Sophomore Luna Drumm-Walsh wakes up around 6:55 a.m tired and exhausted to get ready for school. The first thing that she hears is her dad telling her brother Tommy to get up for school, which can be a struggle at times.

Tommy’s school doesn’t start until about 8:30, but he has to get up early due to his condition. Luna then goes downstairs to eat breakfast, and her parents reassure Tommy to make sure he’s taken his medication. After that, Luna then grabs her backpack and water bottle and heads out the door on her way to school. This is a typical morning for Luna and her brother who struggles with ADHD.

ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and is one of the most common mental disorders that affect children. According to “What is ADHD?” by the American Psychiatric Association, “An estimated 8.4 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults have ADHD. ADHD is often first identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with school work.”

Tommy has had his struggles with ADHD for quite some time. He struggled a lot in school and didn’t learn to read as fast as the other students did. Tommy was then switched to a private school called KAZOO School, so that way he could get more assistance. 

Luna explained, “The private school is better for him since he gets the attention he needs and there are better resources.” 

Not only was this hard for Tommy, but it was also pretty tough on everyone else. It caused a change in their household. Luna’s parents, Sarah and Steven Drumm-Walsh try to help Tommy as much as possible and give him the support and attention he needs, but it can also be stressful. 

They struggled with things like finding the right medication for him since there are several that can be used. It also affected Luna. 

“Once he got diagnosed all of the attention sort of turned onto him, and I felt myself becoming jealous of him and how much attention he was getting,” Luna continued. “Then I felt guilty about that because it’s not his fault, and he really does deserve my parents help more than I do so that’s what I try to remember when I’m feeling left out.” 

Although there are stressful and frustrating moments, Luna has gotten closer to her brother. She cares for him and helps him with many things. When she gets home from school, she’ll help Tommy with his homework and also help him get ready for bed. She has also gained skills from the experience. 

Luna said, “I learned how to be more patient towards him and to other people.” 

Of course Luna and Tommy still argue and have their bad moments since they are siblings, but she has grown from the experience. 

Luna stated, “I know it’s hard but I try to be patient because it’s hard for him too.”