Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I've never done anything like this before and to be honest asking for your money and help is a scary prospect.
I'm running the 2010 London Marathon to raise money for The National Autistic Society in order that they may help other families and people like us and our daughter Louisa.
Louisa was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum when she was three. At this stage she was non-verbal and virtually in a world of her own. After about six months of worry and wondering we were handed a pamphlet on Autism and advised to read it. We cried. This was the moment when my husband and I realised that our daughter was going to need every shred of help we could give her and our world changed forever.
The pamphlet we were handed had been produced for parents like us by The National Autistic Society in order to help come to terms with a diagnosis. It was an invaluable document because it lead us to their EarlyBird Programme which was a course run to help us cope with and better understand Louisa's needs.
The course was for us a lifeline and meeting other parents in similar positions helped us come to terms with our diagnosis. Early intervention for children with autism is so important and with the help of The National Autistic Society we were able to learn about Louisa and understand why she sometime behaved differently from her peer group.
Eight years later and Louisa is in mainstream education and thriving. She has friends and best friends, tells and gets jokes and is in the "A" hockey team at school. She is everything we so feared she could never be when we realised she was an autist.
Eight years ago our world did tip upside down, but with the help of The National Autistic Society they helped us reset our bearings and unlock Louisa's potential. Our family will be eternally grateful for the help and advice they have given us.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
£15 helps pay for one Autism Helpline advisor to send information about autism support to five worried parents.
£25 pays for the first stage of training a volunteer befriender, who will spend a few hours a week with a person with autism or their family, offering much-needed support or friendship.
£75 pays for three families to attend the EarlyBird Programme, which provides vital help and support to families of pre-school children with autism.
So please dig deep and donate now and help others like Louisa.
Thank you so much
Alisonxx
