Its FASD Awareness Month!
Happy September! It is now FASD Awareness Month! Laura and I have been working on a few things this month, as is anyone who works for the cause of FASD. In our outreach to people in this field, we have tried to come up with some interesting ways to continue to spread the word to people who NEED TO KNOW more about it or need additional support for it.
Yesterday, I listened to a great podcast interview with Audrey MacFarlane, the Executive Director of CANFASD Research Network. She is inspirational and has a lot of great projects in the works for Canada, but also for anyone interested in FASD. Give it a listen, it helps give us more hope! https://www.fasdsuccess.com/blog/podcast-episode-121.
I also sat in on a call with FASD United. They have a weekly update on how things are moving along with the FASD Respect Act and other work they are doing. It is always good to hear what progress is being made. These calls are open to anyone interested, so check out their website https://fasdunited.org and you can get information about joining these calls to help you see hope for the future. They are a fabulous organization doing fantastic work for all of us!
For FASD month, we are having a small private gathering with the families we are involved with currently, which is an ever-growing group of wonderful parents, children, and young people. We are keeping this one private, so I will not be sharing too much, but we are excited to meet in person this month!
RUNFASD is also happening across the world! Laura and I are both participating with our families. It is very casual in that you can do 9 of whatever you can: 9 miles running, walking, or biking, 9 jumping jacks............whatever you choose as long as it is in multiples of 9. My family is planning to “9 it up” when we meet with our massFAS families. The 9 is for September and also represents the 9 months of pregnancy to abstain from alcohol. You can find information about joining RUNFASD at the FASD United Website at https://fasdunited.org.
We have also petitioned the governor, Charlie Baker, to issue a proclamation naming September as FASD Awareness Month. It is not finalized, but the request has been made, and wording has been sent. I have had several emails back and forth with the aide who coordinates this, so I am hopeful. I will let you know when it happens!
Next, Laura and I will be featured on the first “FASD Month” episode on the FASD Hope Podcast with Natalie Vecchione. If you do not know of her and her podcast, you should check it out. She and her husband have an inspirational podcast, FASD Hope, where she always has hope as the theme intertwined in her interviews and messages. Well, her September 6th interview is with Laura and me. We recorded it a while ago, so I do not even remember what we said, but it is about our new roles here in Massachusetts and some of our hopes and dreams for massFAS. She is the mom to a 20-year-old son with an FASD who has also written a book about homeschooling:
And one last silly tidbit! The red shoes at the beginning of this blog? They are my son’s. We went back to school shopping, and he found those awesome red shoes! I knew if I suggested red, he would say no...........just because I suggested it. He gravitated right to them, as if they were a beacon! I am happy!
So, we are really excited about the future for all of us. Every little bit counts, and the more of us advocating, the more WE can do for FASD.