Raising Awareness in Iowa and Beyond
Linda Wessels
March 11, 2010
To those of you who don’t know us, we are the Wessels. My name is Linda and this is my son, Sam. I work here at Central Lyon as a paraprofessional and Sam attends school here. Sam is in the second grade. Sam’s educational situation differs somewhat from that of his classmates. Sam has a one-on-one aide so that he is able to attend a regular classroom with his peers. The reason that Sam gets special accommodations from our school is that Sam has autism. Sam was diagnosed with autism six years ago this month. He was two then; he is now eight years old.
I have to tell you, it has been a tremendous amount of work but well worth the effort! Many wonderful and talented professionals and families have helped us along the way in ensuring that Sam is as successful as is possible with his education as well as with his day-to-day challenges. We have been very blessed and fortunate in so many ways. We have met some extraordinary individuals whom we otherwise would not have and we have learned some truly valuable life lessons along the way that only autism could have shown to us.
One thing that we discovered we needed to do very early on upon learning of Sam’s special situation was to raise awareness. We have been especially dedicated and diligent in our efforts. So much so, we’ve met U.S. Senators, including President Barack Obama (not yet president at the time); we’ve been invited to attend a number of meetings with our Congressional representatives in Washington D.C.; we’ve marched in rallies, been featured in newspapers and on TV, and even had occasion to meet movie stars.
Most recently we were featured on KMEG 14 and KPTH. We were contacted by KIMEG TV because of a very special project in which we have been invited to participate, “The United States of Autism.” “The United States of Autism” is a documentary. It will feature 20 families coping with autism from all across the nation. It is set to be produced in five first languages. Filming begins this summer. The goal of the film is to educate others about autism by showing everyday families from all walks of life; in their natural environments as they deal with the day to day challenges of autism. It will exemplify how autism can touch anyone’s family regardless of their ethnicity or economic status. It will further embody the hopes and dreams of those living with autism in the nation where hopes and dreams dare to become true. Our family is extremely honored to have been asked to participate in extraordinary project. You can read more about “The United States of Autism” here. We are especially proud of this latest endeavor!
If you care to, you can help! Here’s how: “The Untied States of Autism” documentary is up for a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Everything Challenge. Each month Pepsi will award $1.3 million dollars to worthy projects. Our project is in the running for the month of March. If you want to help, all you need to do is follow the link, register to vote and vote for us EVERYDAY or as often as you possibly can. You are entitled to vote every day until March 31st. By doing so, you will be helping families all across this great nation. Every vote is greatly appreciated! Vote for the United States of Autism in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.
Our family sincerely thanks for your time and consideration!
