”

Rebecca Front said: “Congratulations to Ira! My work is about bringing written words to life and I was compelled by the stirring power of these words that have so much joy and pain, life and living and the real spirit of deafblind people’s experiences at their very heart. These are very powerful words.”

Candis Magazine, a key award supporter, donated �1000 for Ira’s category. This donation will fund activities for Sense’s siblings group where siblings of deafblind children spend time together.

Sense devised the Express Yourself awards to give people with sight and hearing loss a platform to show their writing talents. All the winning works can be viewed at www.sense.org.uk

My life with a special brother

by

Ira Bornstein

Seven years ago, it was a snowy day in March 2004 and that’s the special day I received a very special gift. My gift was when my little brother was born and came in to my life. I was four years old then. My mum passed me my little brother; he was light as a feather and so soft, small and delicate. But when he was a couple months old we noticed something unusual, he wasn’t acting like other babies at his age. He didn’t look at us or turn to sounds. So we rush him to a doctor to find out what was wrong with him. They did tests after tests and all they could tell us is his head was smaller than it should be.

My precious little brother can’t crawl or walk but he rolls to get around. He loves to bounce around on his knees like Tigger the Tiger. He also loves to sit and rock back and forth like he is on a rocking chair.

Every day I wish I could play with him like most people play with their brothers and sisters or do things with him like scootering, playing football or running with him in the park. But the saddest thing is I know he will not going to be any of those activities with me.

He goes to school just like me but his school is different. It is a special school where he receives special care to meet his needs.

After living with my deafblind brother for over seven years, to me he is just a normal child.

I love my little brother just the way he is and my love to him will never change.