Our beautiful Danny sadly took his own life aged only 18 in October 2022. Danny was diagnosed with autism when he was 13. Lack of awareness surrounding autism, meant that Danny was not diagnosed at an earlier age, so his nursery and schools were unable to give him the required level of care and support. We believe this negatively impacted his mental health over time. Later, even though the school Danny attended were informed about his diagnosis, he was still not given the support he needed during the crucial young stages of his school life. It got to a stage where he slowly became reclusive and stopped interacting with family and friends. It was heartbreaking watching him deteriorate, and left us feeling helpless. This proves that there needs to be an overhaul in the training provided to those with a duty of care to young people with autism.

Danny was bright, enthusiastic, warm and he accomplished so much at a young age. He achieved a Merit for his grade 8 guitar, played piano beautifully and attained 5 As in his high school exams. He was an avid reader, with a real love for films and he always knew how to tell a great story. He loved music and his last concert was seeing The Script at Edinburgh Castle last summer.

There was a book left by Danny on his piano called 'Fly Little Bird.' The book is about a bird who can't fly very high and this causes the other animals to laugh at and tease him leaving the bird feeling lonely. This gives only a small glance into how he must have felt growing up, in a world where very few people understood him.

Children with autism often experience mental health problems and this can be the cause of so much suffering. This is more relevant than ever as on 7th September 2023 the BBC published a news story discussing a study which suggested people with autism die on average 16 years earlier than the general population (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66731265). As pure-hearted a boy as Danny was, it is unfair that his life was cut so short because of this affliction. It is now with pride that we have set up a registered charity under Danny's name: the Danny Hashim Autism Awareness Charity, SC052778.

My sister Maria and I will be taking on Scotland's Half Marathon on Sunday 24th September.

The donations will go directly to the Danny Hashim Autism Awareness Charity, SC052778. We aim to help families and those working with children and young people in schools to spot the sign of autism early on to be able to provide the best support for children and young people like Danny.

The core aims of the charity are:

- to fund autism awareness training from nursery to secondary school (from age 3-18) to enable all adults working with children and young people in schools to identify the signs of autism.

- to fund autism awareness courses for parents of children with autism.

- to create a safe space for children with autism where they can interact freely, comfortably and discuss problems they may be facing in a safe environment.

- to promote tolerance and education through school visits and presentations.

- to petition for the law to be changed so that the Scottish Government is required to ensure that autism awareness training provided to all adults working with children and young people in schools is made mandatory.

- to advocate for an increase in funding by the Scottish Government for resources for young people's mental health specifically more resources for units such as Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to diagnose people in schools, provide support training for parents as well as teachers and support staff.

- to fund resources which will support children with autism in all aspects of the school curriculum.

Danny's mantra, "be like water," was written on his calendar just days before he passed away. Danny proved to himself throughout his young life to be fluid in his many talents as well as the love he had to give to all he met. He inspired those he met to be kind to one another and brought out the best in them. It is only right that we take his kindness on beyond life, in his memory, to help those who need it most. Danny always lit up any room he was in - now it's our turn to do something positive in his memory. Please help us to fulfil Danny's legacy and bring this cause the attention it deserves.