Team Chandler has arrived

Team Chandler is up and running for the 2009 Autism Speaks Utah Walk for Autism. You can join us on May 2nd at UVSU for a grand time of walking (uh,duh) food, games, face painting, and good company. You may also donate to our team, (this is a walk to raise money for autism services and research). But please join our team to walk. It's a 5K walk, but no one minds if you don't finish. There will be plenty of family friendly stuff, along with food and drink. No one has to donate, but we need to show the numbers of people affected by Autism. There's a link on this blog-right side-to join Team Chandler.


I wanted to share with you the following excerpt from Autism Speaks:

“Your child has autism.”

These four simple words define the facts. They are useful in explaining the past but they do not predict the future. They do not convey the devastating toll that autism has had on our family nor limit our determinedness to overcome this disorder. They are words that a new family will hear every 20 minutes.

And this from me:

We search for a cure, because it is devastating to watch your child struggle.
I often say I would never change the hand we have been dealt. But that has changed. One day recently, Chandler and I were waiting in the car for Carsen to come out of school. Chandler was watching the kids, and said "I wish I didn't have Autism. Why do I have Autism?"
That day changed me, perhaps made me a little bitter, because the "why" never goes away. True, I would never change Chan-I love her, beyond words, she and I are connected in a way no other 2 people on this earth are, we need each other. But to know that she wishes it were different kills me inside. So, for her, we raise awareness and search for a cure, so no on else ever says "I wish I didn't have Autism".