What Matters To You
by Danielle Findlay
On a quest for the rarest of Barbies
and Pokemon cards, my kids made a
solid case for a morning of yard-saling
this summer. We found Barbies, and we
found Pokemon cards, but really we
found so much more that August
morning.
A sign on one of the houses we
visited that day caught my eye. Scrawled
in black spray paint on a plywood
square were the words “Moving to B.C.”
I got to speaking with the woman who
lived there and I came to learn that her
daughter suffers from autism. Chantelle,
as I came to know her, was moving
across the country to be closer to family
and to access additional resources for
her daughter, Lily.
Our conversation that day was brief,
but with her story stuck in my head I
was able to reconnect with Chantelle
several weeks later. After talking with
her at length I realized she is much more
than a mother to Lily. She is an advocate,
a researcher, a case manager, a
community educator and a font of
knowledge. Chantelle has fought for Lily
(and in a way, many more children with
autism) and continues to persevere
despite the challenges she faces as a
single parent with medical concerns of
her own.
My conversations with Chantelle
and Autism Ontario (Windsor-Essex
division) led recently to another
meaningful connection. Trudy Richards
is a member of the Central Leadership
Committee for Autism Ontario and has
firsthand experience as caregiver of a
child with special needs. Trudy has had
custody of her grandson since he was 8
What matters to you? The Hub
welcomes well-reasoned opinion
pieces of less than 500 words from
our readers.
Email us at
[email protected]
months old. The behaviours Trudy’s
grandson exhibited over the years are
similar to those of the Newcastle boy
who was the target of the nasty and
hate-filled letter that made international
headlines this summer.
Trudy and Chantelle’s stories are
similar; an uphill and sometimes
exhausting battle, supportive family
separated by distance, and friends,
acquaintances and community
Perron Photography
Engagements, Families, Maternity
And More!
members who don’t always understand.
While Trudy, Chantelle and others are
working hard to juggle extra demands
and advocate for their loved ones, they
can also be left dealing with social
isolation, financial hardship and the
stress associated with misinformation
and the public’s lack of education.
So I asked around: “What can
people in our community do to better
support families with special needs?”
These are some of the answers I
received:
-Take time to learn about the challenges
faced by families of children with
special needs.
-Insist on helping. Caregivers with
special needs children require respite.
-Be inclusive. Children with special
needs enjoy play dates and birthday
parties, too.
-Get involved! Participate in events and
fundraisers.
As a whole, the people in Windsor
and Essex County are very generous and
caring; we’re definitely on the right
track! I’m grateful to Chantelle and
Trudy for sharing their stories with me,
and I hope I’ve done just a little bit to
pay it forward.
$80
t
Jus
For a one
hour, outdoor
session!
“”Like” Perron Photography
on Facebook for details!
Photographer : Jolene Perron
E-mail : [email protected]
Phone : (519) 991-9025
38 The HUB - October 2013