Last weekend, our family ventured out to Auburn Hills for the 6th annual Walk Now for Autism event. We found out about it only five days before the walk, and the idea was to raise money for Autism research by soliciting donations through their website. Since we were so late in the game, Chris and I set up our web pages, and posted on Facebook, and sent emails to various people letting them know about the walk, and asking for their support. Given that we only had 5 days to raise money, we each set our initial fundraising goals at about $300 each. By this time, some of the top teams had already raised around $5000, and had started weeks before. We figured ours was a reasonable and modest goal to try and meet in only four days.
We were astounded and humbled after our 5 day window passed to have raised $2360 for Team Nicholas!! We far exceeded our goal, and were actually in the top five of all teams who walked. I don't know how many teams there were, but I would easily say at least a hundred of them, maybe more. This absolutely amazed us, and not only did we feel good about being able to help support this cause for all families with Autism kiddos, we also felt very loved and supported by our friends, families, and even mere acquaintances. This was just another notch, in the seemingly growing belt, of positive experiences in having a child with Autism.
The walk itself was a very nicely done event. They had "team photo" opportunities, which of course we took advantage of. It's rare that I can get my whole family in a photo at the same time, and this may very well serve as our annual family portrait for this year. :-) They had bounce houses, face painting, food, drink, music, speakers and several booths set up about resources available to families who have special needs children. The environment was full of energy, and full of families who you felt immediately connected with because you knew that they understood what your own family goes through every day. There were so many kids, and though there weren't many that I witnessed, the melt-downs went unnoticed, or at least understood, which is a refreshing feeling for anyone who has experience with this little "gem" of Autism.
There were two speakers who were adults living with Autism. Listening to them speak gave hope to the families, and inspiration to keep fighting the fight. One gentleman was a 23 year old who was diagnosed with autism at age 4. He spoke about how his parents were told that he would never make it through high school, and would likely live in an institution of some kind by his adult years. He spoke very clearly, and frankly, you would never know that he is dealing with Autism. He proudly told us about how he heard the words of the doctors, and decided that he would prove them wrong. He not only graduated from high school, but attended Michigan State University, played on their basketball team, and walked across the stage to receive his bachelors degree in Sociology. I came away from this story knowing that while Nicholas' future is unknown, so was his. But his parents pushed, and he worked his ass off, and the reality of his outcome helped me keep my sights and spirits high about our future.
We had a great time walking around the palace grounds with our little family. And though we started with a stroller (for Brody) and the wagon (for the older ones,) Nicholas and Avery ended up walking most of the entire mile! It was really a cool and fun day, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to participate.
To those of you reading this who donated, we are eternally grateful. It means so much to us to know how much love and support we have around us. And whether or not the puzzle of Autism is solved in our lifetime (I pray to God that it is,) your donation will surely benefit so many families at some point down this long road of research. And to those who may not be in a financial position to support us in these types of events, we feel equally as grateful for the gift of time, kind words, and cheer leading that we receive from you through various outlets...emails, facebook, and by knowing that some of you read this blog.
I truly feel blessed to know the people that I know, and I am grateful to have been given the chance to see, through our "walk with Autism," how splendid humankind can really be.
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