Michael is our angel. He was born 10 weeks early on May 3rd 2002. He weighed in at 2 pounds and 9 ounces. Mikey has been a fighter since his first day! As parents we went through the emotional rollercoaster of being told Mikey would be fine and catch up to his peers by his second birthday.
Michael started in therapy for mild cerebral palsy at 6 months old. He was making great progress with range of motion and doing well. We did notice a delay but hung onto the promise the doctor made - that he was going to catch up!
When Michael was almost four we noticed he had stopped speaking the few words we had heard and he seemed more distant. We took him to Miami to Dan Marino's Childrens Hospital. Within 10 minutes of the visit - the doctor said in a very casual tone..it's Autism Spectrum Disorder - and our world collapsed. This was now a life-long condition that I knew nothing about. There were no handbooks, no guides on what to do or where to go. We would have walked to the end of the earth to help him and we started that journey.
While searching online I found a support group in Lakeland that was advertising the walk for CFAII. I learned about ABA therapy and how to advocate for Michael. I learned that I was his best advocate and to never accept the status quo - never give up and always have high expectations. I thank Terry Millican for educating me on how to advocate for Michael. I support CFAII and want to help other parents who are given this path. We are not hopeless but hopefull that Michael's tomorrow will consist of living and working in his community. We guarantee this by advocating for him and helping others!
Help us continue this journey by supporting CFAII !! The walk is finished but we are still collecting donations. If you were not able to make it to the walk and would like to donate - Any amount would be appreciated...Thanks!