Craniofacial features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A journey begins where we least expect it. I know that when we decided to foster I never thought we would be where we are 15 years later. I am glad though as I might have tried to change it and what a mistake that would have been. You see I thought that I wanted to be that crazy perfect suburban family. Which is weird as I don’t live in the suburbs and never wanted to. I did however think I wanted the little family that was picture perfect. How wrong I was…
I live in a small community in the Midwest. We raise cattle and have a few other ranch animals. We now have a family which was all I ever really wanted. The children we were blessed to bring into our lives have taught me more than I ever could have imagined. You see our kids are special…not just to me. They have fought for every single achievement they have ever had including each birthday and milestone. I never knew strength or faith until I met them. I never knew joy or love until they brought it to me. Is the journey easy? Never but what worthwhile is?
I share in this blog in the hopes of helping others to understand how important it is to protect our children from the ravages of prenatal alcohol exposure. Our journey is one that I pray will help others see the wonderful gift of loving a child who doesn’t always know how to ask for love in a positive way.
I am a mom. That is the title that means the most to me. I am mom to 12 beautiful children who are ranging in age from 24 to 4. I never thought I would love that many children but well we have loved even more. Through our journey we have fostered well over 100 and loved them for whatever time they were in our home and hearts. I learn every day new lessons in strength and try to share them when I can.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder affects all of our children. I once struggled and thought that I was destined to love “broken” children. I was terrified of their futures. I didn’t know what to do but they taught me that they are not Broken. They are each amazing and they each have so much to offer. While FASD is not able to be cured it can be prevented. Please educate yourself and others about why it is so important to protect our unborn from the dangers of alcohol. Please feel free to contact me through www.stopfasd.com
fasdmom 
I have been searching for help for a long time, what a relief to hear someone else speak my thoughts. We have very little social life because people just don’t get why A is the way he is. Telling them, explaining FAS and working diligently to be 100% on top of his behaviors, just isn’t enough. “Why don’t you just spank him” {I am NOT anti-paddle} doesn’t solve brain damage. STILL I would not give him up for anything!! Besides having a HUGE heart, and a ready smile, we recently discovered he is a piano prodigy!! He is gifted with magic fingers and an “EAR” I am told!! What a blessing to hear him play. I am so encouraged to have run across your blog!! Many Blessings to you and your family!!
I am hoping you continue to find support. I know that it can be so hard to find help and have others understand but I also know that there are some great people out there. There is a support group on Facebook Roots to Wings FASD support and advocacy. Please feel free to join to meet others who are living with FASD.
Hi, I love your blog so upbeat and positive. I’m a teacher at a small private Christian school for special needs children in Spokane, WA and most of our students are adopted with FASD and the soup label of DX that go with that exposure. I would love to join this blog and learn from the TRUE experts… parent up to their eye balls loving & raising these wonderful kids!
Toni Hager hagertoni@gmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences in raising children with FAS. While FAS is a struggle for many children and parents, our organization makes efforts to prevent FASD and other preventable developmental disabilities through community education and awareness. We began a new blog and are looking to network with other member is the developmental disabilities community. If you have the time please link our blog and we will do the same. Thank you again. You can also visit our website http://www.coalitionforprevention.org
Your blog is very informative and a good resource for all. I was wondering if your fellow bloggers could help me. I am a student in nutritional sciences and am interested in learning about any eating problems that children with FASD might be having. If caregivers go to the link below, it will take you to a survey that require just a few minutes to fill out. You will be taken directly to the survey by just copying and pasting the URL. The site is secure, confidential, and no personal identifiers are with any of the responses. The information is for a class project but will also help me learn about FASD and how it affects childhood nutrition. I would really appreciate your effort and consideration in this matter. Thanks!
https://okstateches.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eKdM85ULqne9qZv
Hello!
I´m a woman who is born with FAS. I´m writing on a site about alcohole and other drugs.
I´m glad that I´ve found this blog.
Have a nice day.
http://www.ceciliajohansson.org
My name is Sheron Chisholm, I am a professional health coach for parents who have children with FASD, a registered nurse and adoptive single parent of three children with FASD.
I am planning a pilot webinar series on the topic of “Letting Go and Discovering Your Passion in Parenting. The topic is mastering grief.
The end goal of the series is how to forgive yourself and others for parenting mistakes; freedom in parenting; healing and release of suffering. I am interested in knowing if you would attend such a webinar series, if not why.
Please respond to sheronchisholm@gmail.com and please leave your email so that I can send further information about the webinars.
Thank You.
my niece has fasd I always knew she wasn growing at the same time as she should she came to live with me when she was two she is now 6 and I only found out this year she has fasd we are from northen ireland and over here there is nothing on it living with it is hard for us both and trying to find out what is the right way to help her is a no go because no one here understands it they all look at her like she’s a bad kid when she’s noytshe doesn’t understand what’s going on or why she gets on like that I’m so glad that you have this as I now have people that understand what me and her are going through
Very nice post. I absolutely love this website. Continue the
good work!