In honour of the Adopt4Life FASD Campaign, I decided to ask my daughter some questions about FASD so we can have a voice of a youth.

A brief history of the development of the Fetal Alcohol Resource Program (FARP).

Four stories about the importance of Peer Support Groups.

I remember sitting there around a table full of professionals, all staring at me, quiet and empathetic. Out of the silence I was asked, “How do you feel?” and my answer… I felt heard.

My thoughts and feelings about FASD basically can be summed up like this: recall the saying, “a person who wears many hats”—well that's how my son appears.

A letter to my dear son living with FASD.

So that is the truth from the trenches… and where I am at on this journey with advocating. This is a tough journey… really only understood by those living it day in and day out. I hope that maybe, just maybe by next September, we will see communities and agencies planning events for families and really helping families celebrate how AMAZING they are!

Although the diagnosis caused me to experience deep feelings of grief and sadness, along with fear and trepidation, the diagnosis also brought me great relief. I finally understood the why of so many issues we have faced over the years.