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Today, every 22 minutes, a family will find out that their child has Autism. This family will have no where to turn. Many questions will fill their minds: What is Autism? Is there a cure for Autism? Will my child ever talk and read? Will my child have friends? Will my child ever find love? What will happen to my child when I am gone? Who will take care of her? My daughter was diagnosed with Autism six years ago and I found myself asking these questions. As I found out, answers were few and far between. What I heard from doctors was that there is no cure for Autism. I heard that many children with Autism are institutionalized. I heard that there was little that could be done. I began to lose hope. I found myself pressing into action and digging for answers. I plowed ahead in my quest for information. Our family life began to revolve around ‘The Diagnosis.” I even neglected my emotions and did not allow myself the needed time to grieve and to cope until my doctor looked me in the eye and said, “Donna, your daughter is DEAD! You need to forget all of the hopes and dreams you have for your child and start over.” Wow, what powerful words she spoke! In many ways, she was right. Many of the dreams I had for my daughter would not be realized. However, I knew that my husband and I could build new dreams and a bright future. The question was, where would this journey start, and where will it end? As I found out, I was not alone! Did you know that 95% of families affected by special needs end in divorce? 1 in 65 families has an autistic child. Autism costs the United States economy $90 billion a year, and in ten years it will cost $200-$400 billion per year. However, with appropriate and early intervention, these projected costs will decrease by 66%. Having a child with Autism is a lonely journey. Parents hear things like:
Of course none of these things are true, but after being continually bombarded with them, you begin to doubt the abilities your child possesses and you fall deeper and deeper into isolation. We need your help in maintaining the development of www.surreiasplace.org; a place for families to obtain information, community and hope for all aspects of their journey through Autism. This is a place that will give families access to many of the resources and referrals that they need in order to overcome the obstacles associated with Autism. We want to provide a place for renewal that is safe and inviting for the whole family by creating Local Surreia’s Place Chapters throughout the world. We want to empower families to advocate for their children and to create a promising future for them. We have come to realize that Autism is a journey that is life-long! We see Autism as a blessing from God. By allowing us the privilege of seeing life through Surreia’s eyes, we have learned to love more genuinely, to appreciate God’s simple blessings, and to find beauty in unexpected places. We need individual and corporate donors to team with us in this exciting endeavor. Sponsors and donors have an opportunity to be involved in giving to a cause that supports children and families who need much but are offered little. Surreia’s Place Inc. has been established as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We are also looking to partner with vendors to provide below cost or no cost materials and/or labor for this project. A great deal of marketing support will be given to those who support this project. If you are interested in donating to us please click this link. |
