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100 Words: The Life Of A Sibling With Disability

By Giovanni Cocco
Published June 4, 2013 at 9:00 AM EDT
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
1 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
2 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
3 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
4 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
5 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
6 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
7 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
8 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
9 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
10 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
11 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
12 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
13 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
14 of 14  — Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.
Monia is my sister. She has been disabled since birth. My mother takes care of her every day, every hour, always. Monia's world is a world away from everything else — solitary, confined, but not empty — where time is made up of moments, a present that does not need to project into the future.

Being the sibling of a person with disability is a crucial experience. It is hard to explain the importance and intensity of this special bond made of codes, silence, looks, old games and new ways of living as grown-ups.

Monia is my sister; she has been disabled since birth. Photographing her is a way to understand her, wondering what she thinks and what she wants — from life, from me. One day she will be part of my everyday life; I will take care of her when my parents are unable to. Telling her story is a step for me to enter her life further, with both the joys and the difficulties of the encounter.

Giovanni Cocco is an Italian photographer whose work has been published in leading international news magazines. In 2010, he joined the VII Photo Agency Mentor Program. More of his work can be found on FotoVisura.

100 Words is a series in which photographers describe their work, in their own words. Curated by Graham Letorney.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Giovanni Cocco