Welcome to all who are participating in this first ever “Let’s Get Visible” campaign.
Life is hard… but I won’t quit!
What does it mean to be a person living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?
… It is the infant who is unable to suck and tolerates most infant formulas and is failure to thrive, does not sleep, cannot adjust to lighting or noises and is unable to sooth
… It is the two year old whose temper tantrum is MORE (a limbic system overload into never never land), does not sleep, cannot adjust to lighting or noises and is unable to sooth
… It is the preschooler who watches as friends skip across a playground and has the first realization she is different
… It is the elementary school student who loved being read to and discovers he can not read
… It is the middle school student who desires friends so badly he will do anything to attain one
… It is the high school student who helps a friend and ends up in juvenile detention – the friend has disappeared
… It is the transitioning adult who self-medicates to cope and tumbles into addictions
… It is the adult who learns to conquer his or her past and rise above it… the challenges are not gone nor are the brain or body issues. But they have survived – and they are now standing in knowledge for the next generation.
This campaign is for our people who walk daily with the challenges of FASD—as survivors of alcohol in the womb. We have seen when they expose their disability it has led to bullying, laughter and many misunderstandings and when they have tried their best to hide there issues the same thing has happened. It takes strong adult survivors to stand up and say “enough” we are invisible no more!
For caregivers and loved ones who understand this diagnosis intimately we have been bullied, laughed at and misunderstood also whether we share the diagnosis or not. FASD is not invisible. It seeps out of the cracks and crevices of our lives as we work, learn and play…
Thank you for stepping out in RED SHOES ROCK with our people!
Red Shoes Rock 
Reblogged this on oursacredbreath and commented:
I started my 9 kms in 9 days this morning. Only takes 15 minutes at a good pace to do a kilometre.
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Love what you have written. I adopted my daughter when she was 8. They suspected she had FASD. I had her diagnosed at 10. She is now sixteen. Other than the time she was very young I have watched her go through each of these phases. I pray she will escape the justice system route but I cannot keep my eyes on her 24/7. She does have the need to fit in. And that frightens me. I do have hope for her success. She is an amazing spirit this world does not appreciate nor understand. Thank you for bringing attention through this campaign. – yvonne
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