My sister

by Patrick HIlls

Tara Hills is my sister and I love her no matter what, but, she has Down syndrome and she is still human, but, what's bad about having a Down syndrome sister? Nothing to me.

Tara still goes to school and still kicks the footy with you but there's no difference to me because I've grown up around it my whole life and don't know any difference.

When my mates come over on the weekends or something that's when I can actually tell that Tara is slower and sometimes they don't understand her, but when they do they get along fine. Tara usually cracks them up because she will tell them she loves them or play with them like that. The only way I describe Tara to people is that she is slower than me in some things but more mature in others. Tara's 18 and sometimes she can act like she's ten but others she's like twenty and that's the only way to say it, just slower in some things.

I reckon if I had an 18 year old sister without Down Syndrome I would go nuts 'cause Tara's fun to be around. I could only imagine having someone boss me around and get on my case ail day long. I wouldn't swap Tara for anything and don't ever wonder what its like to have a sister who's not Tara.

It's really fun

by Shannon Hills

Hi, I'm Tara's younger sister, Shannon.

It gets a bit annoying being one of the youngest 'cause really you're the most matured. When I'm in charge Tara usually will be either really good or really bad which is really annoying, but its good now 'cause you can just kick her out to her house to listen to her music or watch her videos so that's all right.

I think it's a good experience to have a sister with a disability, 'cause if you are ever in a job that you look after children and you get a disabled child you've got the experience to look after them or you can teach others what to do with disabled children, but it sometimes just gets too much and you go a little off colour.

Tara can remember what she wants to (eg: she will watch 'Neighbours' then she knows to change the channel to 'Home and Away'). Its really annoying having to tell Tara to do something and her just ignore you.

I like having Tara as a sister but that's 'cause you can easily go flog her stuff and she won't know till she goes through all your stuff.

Tara is funny when she makes tea because she will repeatedly ask you if you like it then it gets to a point when you just tell her to be quiet, but then she'll try to ground us but it never works.

With some of Cooinda's camps and outings, Tara has made a few people laugh (eg: at the fashion parade Tara went in front of me and she shook her hips from side to side then on her way out she cupped her hand and waved goodbye). And at the camp there was a talent quest and she danced the funniest moves. I was embarrassed (luckily I was before her). We're lucky Tara's who she is, she doesn't need carrying or pushing, she's healthy and fun.

Click on the image for a larger view

Jarrod, Patrick, Joanne, Tara, and Shannon Hills

I like Tara

by Jarrod Hills

I like Tara. Sometimes she's nice, sometimes she's not. She has a granny flat out the back. She loves me and I love her. She's good. She peels the potatoes, she brings in the washing, she cleans her house and she cooks tea. She is embarrassing sometimes because she doesn't listen to me and sometimes I forget that she is my older sister and sometimes I don't respect her.