A Sister’s Crown: Malinda Jackson, Advocacy, and the Power of Growing Up Together

The decision began years earlier. In moments that stitched together childhood: carpools to therapy appointments, waiting rooms with soft conversation, living rooms where therapists knelt on the carpet beside picture cards and patient smiles.

In those moments, Malinda Jackson was simply a younger sister tagging along beside her older brother, Thomas.

The two grew up just eighteen months apart - close enough that their childhoods mirrored each other, until subtle differences began to surface.

“I came along and started talking,” Malinda remembers. “Thomas wasn’t talking yet. I think that was the first sign that something wasn’t quite how it should be.”

At age three, Thomas was diagnosed with autism. Soon after, the family found Easterseals Midwest, where he began receiving therapy services that would support him throughout his childhood. For Malinda, those visits became part of the rhythm of growing up.

“I remember going to Easterseals with him all the time,” she said. “Because I was just one year younger, I was always around. I remember seeing all these people helping guide him and support him. It was really special.”

Over time, the building itself became something more than a place for appointments. It became a community.

Therapists arrived carrying activities and encouragement. Families crossed paths in hallways and waiting areas. Conversations that began between appointments often stretched into friendships that lasted far beyond them.

“A lot of our family friends actually came from Easterseals,” Malinda said. “Growing up, his therapists would come to our house, and they were like big sisters to us. It really felt like a community.”

Years passed and Thomas grew older. So did Malinda.

By the time Thomas turned twenty, he was continuing to build independence through Easterseals services. With support from employment programs, he developed workplace skills and began a job of his own. Recently, he even earned his driver’s license. Cars are one of his favorite things.

“Sometimes we just drive around and listen to music,” Malinda said, smiling. “He’s so silly. One of the sweetest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet.”

Then came Malinda's homecoming season. Students running for royalty were asked to choose a charity to support during their campaigns. For Malinda, the decision was immediate. She would run - and she would raise funds for Easterseals Midwest.

At school, she organized events and collected donations, raising more than $1,000. But she wanted the effort to reach further than the classroom walls. Using Easterseals’ online fundraising platform, JustGiving, she launched a digital campaign.

“JustGiving made it really easy,” she explained. “I could set everything up online, and every dollar raised went directly to the organization.”

The response surprised even her. Friends shared the fundraiser. Family members contributed and community members joined in. By the time the campaign closed, Malinda had raised more than $5,000 to support Easterseals services.

Then came one final moment of celebration. She was crowned homecoming queen.

For Malinda, the moment felt less like a personal victory and more like a reflection of the community that had shaped her life. “Easterseals Midwest has given so much to my brother and my family,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to take my opportunity to give back to this amazing and hardworking organization.”

Growing up alongside Thomas has also shaped the way Malinda sees the world and how she responds when others make assumptions about disability. Sometimes people suggest that having a sibling with autism must be difficult. Malinda smiles when she hears that.

“It’s not a bad thing at all,” she said with a laugh. “People think my brother makes my life harder because I help take care of him. But honestly, it’s so enjoyable.”

She pauses, then adds with unmistakable affection:

“It’s just like having a regular sibling… except mine is better than everyone else’s.”

Today, as Malinda goes through life after high school, the lessons of her childhood remain close at hand: empathy, advocacy, community. And somewhere not far away, Thomas is likely behind the wheel, music playing, ready for their next drive together.

For Malinda, the crown was never the point.