Abstract

The death of a child is heartbreaking and one of the most painful experiences for family members. There is an abundance of literature describing the loss and grief associated with sibling death; however, there is limited research about children who were born after the death of their sibling(s), especially for siblings who do not see themselves as replacement children. A single case study was used to explore how the death of two siblings affected the life of an adult who was born after the death of her siblings before her own birth. Three interviews provided the data. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: “Heartache goes hand-in-hand with love;” “I was scared I would die too;” “I felt like I had to make my parents happy;” and “I am a chronic worrier.” The participant’s data are presented in a story format.

Keywords:Case Study; Sibling Death; Replacement Child; Subsequent Child