Shelly Meier Hello, I have a friend, Lynn, who is the single mother of a son, Andy, with autism. Lynn has struggled to provide the growing significant care a boy with severe autism requires while working full-time to support their household. Recently Lynn has begun to experience some significant physical symptoms of fatigue that place her health status at risk. We are praying for both Lynn and Andy. My husband and I decided to pay for each piece in the puzzle package ourselves and send these out as Christmas gifts this year. We would like to remind all of our family members and friends that there are so many stories of courage and sacrifice out there, that our lives are so blessed, and that this dreadful disease needs research to help families like Lynn and Andy. This year, Christmas will be about what we can give, not what we will receive. Carrie & Sean O'Reilly I have been blessed with three extremely talented children. Lane is 8 and my twins, Billy Cole and Brooklyn, will be 4 in November. My little man, Coletrain, was diagnosed with PDD-NOS a little shy of one month before his 3rd birthday. Lane will be evaluated in October, as we suspect he has either HFA or Aspergers. His kindergarten teacher tried to talk to me about her suspicions then but I had an excuse for everything that she brought up and had no idea she was trying to tell me she thought he had some form of autism because I was uneducated about it. Before Coletrain was diagnosed, I researched and read everything I could about it. Hindsight is 20/20, during my research, I realized Lane has some form of it too. He should’ve already had his evaluation. I have rescheduled it twice for many reasons. One of those being that this journey with my children has been devastating to the core of my being. Having one son diagnosed already and one scheduled to be evaluated and almost certainly diagnosed is something that unless you’ve been there, you have nothing to compare it to. I also have my baby girl. She shows signs of being on the spectrum as well. I pray to God that she is just a drama queen and that I am over analyzing everything that she does. I have talked to her twins developmental pediatrician twin about her and we are giving her a little while longer before deciding if she needs an evaluation or not. At times, it can be the darkest and loneliest place you can imagine and then times that by ten. The salt in the wound, so to speak, is that the vaccines that we are physically holding our babies down for, that are supposed to be helpful to them are poisoning them, making healthy babies sickly babies, delaying them, making some of them unable to speak or unable to give or receive affection from the ones that would lay down and die for them. The are not only wreaking havoc on the babies immune system. They are tearing families apart. Families that need to be together to love, guide and care for these children. Some days, I feel like I want to crawl in a hole and die. It is then, when I remind myself of the medical field and government bodies that know damn good and well what they are doing and denying. That makes me want to get out of that hole and fight for what is right….. America’s babies, America’s future. I know why I don’t sleep well at night…I have children with autism. Wonder what they blame it on? Tassy Tomlin Kentucky http://ibillymom.blogspot.com/ Tassy Tomlin My beautiful son Alec was diagnosed moderately Autistic in 2007 at the age of 2. My world came to an end. Once I was able to move past the pain and despair, I became a mother warrior! With the help of God, AutismOne, Generation Rescue, therapists, doctors and so many of you that have come before me, my son today is recovered! I want to be able to help other families come through that darkness. I want to help get the word out, fund research and empower people with the knowledge that Autsim is treatable and recovery is possible. I would be honored and priviledged to spead these puzzle pieces as far as my arms can reach. Together we will heal our children! Liz Pineda Mother Warrior to Twins, Alec and Christian Liz Pineda My son Cody is now 20 and found out that he was mildly autistic at the age of 16. We knew something was wrong from the beginning but the doctors kept telling us he was fine but would be about a year behind on his motor skills because of the way he was born. Cody would do odd things even before he was 2. He would walk down the hall with his eyes shut to see how far he could get before he bumped into the wall and in his room he always had his toys in little piles when he would play. His books always had to be lined up right side up and he always liked playing alone. I found it a little odd but didn't think too much of it until he would n't talk. Doctors again said we were doing everything for him and plus he kept having ear infections so finally they recommended Keys, Speech, and Hearing. They said he would need extensive therapy. Not even a month into the school he just started talking. When he started school everything was fine until 1st grade and his writing didn't improve so they had him tested for ADD. I tried to tell them he did not have that and they wanted to put him back in Kindergarten but I wouldn't let them. His teacher did not want to take the time to help him so I had him transferred to another class. Mrs. Herndon was a god send for him. He did repeat the first grade and he ended up getting her again and they labled him as having a learning disability which he carried all through his school years but in the mean time kept telling me he didn't have one. I knew as well as he did but what can you do. He knew he was different from other kids and even though he had some wonderful teachers and he's led a wonderful life he started to question why he was different. We are very open and honest with him as he is with us and his junior year and several psychologist later we found one that wanted to know if he was autistic. She ran her own tests and I talked with his counselors and lab teacher at school and the school had him tested. Turned out that he was autistic. He is mildly autistic but autistic just the same. They said he showed more signs of being autistic than not. When we were told the first thing he said was see I told you I did not have a learning disabilty and it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. All the questions of why was he different seemed to have disappear and that day after school we got on the computer and started learning about autism. He still has questions and sometimes he gets frustrated because he is autistic but we are dealing with that and taking each day as it comes. By helping to raise money in this Million Dollar Puzzle and by getting the word spread about autism I know that we are helping to find a cure. Michelle Ouwenga Mother of Cody 20 with autism Michelle Ouwenga I found out july 15 2008, that my 3 year old son caden has autism, it crushed our family,this little boy was our last child, youngest of 6, so bright as a child, very quiet, well- behaved a blessing all the way. he is a healthy 3 year old will be 4 in july, in school, does not talk, not potty trained, but gives all of us hugs and kisses each and everyday.i decided to learn about autism and do everything i can to help my beautiful little boy. i hope we can find away to cure and find a cause for autism for all of our children's sake. KARRYN IVORY My story would be very sad without Dr. Bernard Rimland. My son Jeff would not be in regular ed and would not have made his amazing progress. I miss you Bernie. Thank you. Jeffs mom This morning I signed up to receive 100 puzzle pieces and as I stood in the shower I remembered the cause and how much work it truly is and I re-emailed Lynda and asked for 1000 pieces and I'm so happy with that decision. I live in Illinois with my 6 year old son Evan who is on the spectrum. I've learned so much along the way with Evan and he brings so much love and joy into my life each day. I'm a single mom with a small family and its a day-to-day battle with just keeping to routines. My son is non-verbal and in kindergarten and is progressing well. I began an Autism Support Group in my area over one year ago and we have had tremendous turn out. Thank you to all speech therapists, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, family members, friends, and school personnel who jump right in to learn and help all they can. My story has been a true success story with my son. April is Autism Awareness Month and my son and I are traveling from IL to TX to check out some AAC classrooms and we are taking the puzzle pieces with us to touch everyone we meet and to help educate the public on the spectrum. Maybe we will run into you along our journey...I'm really excited about this new task we have begun to help the ARI and thank you Lynda for beginning such an amazing task..... Bless all of you who work so hard each day for your loved ones!!!! It really does show. Kim and Evan Zera Kim Zera There are never enough words to thank all those who continue to fight for our children. We know we are blessed with our "Little Man". He was diagnosed in April, 2008, on his third birthday. We knew something wasn't quite right before age 2, but had to push ourselves and others to advocate for our son. Since that time a lot has changed, we found an amazing preschool for children with Autism, changed his diet, receive speech and OT and are working with a behaviorist! We belong to a "new community"... all of those touched by Autism and those who offer unending support! We are happy to help in anyway we can so the next child diagnosed has even more opportunities! Thank you again for the platform! Catherine Kaialoa After 2 1/2 years of watching and wondering what was going on, my son was diagnosed at age 6 with moderate Autism. I knew in my heart he had it, all the signs were there..the spinning, the lack of eye contact, the echolalia, walking on his toes, his obsession with lining up objects... but to hear it spoken, it's heartbreaking. Thank goodness we had a doctor who gave me places to go, books to read, internet sites... he supplied the information, I knew it was up to me what to do with it. Not once did I ever hear this doctor say "I'm sorry, but your son is Autistic, it's a label he will be stuck with for the rest of his life, and he'll never be 'normal'." No, it was as if he gave my son to me on a silver platter, and said "Kelly, this is your son. He has a Title, and it's called Autism. With your help, he will thrive and grow and be anything he wants to be. Right now he is clay and it is up to you to mold him. Here is your armor, your headgear and your sword. Now go out into the world." I felt like a knight, ready to battle with this six-headed monster called Autism. I am happy to say that one year later, with a fantastic kindergarten teacher, an aide and mom & future stepdad at his side, this boy is, indeed, thriving. He still displays the symptoms, so I know that the autistic dragon has not been completely slayed; it has, however, been injured...and I know, one day, I will win this war. Kelly Dunham It was just days after my sons third birthday when a doctor finally said the "A-word". It was official. I didn't even want that word to leave my mouth. It scared me. I didn't know where to go from the diagnosis. There were so many questions and emotions I had to figure out. Educating myself came first and then I found the right path. After that came the game of hurry up and wait. He didn't have time to wait. I knew time was crucial to his progess so my frustrations were mounting. Finally it all came together. He was approved for insurances, schooling, and therapies. I also found a DAN doctor who took him on as a patient. He has started to make some progress, slow and steady. I have learned to appreciate what so many others take forgranted. I find joy in the small things because that is what matters most. It has taken some time but I can now proudly say "My son is Autistic". I'm okay with that, I'm at peace with that, I embrace that. We are both learning everyday. This is our journey. Stacie Stephen, Mother Warrior to Vincent Gabriel Stacie Stephen Hi. My name is amanda I am the mom of 3 little guys, Blake 7, Jaydn 5, Camden3. My son Jaydn was diagnosed when he was 2, the day we recieved his diagnoses, i was told that my son was at a 4 month old level, and he would never talk, probably didnt know that i was his mother... and then the words that hurt the most... you will never hear the words " I Love You" from your son.... I was 7 months preg for my youngest son.... it was August, the heat was killing us... we had a 14 hour trip..... and I was in DENILE!!! I had no idea what Autism was.... what it consisted of... if it was contagious... if i caused it... is it something i can cure... is he going to die... on and on the whole way home! Jaydn use to have good eye contact, blew kisses, danced laughed he was a pretty "normal" child and then one day...poof it was all gone.... My childrens Doctor picked up on Jydn lack of speech when he was 18 months old, lucky for us Jaydn was already recieving speech and o.t. at home... @ the age of 2 Jaydn started going to school... Early Intervention! Jaydn stole many hearts... blonde hair blue eyes... who could pass that up.... his teachers were GREAT!!!! heaven sent to be exact! They have allowed my little man to be himself.... taught him many things... like how to use a fork....what a struggle... how to communicate...even made sure he had a device perfect for him.... a voice that would be his very own!! They treated him like any other child... consequences of his actions good and bad. They spoke to him and noticed him... even if it was some one passing him in the hall... they acknowledged him.. For once my little guy doesnt stand alone! We have recently moved to a new school district and jayd has became the member of a new class room... and he is doing great! still working on the potty training thing... it will come... also we are developing new behaviors... they arnt very fun... but in time i am sure everything will be what it is supposed to be! Amanda King Our Son Declan Nicholas age 4, is our 2nd pride and joy. As his father, (once an orphan myself) Declan is my only known living blood relative, one may perhaps say- that I have waited to meet him, since the "day i was born". Declan is now involved in the southwestern DDD, SARRC, and "Jumpstart,or Head start" programs...Doing rather well with High-functional Autism, and I find each day a blessing.I am more than lucky now, to say "I'd taken time off employment as a tattoo artist-his first two years, as the"stay at home mom"...and I was equally blessed to watch, and help Declan grow. We learned to "sign" with declan, speach therapists, occupational therapists, etc. Out in Surprise arizona, we have little friends for support, but I find that even on the worst days...Declan has a way of turning around, and "showing his light in the world". I have learned with my son's autism, it is not with a mouth to speak, It is not with ears to hear, but only with an open heart, may one truly listen. Godbless those raising children with this disability, and even more blessings to the little angels, who are growing up to change our lives for the best. Delmar Jonathan Mercolini My son, Evan, went through years of incorrect diagnosis and medication. Finally at the age of 17, his doctor finally diagnosed Asperger's. That single event made so many of the struggles we had been through understandable. Getting through the school years were exhausting; seeing him make that final push so he could graduate on my birthday last June meant more to me than I can ever say. While his diagnosis came too late for early intervention, it did explain why once he was interested in something noone could outperform him. Evan went through two years of vocational fire science as a junior and senior in high school. He now has his firefighter certification, is a member of the local volunteer fire dept., and active on the water rescue team. He is also in the process of gettting his EMT basic certification, which requires lots of reading and study. He is doing very well, and looks forward to his paramedic training fall of 2009. The once dreamt of college years are now a reality. Not only is he talking about getting his associates degree in fire science and EMS, but is talking about going to the local university for his BS in Emergency Medicine and Human Services. Whatever he does, I am so proud of him. It has made all of the struggles worthwhile. I myself am actually pursuing my masters in psychology, to continue working with ASD kids and adults. The advancements will come, I am sure. We just need to keep focused on the achievements of this very special population, and make a difference where we can. God Bless all who live with this challenge. Michelle Friedlund We are the Grandparents of twins - David and Elena - who will be three in November. They were born 8 weeks early so when David wasn't progressing as Elena was we all thought it was because he's a boy and sometimes boys are a little slower. He started speech and occupational therapy in October '07 and was diagnosoed with ASD in March '08. We learned about the puzzle pieces at an Autism walk this summer and then I met the east coast coordinator at a meeting and took some with me to see what we could do. We wrote a letter telling about David and mailed it out to about 80 family, neighbors, and other friends asking them if they would like to help us raise money for autism research by buying a puzzle piece. We mailed the letters on August 2 and just yesterday we received another check raising the total donated to $1985!!! We have been overwhelmed and humbled by the response. We said in our letter that we are more comfortable giving than asking for money but because we were doing it with David in mind it was important enough for us to go outside our comfortable space and do something. We also asked for prayers because "money is for the future but prayer is now and personal and wraps God's arms around David and his family even more tightly". If we were able to raise this much I'm sure other people can also...just give it a try. Thanks to Lynda Huggins for helping me along with this and for organizing the fundraiser and to Daryl Files for her help in Syracuse. David is doing well and is even spelling words! Rick and Ginnie Russo The Decatur Middle School GameHawks (Gaming Club) held a weekend gaming event that was called the Puzzle and Games Weekend. On Saturday, we hosted gaming tournaments that surrounded typical family-style board games (Monopoly, Connect Four, Checkers, etc.) On Sunday, we held tournaments for more competitive collectible-style games (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, StreetBrawl, etc.) Each player in each event was asked to donate $1 to Puzzle Piece Challenge. Prizes for each event were donated by local community members. Our school PTO sold concessions and donated profits to the cause. We also held a silent auction with gift certificates and other donations. All said, we had approximately 100 people show up between the two days. We successfully raised over $300 in donations for the Autism Research Institute. All attendees filled out puzzle piece and we had them tape these on some pre-cut white butcher paper ribbons. By the end of the wekend, we had three full "Autism Awareness" ribbons. We are looking forward to making this an annual event. Robert M. Schutte well , how do start....we found out evan was autistic when he turned 2 years old. i knew he was different because my oldest child did everything normal . evan was so energetic when he was an infant till about 1 1/2 years old then he just changed. he had no eye contact , always stacked his blocks or anything he could get his hands on ,he also had more than 150 hotwheel cars that he organized by color and the make and model of the cars Everyday!!!!! he only had 2 words in his vocabulary (momma and no) . we started to take him to this rehabilitaion center in lufkin texas for his speech therapy and his occupational therapy the first thing i learned was that if you treat them like they are special then they will always be special but if you treat them normal then they are .. well we took evan to this rehabilitaion center till he was 3 1/2 because we put him in an early interveniton program at one of the local schools in our area and it was kinda hard because some of the kids were always asking why he did not talk and so then a teacher decided to be brave and start an austism program so we put evan in that program and she worked with him and us and we started the peck system and it worked then he started learning hand gestures ,so then he started to communicating with us. i was so excited . when evan was about 4 years old he started saying 4 word sentences and was trying to communicate with us more. he also was not potty trained. throughout evans pre-k years he started to talk more and more and he made lots of friends in his class .So his teacher decided to try and mainstream him for 1hour out of the day in a regular kinder class which i thought was ridiculous , but to my surprise he did well. by the time evan was 5 years old he was potty trained(yay!)and talking well but he still needed speech and occupational therapy . Evan mainstreamed half a day in kinder and did ok ,he did not do as well as he could have because the teacher made sure every kid in her class knew that evan was "special" .I remember when evan would get home from school and say nobody wants to be my friend and i would ask him why he thought that and he would say because my teacher treats me not the same . so i took him out and the next year he had the best kindergarten teacher ever .long story short. evan mainstreamed into a first grade class made lots of friends and passed with all A's and is going to 2nd grade already knowing how to add , subtact, and multiply and he is also reading at his level. evan has gone trough so much but all i know is that i am proud of him and i am proud to have been able to go through this experiance because now i can be there for other parents who feel like they are lost. oh yeah early intervention helps !!!!!!!!! suzanne breidenthal In February of 2001, we welcomed our second child and first son into our family. Crawford weighed in at 6 pounds 15 ounces, was breathing well and appeared as healthy as our first child. That evening the pediatrician on call called my hospital room to inform me very curtly that she had detected a possible heart complication and “stomach issue” and would call me back after she ran more tests. After 24 long hours all tests returned normal. He was given his first hepatitis B vaccine and I left the hospital with my “healthy” baby. I remember feeling grateful that that was over and I hoped I never had to experience something like that again. I think back and laugh at how clueless I was. In the weeks that followed he seemed healthy enough, and received his immunizations right on schedule. By the time he was two months old something seemed different, not alarmingly different, but not the same as his older sister. I just knew in my heart that he had autism. I knew very little about autism; it was not on the news like it is today. The only thing I knew about autism was from a book I had read in sixth grade entitled Dibs: In Search of Self. This book briefly mentioned autism and I had looked up autism in my mother’s old nursing books and read a very antiquated description of autism. Although my knowledge of autism was minimal, I just knew this was what my son had. He was just distant. I guess that would be a good description. He was just distant. He didn’t seem to care if I was around or if he was held or talked to. In fact, he seemed annoyed by me. As long as he was fed, he was happy all alone in his bouncy seat with the vibrating device on high. So at 2 months I took him to my pediatrician and declared to him “I think Crawford has autism.” I can remember that look on the doctor’s face. To him I was just a hysterical mother taking up his valuable time. After a brief evaluation I was sent home with my “healthy child.” I left so relieved and never gave it another thought. I continued to immunize my son right on schedule, not realizing that those very immunizations were wreaking havoc on his intestinal and immunological system. I know there is a lot of controversy regarding immunizations but I know in my core that that is what turned the tide for my son. From the time my son was 6 months to 16 months old he had 15 ear infections. He also suffered with chronic sinusitis and tonsillitis. It was a constant rotation of antibiotics. Despite all of these infections his speech was developing beautifully. In fact, of my four children, he was my earliest talker. He also was no longer aloof and distant but warm and playful. From the age of 8 months to 15 months I had a typically developing child who met every milestone on time if not early. He was just always sick. After his last round of immunizations, he began slipping away. On Thanksgiving Day when he was 20 months old, we were outside at my parent’s house playing with the other grandchildren. I noticed his play skills were very different from those of my nieces and nephews. He avoided all contact with them and seemed so fixated on doing one particular thing. Questions started racing through my head. When was the last time he spoke? When did he stop interacting with me? Interacting with other kids? When was the last time he looked at me? Responded to his name? When did he stop playing with trucks and just start spinning the wheels? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Our world had just changed FOREVER. Crawford had autism. I knew it. I made a lame excuse and left my mother’s house and flew to the after hours clinic. Inside was a pediatrician I had known for years and whose opinion I trusted. I carried Crawford in and announced, “I think he has autism.” When the doctor glanced at my son, the look on his face said it all. He promised to set up some evaluations and referred us to a pediatric neurologist. I left very stoically and got into my car and cried like I have never cried before. The wait to see that particular neurologist was three months long so I called three more pediatric neurologists and made appointments on my own. The first neurologist who was supposedly the best in Houston was the first to see us. After a rather thorough evaluation he proceeded to tell me that he believed Crawford was just fine and probably had some hearing loss and stubbornness. The elation I felt at that moment is indescribable. I practically floated to my car. As I got into the car I looked at my husband and said, “He’s wrong.” As much as I wanted to believe him, I knew that doctor was wrong. So we went home and had the first of six sets of PE tubes put in his ears, and then proceeded to see the next three pediatric neurologists. Pediatric Neurologist numbers 2,3 and 4 all looked at me and said, “Your son has autism.” At that point I think I was numb. I just needed an answer, a diagnosis, a label. I know for some people labels are difficult, but for me I needed that label, desperately. It was exactly what I needed to get me going. Since that day over six years ago, my son has been diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome, PANDAS Syndrome, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Malabsorption, Maldigestion, extreme hyperactivity, unspecified ulcerative colitis, and a myriad of auto immune disorders so odd there are no names for them. My son is sick, very sick. The funny thing is Crawford looks so healthy. Ninety percent of Crawford’s medical issues manifest themselves behaviorally. Many doctors took one look at him and suggested sedatives “to make it easier on me.” This dumbfounded me. After explaining all of his medical problems the best they had to offer me was sedation, not to help him but to help me. Are you kidding me? I can handle this. However, my child is sick and needs help. I spent months weeding through countless doctors until I found ones that were a good match for Crawford. They are the doctors that treat his medical issues not sedate his behavioral problems. The funny thing is, when he is given proper medical treatments, like anti inflammatories for his ulcerated and fissuring intestines, and IVIG to counteract damage from his auto immune disorders, his behavioral issues fade away. Imagine that! Treating the cause of the problem and not medicating the behavioral symptoms. Seems like this shouldn’t be a revolutionary idea, but sadly in allopathic medicine it often is. Autism has taught me so much. One thing is to always trust your gut, you know your kid better than anyone else. You don’t have to have a medical degree to be more knowledgeable than the medical professionals are when it comes to your child. A good doctor will listen to you. Trust your gut. Another thing is to never forget to laugh. Sometimes you have to laugh at your situation or you will go crazy. I know Crawford has some odd behaviors, but honestly sometimes they are downright funny. I think the ability to laugh at our situation has kept it as light as possible given the circumstances. I think this has been important for my other children. Autism has taken my family on an amazing journey. I have grown and developed so much. I have met so many amazing people. I wouldn’t want to trade this adventure, I just wish it hadn’t come at such a high price for my son. I am often amazed by Crawford’s strength. To be quite honest his childhood has basically sucked. Weekly IVs, frequent blood work, countless hours of therapy, and a host of other unpleasant medical procedures do not make for fond childhood memories. But through it all, his spirit has remained unbroken. In fact he has a beautiful spirit and a love of life. He is so sweet and loving and kind. The school board refers to children with special needs as “children with exceptionalities.” I think this is so true. They truly are exceptional. I am so grateful to Dr. Bernard Rimland and to the countless physicians and researchers who work tirelessly to save our children. Our children need and deserve better than the traditional medical establishment will provide. Sedatives and mood altering medications are not treatments, they are parental pacifiers. OUR CHILDREN NEED AND DESERVE BETTER. Hester Bourdier I am a parent of a son who has autism. My son was diagnosed when he was 21/2 years old. At the time I was raising my son and his younger brother on my own. He wasn't what I want to say was a challenge, the biggest challenge came from people not understanding him. Currently I am working on a story about him because when he turne 15, the social servies agency attempted to take him from me because they thought the could use my "single status" as a way to profit their pocket. Needless to say, I won. Yet I continue to work with him, sing to him, get down into his world. And I adore my sons. They are trully a gift from God. Cindy Dather I am writing this posting from my hotel room the night before I have the honor of representing my son, Nathan, and this wonderful Puzzle Piece Project, at the "Green Our Vaccines" Rally in Washington DC. I am the mother of a 4-year-old who slipped through my fingers and into the grasps of autism after he was vaccinated. I am here to take action. I am here to be his voice. I am here to hold him up to be counted. I came all the way down here from Cincinnati to make a point. MY CHILD COUNTS! YOUR CHILD COUNTS! All of these beautiful children who have been affected by autism, and the families who care for them, COUNT. Autism will NOT dicate silence. Instead, it will fuel amazing initiatives, such as the one started here with the Million Dollar Puzzle. It will creat a force to educate the public because, afterall, we parents know that those who believe "ignornace is bliss" have not witnessed a child slip into autism after being vaccinated. Autism will not steal our joy. It will not sneak into our children's lives and continue to simply remove them from the safety of our grasp. The toxic exposures that are sometimes forced upon our children through vaccine mandates and other relative crimes against humanity can only be stopped if we parents of affected children stand up, state the facts, and take specific action. Autism is moving at the speed of light. It is going to take the collaboration of passionate parents, concerned clinicians, dedicated researchers and cooperative legislators to collectively combine their forces and get out in front of this epidemic in order to put a stop to it. I am hopeful that tomorrow will prove to be a day we can record as a productive day of achievement on behalf of the faces you see on this website and the many, many others who deserve to be seen and heard. Further, I hope that the demonstration of the crowd gathered in honor of their affected loved ones and the magnatude of the presented evidence will send a clear message on behalf of those triggered into autism - maybe a message that goes something like this: "The public has been misinformed. There is a clear and obvious link between the toxic exposures endured through the vaccination process and the development of autism. There is undeniable evidence...and his name is "Nathan"...and his name is - your child's name...and your child's name...and your child's name....and your child's name...until suddenly they "get it" and the pieces finally come together ...and the puzzle that imprisons our children is finally solved. Vicki Sotack I just wanted to give back to the Autism Research Institute for saving my daughter. She was diagnosed with Autism at 2 years old. After reading the book, "Recovering Autistic Children", we decided to look into Biomedical treatments for her. Now, a year and a half later, she is almost fully recovered! I will never be able to thank ARI enough for their efforts in treating and recovering our children. ARI will always be the recipient of this family's Autism Fundraising for years to come. Thank you ARI, and thank you Dr. Rimland, our guardian angel above. Kim I've Requested Puzzle Pieces in honoring My Cousins Brad Selton of Milton, Ga and William Vloch of Carleton, Mi whom I love very much. My Mother Denise and I are on a mission to help inform as many people as we can and bring "AWARENESS" of Autism to our Community. I will let you know how it goes and if we require more puzzle pieces. Keep the Faith and We are with all of you that are touched by someone that you love that has "Autism". Jill Until recently, I was not aware of Autism and the facts, statistics or anything relating to Autism. I started tending to 2 children with autism. A 7yr old boy and 4 yr old girl...I love them both as they were my own. Since caring for them, they have taught me so much, they are the sweetest and loving children, eventhough they have their moods and times the Autism really comes out. I still love them the same. Now, because of them I am aware of Autism and trying to make others aware of Autism. Autism is becoming an epedimic and I want to do my part to speak out about Autism and how to help. I thank God every day for bringing these 2 children in to my life. I hope I can do my part in raising Autism Awareness, not only by saying it or by telling people but doing everything I possibly can to help fund the research for Autism and help the loved ones and the victims of this disease have hope, and hopefully one day have a cure. RAISE AUTISM AWARENESS Chasity Alabama I think it is an excellent idea to raise money for autism research that is not beholden to government, big corporations and pharmaceutical companies, organized medicine, or anyone else, but simply to the people of this country, many of whose families have been affected by autism. I took these 50 puzzle pieces to the barber shop where I get my haircut and they had them all signed and sold in about two weeks. The owner said, "If you do this again next year, bring us 200 instead of 50." Every customer they asked was willing to contribute. If you would like to see a clip of my mostly recovered grandson on his seventh birthday, see here: http://TinyURL.com/3232ky Kathleen Eickwort My little nephew Noah has Autism and ever since I found this out I have done nothing but support all the famiies and children with this disorder, I read about this alot and wish we all could find out the real reason what causes AUTISM, meantime I continue to LOVE HIM, and his parents for being so united and loving parents for Noah. Grace Pedroza Pharr, Texas My son, Mark was born in 1990. He was a healthy, bright-eyed baby who met all his milestones Then at eight months, the unthinkable happened. It was a routine well baby visit to the pediatrician, but there was nothing “routine” about it. The nurse mistakenly gave my son another child’s vaccination. If I wouldn’t have spoken up when the nurse calmed my son using the wrong name, the event would have gone undetected. The vaccination was an MMR that my son shouldn’t have received until he was 15-18 months old. Mark was then given his correct vaccines, the DPT#3 and HIB#3 as well. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have left and come back at a later date for the correct shots. My son was given seven different vaccines, two of the injections contained thimerosal (mercury) as well as aluminum and other neurotoxic substances. His immature immune system was assaulted that day, setting him up for the “train wreck” known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Thanks to Bernie Rimland, ARI, and Autism One, I found the biomedical treatments that have resulted in my son losing his diagnosis of HFA/Aspergers this past summer. Mark was one of the children assessed by Steve Edelson on his Midwest Tour. Mark is doing so well, he is taking driver's education this semester in school. It used to be that I couldn't even back out of the driveway without getting a cellphone call from him. This past weekend I flew half-way across the continent to the DAN! in New Jersey and for four days, I didn't get one cellphone call from him. What a miracle to have achieved that wonderful word...RECOVERY! Lila White I am so happy with what you have done and hope I can help to support the cause for my little boy Parker and all the other children out there with Autism. Keep up the wonderful work. With help and love, we can all make a difference. John S I have a wonderful son, who is the light of my life. He has taught me so much about life. My son was talking singing, counting and then at the age of 3 it went away. When wew finally got the diagnosis, I was angry. I couldnt understand how something could rob my child. I went through so many emotions, until I had to get it together. At the time my husband was on his 1st deployment, so I was alone. I finnally prayed about it, and begin to research autism. Today we are on our 3rd deployment and things are come along, still my child does not speak, but I hear new sounds emerging daily. We commicate with PECS,sign lanuage, and a tango. I still hold on to one day my child will speak to me again. I am waiting for him to say "I love you mommy". We only have a few issues, but I know we will work through them. I beleive the most challenging part of autism is the changes our children go through. Sometimes I feel so helpless when he cant really tell me whats bothering him. Right now our biggiest issue is the sound of dogs barking. He runs inside, and now he cant play outside, he gets so angry, because he is an outside child. I hope this will pass like all the other trails and tribulations we go through. Life is what we make of it, (and with the military saying "HOOAH"), we will stay strong and continue to fight, together we can make a difference. Valerie Hughes My son now age six has borderline autism we had found out when he was three years old. I started to worry when he was not talking and not interacting with others. The doctor said he has borderline autism i got scared and started to cry he is doing really well. His older brother that is nine and myself helps him with his speech and other things he has problems with. If there is anything i can do to help reach the goal and fight autism please let me no. Sincerly, Renee Purdy RENEE PURDY Hi my name is Melissa and I am a single mom of a beautiful 14 yr old son who was diagnosed with autism when he was two and a half years old.His dad passed away suddenly about 6 years ago so it has just been me and him.When they told us that Matthew had autism almost 13 yrs ago me and his father knew some things about autism but not much but we knew this would alter the rest of his life and ours.Matthew is on the autism sprectum scale he is not high functioning but he has excell way beyond in so many areas of his life.He is a very affectionate loving boy is very aware of his surroundings.He has endure many loss's in life inculding his dad whom I know his miss's very much plus all the transions in his life inculdes being in a life skills class and now he will be starting high school this fall.The school district that he lives in has been wonderful to work with since his preschool years they have never given me problems as far as supplying his educational needs they just love him.He has never had behavior issues maybe just a few here and there as he gets older.He has gone from non-verbal to very verbal now and he continues to excell everyday of his life.I wish his dad was here to see him but in my heart I know he sees his beautiful son excell.He dad was a very suppoetive and loving dad who I thank God eveyday that I had him with me for the 9 years of Matthews life.I am sure Matthew will face many challenges in the road ahead but with love and support he will continue to overcome.My biggest wish in this life is that someday that they find a cure for autism and with awareness and research I am sure they will.Thank you. Melissa My name is Jo anne I have a son with autism he is three soon to be four and a daughter who will be six soon on the autism spectrum. I got involved because it was so inspiring to see that someone cared so much for their child and all of our children to do this. My hope what we accomplish now hopefully other families won't go through what alot of us have. I got our local grocery store to sell puzzle pieces all through the month of april. I posted signs all over neigboring towns to let everyone know what was going on at the store. And the store is letting me set up a table on the 5th of april with info on what autism is signs of autism handouts of our local support group and I'm making ribbons to pass out to the staff and anyone that would like to wear one. I just hope one day they find conclusive informaation that give everyone exactly what our kids need. Jo Anne Clarkson I am sharing my story because I have a 12 yr. old son with Autism. He is very bright and excels in math at school, he may only be in the 5th grade but they have him doing 6th grade math and he enjoys it. He has taught us alot,our other 2 children get along very well with him and watch over him when they can. He enjoys playing baseball with his younger brother. He really likes to go hunting and fishing, and his favorite show seems to be Hunting with Jim Shockey. Lisa Diestelhorst I have a wonderful son, who is the light of my life. He has taught me so much about life. My son was talking singing, counting and then at the age of 3 it went away. When wew finally got the diagnosis, I was angry. I couldnt understand how something could rob my child. I went through so many emotions, until I had to get it together. At the time my husband was on his 1st deployment, so I was alone. I finnally prayed about it, and begin to research autism. Today we are on our 3rd deployment and things are come along, still my child does not speak, but I hear new sounds emerging daily. We commicate with PECS,sign lanuage, and a tango. I still hold on to one day my child will speak to me again. I am waiting for him to say "I love you mommy". We only have a few issues, but I know we will work through them. I beleive the most challenging part of autism is the changes our children go through. Sometimes I feel so helpless when he cant really tell me whats bothering him. Right now our biggiest issue is the sound of dogs barking. He runs inside, and now he cant play outside, he gets so angry, because he is an outside child. I hope this will pass like all the other trails and tribulations we go through. Life is what we make of it, (and with the military saying "HOOAH"), we will stay strong and continue to fight, together we can make a difference. Valerie Hughes I STILL REMEMBER THE DAY THAT MY HUSBAND AND I FOUND OUT THAT OUR YOUNGEST BOY SPENCER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM. SPENCER DID A GREAT JOB WHEN HE WAS A BABY, HE SMILED, CRAWLED, ATE BABY FOOD, TOOK HIS BOTTLE, AND HE EVEN WALKED. HE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE AGE OF TWO HIT. WE WENT TO HIS DOCTOR CAUSE WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH SPENCER. SPENCER WAS THROWING REALLY MAJOR TANTRUMS TO THE POINT WE COULDN'T CALM HIM DOWN OR MAKE HIM HAPPY. WELL THE DOCTOR SAID IT WAS TERRIBLE TWO'S. I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT CAUSE MY OTHER TWO KIDS NEVER ACTED THAT BAD WHEN THEY WERE THAT YOUNG, SO WE WENT TO ANOTHER DOCTOR DIFFERENT FROM A PEDIATRICIAN I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPELL THE NAME OF IT. ANYWAYS HE SAID THAT HE WANTED TO DO A BUNCH OF TESTS ON OUR SON. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT BUT WE WENT THROUGH IT ALL AND THE DOCTOR CALLED US THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO COME IN TO HIS OFFICE. WHEN WE ARRIVED HE ASKED US IF WE HAVE EVER HEARD OF SPECTRUM DISORDERS, I SAID YES I HAVE, WELL YOUR SON HAS THE DISORDER CALLED AUTISM. WHEN I HEARD THAT WORD I LITERALLY FELL OFF MY CHAIR I TRIED NOT TO CRY. I REMEMBER I KEPT ASKING ARE YOU SURE ITS NOT SOMETHING ELSE, AND HE SAID NO. EVERYDAY I WATCH TV I SEE THOSE COMMERCIALS COME ON ABOUT THE 1 AND 150 KIDS THAT GET AUTISM, AND NOT STRUCK BY LIGHTING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND I JUST ASK MY TV WHY DOES MY SON HAVE THIS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. I LOVE MY SON VERY MUCH, AND HE IS SO SPECIAL TO MY HUSBAND AND I AND ALL FAMILY. WE JUST ASK OURSELVES HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND CAN IT BE TREATED. WE HELP HIM QUITE A BIT, MORE THAN DOCTORS EVEN. HE ALSO GOES TO IBI SERVICES TO TO GET SOME HELP. I CRY EVERY NOW AND THEN, SPECIALLY WHEN I JUST STARE AT MY SON AND WONDER WHY HIM, HE IS SO GREAT AND SPECIAL. I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MY SON, AND THATS WHY I JOINED THE MILLION DOLLAR PUZZLE COMMITTEE SO I CAN HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE RESEARCH ON AUTISM AND TO FIND A TREATMENT FOR MY SON AND EVERYONE ELSE'S FAMILY THAT GOES THROUGH THIS. I HOPE I CAN HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOAL, AND I KNOW ITS IMPORTANT TO DO THIS. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME IN AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL THE FAMILIES. SO I WILL BE GOING OUT THERE TO SELL THOSE PUZZLE PIECES SO WE CAN GET TO OUR GOAL. MY SON SPENCER IS NOW 3 AND WILL BE 4 AT THE END OF APRIL. IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO HAVE SHARED MY STORY WITH YOU. AND I WILL KEEP ON WRITING WHEN I HAVE MORE TO TELL. JONI DAVIS POCATELLO IDAHO Recently, I ran across an essay in a magazine written by a thirteen-year-old boy with autism named Daniel Hecht entitled, “The Special Place In Me”. I simply could not have pondered his words at more appropriate time in my life, as I have spent the past two years trying to find help for my little boy, so that he could make sense of the world around him and find relief and peace within. Daniel’s opening words still echo in my mind, “There are many times that not only would I like to take a trip to a secret hideaway, but I actually go there…and it seems to be easier for kids with autism to go to a secret place in their minds than for other kids…it seems that kids like me might stay in their secret place forever, if someone didn’t find a way to get them out.” Those words repeat in my mind like a broken record… “Find a way to get them out. Find a way to get them out. Find a way…Find a way…” It seems like yesterday that my beautiful little boy, Nathan, was a typical child. He was meeting all his developmental milestones on time, and then their was a stillness...a sort of "freezing in time"...and then another slight slip, and again, more stillness. Shortly after Nathan's second birthday, he was diagnosed with traditional autism. Though Nathan's speech appeared delayed as an earlier clue to us, it was not until a year ago this past summer that the situation became clearer and the realization of our circumstance settled in. Our family was standing at the door of the abyss, peering out into the murky waters of the mysterious disorder called "Autism". Our sweet, quiet, happy, alive, beautiful little boy was a child with “special needs”. Over the past two years, my husband and I have been running frantically, searching for someone, something, anything that could reverse the effects of this bandit, this God-forsaken "thing" that was stealing our little boy's joy and breaking our hearts. We spent the first year after his diagnosis going through his medical record with a fine toothed comb, plotting all illnesses, prescriptions and vaccines on a timeline, trying to understand what had happened. We were lead by the pediatricians and the state's early intervention team into persuing sensory-type therapies, but Nathan never seemed able to retain thier benefit for the long term. Last April, I attended my first DAN! Conference after stumbling upon their recovered kids video clip on the internet. I had to know if this "thing" affecting Nathan was treatable and if these folks were "for real". I spent that weekend in Alexandria, VA. meeting "hope" for the first time since Nathan's diagnosis and staring at the face of "possible recovery", through tear-filled eyes. That was the true beginning of our very meaningful journey through Autism.I learned so much from each of the presenters I felt as if I was coming to know family members personally for the first time. At the time, I was completely green about the "who's who" of the Autism Community. Still, one person's words stuck in my mind, and those were the words of Dr. Sidney Baker. Somehow, I just knew deep inside that he could help my Nathan. Thanks to Dr. Baker and to DAN!, Nathan is getting better each day. When I think of my Nathan and imagine that he could be the boy in Daniel Hect's essay, I know in my heart that it is because of the work of Dr. Bernard Rimland, the ARI family, Nathan's special doctors, Sidney Baker and Deborah Nash, and wonderful parents like Lynda Huggins, who dedicate themselves to "finding a way", that my Nathan will not go to that secret place in his mind and remain there alone. The efforts of so many people, such as those heading up the Million Dollar Puzzle Piece Project, will help to pathe a clear way out of Autism. With so much effort, dedication, the guidance of the DAN! Community, and God’s help, Nathan, and so, so , so many other children like him, will escape Autism's grasp. I am actively in pursuit of the day when Nathan is freed of his Autism and that is what drew my into participating in the Million Dollar Puzzle Piece Project. May God bless each of those who help link the hearts of so many affected by this condition across the globe. Vicki Mason, OH I am a mother of a 4 year old boy with autism. This project is such a great idea and we would like to support ARI to help fund research for biomedical treatments through selling puzzle pieces. We believe that autism is treatable and want to help support the cause! Jamaica, IA I am the parent of a 14 year old with autism. I also work at a school where I work with other kids with autism. Their parents and I have been talking and want to do a fundraiser for Autism and we came across yours. We are all looking forward to working with you on this cause. We have two schools and two businesses that are willing to sell them for us. We will work on finding more places. I just received a call from South Lafourch Bank and they are willing to sell them at all 5 of their branches during the month of April. We are still working on getting the other banks in the area involved. Tracy - mother of a 14 with Autism Tammy - mother of a first grader with Autism Brooky - mother of a Kindergartner with Autism Larose, LA As a religion project at my school, I have chosen to help raise awareness, and money so we can help find a cure for autism. This would be a great way to get people from my community involved with autism and the experience of raising money. It would be great if I could sell at least 500 of this puzzle pieces and help get you closer to your $1 million goal! Thank you so much, and I would love to become a part of your goal for a cure I think that I will be able to sell around 100-200 puzzle pieces to begin. Rye, NY I am the mother of a beautiful 3 year old boy named Nicky who has Autism. I am ready to do anything I can to help. My mother in law works in a catholic high school of around 400 and almost everyone there knows my little Nick and I don’t think I'd be surprised as to the generosity that will be put forth for the cause. Please, if there is anything else I can do that you know of to raise awareness and raise money for the cause let me know! Thank you so much for fighting for my son before he was even born! Bloomingdale IL The reason I got involved with the million puzzle piece fundraiser is because my cousin Aaron is autistic. I'm just trying to help my cousin and the millions of other people and families affected by autism. Center Valley, PA I got involved because my nephew Trent has Autism. Woodland Hills, CA I am participating in the million dollar puzzle project for a few of reasons: 1. My eldest son, Casey, has autism. He is 14 years old. 2. I also think that it is a wonderful way for people to help these children, especially if they been touched personally by a child with autism. There is nothing like it. 3. Raising the awareness of the number of these children that are affected is huge! It is TIME that people all over the nation come together to do something about this!! I am just asking all the people that I know to donate and fill out a puzzle piece. My husband has taken a packet to his place of employment. I plan on taking a few packets to my place of employment and see if our "Mission and Culture Committee" will sponsor this amazing project! Thanks for letting me be a part of this! Portland, OR I'm totally interested in the puzzle piece fundraiser. Please send me the information on this and anything else I can help with. My son has autism, he's 4, we found a year ago. I want to do anything to help. I will definitely spread this word. I think this is a very good fundraiser for sure. Katy, TX I went to the autism.com website when I was searching for information about autism for my research paper for an English class and happened to come to the article on the Million Puzzle Pieces. I first came in contact with autism when we found that one of my cousins was autistic many years ago. Since then, I've been paying much more attention to it by movies (such as Rain man) and many books. I would like some puzzle pieces that will be available at my high school and other activates I am involved in. Marshalltown, IA I am interested in the puzzle poster/pieces for my son's school. If all goes well, I may approach other organizations. We just moved here, so I'll try this first and wait and see. Simsbury, CT I am very interested in selling puzzle pieces. I do believe I could sell more than 50. Recently, my 4 1/2 year old daughter was just diagnosed as having High Functioning Autism. She has had a lot of early intervention. So, thankfully she is progressing. But still it is difficult knowing, she is not the same as other peers her same age. Goldvein, VA I am the mother of 2 possibly 3 autistic children and I was interested in selling puzzle pieces. I am unsure how it works since I do not have a place yet to hang them and distribute them but I know I can sell them with no problem I have a lot of specialists and family that will buy them. Thanks. Southwick, Mass I'm a mom of an autistic child and I also work in a school and the teachers, and therapist would love to help raise money and awareness. Greensburg, KY I live in Indianapolis, IN, and work for a company called Options treatment Center. We are creating an Autism Unit, and I am the new Autism Specialist. I am currently working on a Master's in Special Education, ABA, Autism, and Behavior Disorders, and am fascinated with learning about Autism, and the ways that I can help. If this is still an opportunity for me, I would love to help out and raise awareness in Indiana. Indianapolis, IN I have a five year old son with autism. I would really like to sell the puzzle pieces to raise money. Freeburg IL I am a president of an education organization here at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In April, my organization as well as 2 other education organizations on campus have an autism awareness benefit, and raise money. I have a lot of friends and family that would support me in raising the money as well as the benefit my organization does. I have been attracted to autism and working with children as well as helping raise money for 2 years now and would love to continue this journey on finding research! Whitewater, WI I'm a mother of a nine year old son who has Autism. I wanted to join the million dollar puzzle project to help raise awareness and money for Autism Research. I'm selling puzzle pieces at my son's school, where I also work as a nurse. I'm displaying the pieces in a local business, my husband’s office and my mother's workplace. This is a very small town but I plan to reach as many people as possible. Thanks for letting me be a part of this wonderful project. Greensburg, Kentucky I decided to participate in the Million Dollar Puzzle project to help spread awareness and educate others about autism. I am the mother of a child who has autism, so it is important to me to do what ever I can for the autism community. I am distributing the puzzle pieces through e-mail. Wake Forest, NC I am involved in selling the puzzle pieces because I have a 5 year old nephew, James, with Autism, It is a worthwhile project and gives me pleasure to be involved in helping in this critical crusade to help in the effort to raise $1million dollars to help in the research. I have them displayed at several locations, one is at a convenience store that gets a lot of highway traffic, I have them out at a drug store whose owners daughter is autistic, She said I could leave the puzzle pieces there as long as I wanted. Ryan, Okla During my senior year in high school I was an intern at Cedar Chapel Special School. I was placed in a class with 5 children. 1 of the children was autistic. This child was 10 years old and never expressed his self in written language. The child didn't even write his name. I began working with him and he wrote duck. I learned that if you said draw a house he would write house. It turned out that he could write several words. This child is amazing and from that day my passion has been autism. I student taught two students with autism who are miracles. I decided to help sell puzzle pieces because autism is my passion and I would do anything to help children. I am going to sell them myself at school and asking people I know. Salisbury, Md I chose to participate in this fundraiser because I enjoy the time I spend working with children with autism and would love to find reasoning behind it. I am a student at UW-Whitewater majoring in education and with a minor in special education. I have always had interest in autism, and being a part of raising money to find answers is one way I can contribute to all of the wonderful children I've met in the last two years. If you need anything else, let me know!! Have a great weekend! AEYC President Whitewater, Wisconsin I am interested in the puzzle poster/pieces for my son's school. If all goes well, I may approach other organizations. We just moved here, so I'll try this first and wait and see. Please send the poster, flyer & 3 packets (150 pcs.) Simsbury, CT 06070 [Has collected $160!] Update - My mother-in-law actually collected all of that herself! I will be sending in my collection soon from the school and have more pieces to sell. My sister-in-law took the other packet, so I'm sure she'll have something to send soon as well. Hopefully, I will be asking for another set of 3 packets in a couple of months. Thank you so much for coming up with this idea and being so communicative. I appreciate your commitment and of course, the amazing results your program is getting for our community. The Dayton Autism Society, Dayton, OH, will have the puzzle pieces for sale alongside our autism awareness merchandise at our 1st annual 5K Walk for Autism and Information Expo on April 19, 2008. Our goal is to fund an educational conference in the fall for parents of children affected by autism so they will understand their educational options, therapies, ESY, and how to advocate for their child. We will be pasting the purchased puzzle pieces all along the walk route and the festival. People can purchase them and put "in honor of" on the puzzle piece. This will add an even deeper meaning to why we walk and why we're there. I will send photos in a separate email as I've received several to add to our "Faces of Autism" area on our website: www.daytonautismsociety.org. Please check it out! Hugs, Nancy President, Dayton Autism Society I have a grandson with autism. I saw your information on Mark Leland's website. Mark performed at our Autism Awareness Walk-a-thon last year. I will be sending my money in this week for the puzzle pieces I already received. The conference here in Mansfield is on March 29, 30th. I would like to sell them there. Also, I have a friend who has a restaurant, and she said I could sell them there. You said that you could send 12 packets of 50 (600 puzzle pieces) in a flat rate Priority Mail box for $8.95. Go ahead and send me 600. I plan on selling them at other places also. We will be having our 3rd annual Autism Awareness Walk-a-thon on Sept 20th, so I will sell them there also. We go to local Wal-Marts to advertise for the walk and to sell our merchandise, so I don't think I will have a problem selling them before or during the walk in Sept. Mansfield, OH I am a special education teacher and was interested in selling the puzzle pieces at our school. Can you please send me 300 pieces (6 packets) to start with. We plan on selling these at our school during the month of April as part of our Autism Awareness month. Thank you for your help! Potomac, MD My son Mathew, age 4...we do not have a diagnosis for him yet but I have done some research and he has a lot of the characteristics, such as stims. I am a struggling single mother that wants the best for her wonderful son. I have attached a picture of him. We have a great system set up for him, The Child Outreach Program works with us twice a week and in the summer. He has his Psychiatric Evaluation on Monday, so please think of us. I am desperate for answers. I am interested in fundraising for autism, I would like to start with 2. Woonsocket, RI My son Evan is Autistic and I would like to be apart of your fundraiser. I work at an Elks club so i think i could sell 75 to 100 of them. thanks Kane, PA I am a senior in high school and have selected Autism as the subject for my senior project. I have done lots of research and would like to raise money to help in the research for a cure for autism. Would you please send me the packet of 50 puzzle pieces, the poster and a brochure which I can copy. This is such a worthwhile cause and I look forward to helping to raise funds to help the cause. I need to receive this as soon as possible. I'm sure my classmates, teachers and family will help me with this project. Leland, NC I am a Grandparent of an Autistic child & I am trying to put together a fundraiser at the Lodge I belong to. These puzzle pieces would probably be just what I'm looking for to get people motivated to donate. My Grandson lives in N.C. and I'm in Rochester, N.Y. This sounds like a great way to raise awareness and funds to help in research for Autism (later) I have started our benefit this month (March) and so far it is going very well. I am going to need more puzzle pieces as we are doing the fundraiser for 2 months I would like 100 more if possible. Our organization is Moose International and the fundraiser is one close to my heart as my youngest Grandson has Autism and I was surprised at how many people still do not understand Autism. I wanted to have this in hopes that more people would become aware of it and to let them understand more about it. We are distributing the puzzle pieces in the Lodge dining room & social quarters. They pretty much sell themselves(once people hear about them). I have posted information on the bulletin board and since it is a Family Organization everyone knows everyone else so word of mouth has been very helpful. Rochester, NY I have some ideas I am cooking up for awareness month in April. I contacted again, the organization that has the annual conference, and they haven't called me back. During this process of Stephen's treatment I have come to learn that there are "two groups". The people that believe that treatment is real and recovery is possible, and the group that doesn't. This organization has been changing the way they operate, and moving away from people like myself who believe. So I will probably leave well enough alone. However, our local grocery store which serves about 4 towns in our area and is very busy, is letting me have their community fundraiser kioske in the store for the month of July! They book fundraiser groups and local schools every month for this kioske and July is the next available month. I just mark the kioske with the Autism poster, and as people are leaving the store they can drop bills, coins and bottle return reciepts into it all month. That might have the potential to generate into the thousands! We will see. The lady that books the kioske was intrigued that it is an Autism fundraiser because you don't see many around, but we do see a lot of autism around. One local boy in particular who comes in the store with his mother and is severly autistic. I am contacting other local businesses to see if they will sell the puzzle pieces for me during April. So I will email you in a few weeks for more pieces! New Salem, MA I have a 6 yr old son with autism. He was fine until he had his vaccines, each time he got very sick, had fever, cried and did not sleep. At 15 months he lost all the skills he had accuired up until that time. He quit talking, pointing, playing and socializing. He started toe walking, acting as if deaf, was obsessed with the ceiling fan, would not play with us and started stiming. I don't care what our government says, what the CDC says or any of the pharm companies. I know the vaccines caused my son's autism. I want money to go to research so this can be stopped. My son has made improvements with floor time, OT, ST, Hippo Therapy, GFCF diet and supplements. We have spent all our savings and are now in debt. Some people can't afford to do what we have done to recover our son, some can do more, such as Jenny MCarthy. I am not sure how we are going to continue, but we will find a way. My dream until Autism is just a word in a history book to to have a resort for kids with autism and their parents to come, to relax, to see a free DAN Dr.if they can't afford one, to get supplements free if they can't afford them, to have a restraunt that is GFCFSFEF all diatary needs met. A place where if the child has a melt down, NO ONE stares or offers their parental suggestions. Sometimes I feel like I am in a prison and on the big screen TV for the whole world to watch my reactions to my childs inability to cope. That's my reason for participating. Johnson City, TN I look forward to receiving the puzzle pieces and getting started with this project. My 5 year old daughter, Chely, was diagnosed last year and is such a fixture in my office that she's been kinda adopted by everyone here. Again thanks so much and we look forward to receiving our puzzle pieces. Baton Rouge, LA I am a mother of a 7 year old with Autism. I just read about your $1 million fundraiser and I'd love to help! Go ahead and send me 3 packets and we'll get 'em sold. Alpharetta, GA I wanted to request the pack of 50--actually we may need more. My daughter (age 12) is doing a school project and we hope to have people donate to raise money for your project. Our daughter has three brothers with autism and her dad has Asperger's. We would love to help. Our event is April 12th. Three packets would be great. Pocatello Idaho My son is autistic and I own a bar and would like to sell these pieces. I think I could sell anywhere between 50-100 puzzle pieces. Kane, PA I have a 5 year old nephew with Autism and would like to sell some puzzle piece to help find a cure for this cause. Amarillo, TX I am interested in the puzzle piece program. We just found out our 2 yr old granddaughter has it. I am trying to do and learn all I can. I would like 2 packets of the puzzle pieces. I want to try to see if I can sell them here in GA as we moved here from OH so we don’t know all that many people but am willing to try. Moultrie, GA My niece has recently been diagnosed with Autism. Although it is not severe, it has impacted our family dramatically. My sister and I were wondering about selling the puzzle pieces for research. This program seems amazing in so many ways. My sister and I are fully interested in it. We would like four packets of 50. Salem, OH I read your story on the ARI website about selling the puzzle pieces. We have a 10-year old son with Asperger's, diagnosed a year 1/2 ago. We found the Vitamin B therapy on the ARI website almost a year ago, and there was a big difference in him. We explored further, and eventually found a DAN Dr. in our area and began treatment. He was found to have both Candida yeast and high levels of Mercury. Stephen is not the same boy he was two years ago. His symptoms started between the age of 18 mos. and 2, and escalated from there. Two years ago he was almost constantly stressed, ridden with anxiety, and meltdowns were a daily event. Today he is relaxed, has built relationships with kids in school, and is playful with his little brother. Last summer he was accepted to the John Robert Powers school for Acting and Modeling in Boston, and also has an agent in the Boston area for Modeling/Acting. He is such a natural actor and loves his classes at JRP! We have never seen him so happy and excited about something! I feel passionate about these treatments for autism, and I tell every autism parent I know about it! I am thrilled to see a fundraiser that I can feel passionate about. I had a 100 puzzle pieces at the general store in our town, and they have done very well! My sister had another 50 in her hair salon. We collected a total of $193.00. $43.00 over the regular donation! My sister had the pieces sold and displayed in her hair salon, and a lot of people gave $5 or $10 over since most of them had a child or grandchild afflicted with this. New Salem MA I decided to participate in the puzzle project after I read an article about it on the ARI website. I found it as an interesting way to gain money to help a serious cause. I took the idea to a FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) meeting and along with this group have been selling the pieces to mostly students and staff at our high school just by having it available during study halls, lunches, and before and after school. We are also considering selling at athletic events and other popular events at our school. Marshalltown, Iowa Hello, I have sold my packets and mailing a check. I would like to get some more. I know I need more than last time so can we do 12 packets this time. My local grocery store is selling them and my son’s school. Thank you so much they are selling fast. My name is Kim Bozue and I am selling puzzle pieces because my six year old son Andre is living with Autism. It would be a great blessing to find a cure for all these children and adults living with autism. Kim Bozue Wow! You have done a fantastic job and your Mission is Clear and Fantastic. I do understand the no expense and all money goes to the cause. That is truly the best way. I would love 6 packets. I am very excited to help out and I will find others to help. I belong to a very large Rotary Group and their focus is children. We do a lot of charity work in and around the KC Metro area. I will introduce your Mission to them. Bless you and I will look forward to your success and to seeing so many helped. My son is now 18 and has struggled all of his life. We finally got diagnosis a little over two yrs. ago of Asperger’s. Very late! Thank you very much for all of your efforts. I am constantly looking for ways I can help and ways for Jake to get very needed help. Overland Park, KS My daughter and I just read the information on you amazing million dollar puzzle efforts. With Autism awareness month coming up, we would like very much to help. Would it be possible for you to send us 2 packets of puzzle pieces to start out with? Thank you so very much for your efforts on behalf of all our children. Bayside, WI You are indeed a very special person to want to help parents of children with autism. The reason I want to help is like you to get to the bottom of this big mess that has been made. So that not another child has to suffer with autism or family split up or go broke trying to recover their child. We're doing the later on going broke. Its for a great cause though and she is recovered. Going for the cure. Unfortunately she has bad scoliosis. I know the damage the toxins in the vaccines can do to someone's body. I just wish she didn't have to suffer though. I know when your child hurts you hurt. My other children are grown and on their own. 35, 33 and 25 they all received 7 vaccines and not as infants. there is my study right there. My daughter had 22 starting at birth and also had autism severely by age 2. In the name of good health and for the greater good as CDC puts it. I wonder who the greater good are. They have surpassed the greater good except to fill up their greedy pockets with all the money they can. The way I look at it you pay in this life or you pay in the next life. Life is short eternity is forever. I pray that these people come forward admit they are stupid and never took chemistry or for that matter only have a third grade education. We might understand whacking kids away for almost 20 years. Have you ever followed the trail of autism. Dan Olmstead who writes for the Huffington Post has and somewhere on the internet it is there. You are very kind and I know that you are a good Christian who gets a lot out of helping other people. You are very special and very wonderful to take on this mission but the sake of helpless children. God bless you and be with you. Send me 3 packages and I will do my best. Callahan, FL I am a parent to three boys, two of whom are on the spectrum. I serve on many committees and am heavily involved I the school district. I would like to get several packets of puzzle pieces, if possible, as I feel that I will be able to get donations fairly rapidly and I don’t want to run out! Please let me know what you need from me and who the checks can be made out to. This is a wonderful idea and a great way to honor Dr. Rimland and the exceptional work and the hope that he provided to all of us involved with the autism community. Please send me 12 Packets (600 puzzle pieces). I am really excited about the Autism Puzzle Pieces Project and I hope to be contacting you soon for even more! Thank you for all that you do. Wayne County Parent Advisory Committee Vice-Chairperson Livonia, MI Could you please send me a stack of puzzle pieces - maybe 1000 - I plan on selling them at various car shows and walks throughout April and beyond. What a great idea. I am planning on emailing everyone I know to get their donation. Thank you for your time in this VERY IMPORTANT MATTER. Let' do this!!!!!!! I will do my very best to sell more than the 1000. - I am excited about this. Spring Hill, FL I would like to help with the puzzle project. I am a single mom of 3 teenagers. 2 daughter 19,17 and a son 17. My son became autistic at age 18 months, diagnosed at 22 months. Paul lost all speech after a tetanus shot at age 3. His personality has returned along with his beautiful smile and excellent eye-contact. but still no speech, academic skills, personal care skills. He is extremely OCD and prompt dependent. Please send 900 puzzle pieces.. My son's twin sister works at Winn-Dixie, I am quite sure they would get involved. I also have ex-co workers at another Winn-Dixie. I also have many convenience stores, etc. that know my son, I am quite sure I could get this going pretty good here in Bradenton, FL I emailed my daughter, She works for a family with a child with Autism in Ft. Meyers. I asked her to give them the info also...the mom of that family runs a school for Autism. My daughter also works at a camp for disabled children on some weekends and during summer, She will probably get involved also. The possibilities are endless! Bradenton, FL Hi-----Please send a packet of puzzle pieces to me. Great idea! Hopewell Junction, New York Hi, I would love to help, please let me know how I can get some puzzle pieces. I have a son with Autism, this project sounds great. I would like to request 50 pieces. Thank you so much, this sounds like a great challenge, I am hoping to do even more. Pittsburgh, PA My name is Joey Breiannis i am the mom of a 9 year old son with autism i want to help. Please send me the packets so I can begin my distribution and try to raise funds about 10 would be good to start. Baltimore MD My 12 y/o son Matthew has Autism, and the Autism Research Institute and the DAN Protocol have been more helpful than anyone or anything in bringing our son back. I am happy and proud to be able to sell puzzle pieces for our cause. I will check at our Wal-Mart to see when I could sell at their door. They have matched our Girl Scout cookie drives in the past. I will check on that too. I will email you by Sunday night to let you know how many I will need. You are an angel for coordinating this. I'm excited to be the first helper from NH! I will see if any others can help. Hampton, NH I never in my life would have dreamed that a Defeat Autism Now doctor would make such a big difference in my daughter's life. She was already on the gluten and casein free diet and super nu thera with p5p and also enzyme complete. She was doing very well. Then another vaccine was due. I was very skeptical and didn't want her to have the vaccine but the mainstream doctor convinced me the vaccines were safe. She'd never harm a child. (nor would she have any idea of what was in the vaccines or she didn't take chemistry). Dr. Bradstreet was on the local news station talking about his son and the vaccines and the possibility of recovering children with autism. Six months later the television station returned my calls and I called down to his office. They told me of a wonderful woman in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL which was much closer to our home who was a DAN doctor. My daughter was 9 years old almost 10 when we started.; She is now 13 years old and quite recovered. I am totally dedicated to giving her life back to her. I work soley for her recovery. It is not a quick fix and also very individualized to treat each person as an individual. Not herding kids through as I had seen at many pediatricians’ offices. I am also very dedicated to helping others and supporting good research. I will try to sell the puzzle pieces. I have three sons who only received 7 vaccines and not as infants. They are doing quite well. Whereas my daughter had 22 by age 2 and autism. I'd never believed such a thing could have happened in our country. There are too many toxins in the vaccines, children are too young to be vaccinated and there are also to many vaccines being given. Autism started rising in the 1990's when the vaccines schedule went up. There were no outbreaks of diseases to warrant such a rise in the number of vaccines kids received; I thank God everyday for such a wonderful dedicated DAN doctor. I also thank God everyday I have a very cooperative daughter who wants to be completely cured. I thank God for the Autism Research Institute and Dr. Bernard Rimland who started the research and the team that is continuing his work. May God bless all of you and be with you. Sincerely, mom of recovered daughter age 13 April 6, 1999 was a day of all days, our first grandchild was born! Lucky enough to be present when he labored into the world, I was hooked! A Labor and Delivery nurse, I see babies born every day! But this... it was love at first sight! What they say is true, the love is different than for your own children but just as strong. At first everything was wonderful: and then we wondered; was his hearing poor, why was he so fussy at times, why was it so hard for him to get to sleep, why wouldn’t he sleep alone, what happened to the words? But he loved to be cuddled, he didn’t have temper tantrums, he met all the normal milestones. But finally the reality blind sided me, and then the diagnosis: Autism. Eight years later, he is still a wonderful, smart, loveable little boy, but we are learning to make adjustments and becoming better at helping him. Having found that helping him also comes from helping others and learning from them and gaining more experience. We have tried to make more people aware of Autism as we had to with our family. This will be our third fundraiser Our family is sort of long distance. Myself and husband and one daughter live in Pa (but work in NJ), Nathan and my son live in Mass., and two daughters live in Utah! So as yet we haven’t limited ourselves to one organization. But DAN treatment has helped Nathan become more verbal and we definitely want to help continue this research. Hawley, PA Well, now that I know that i can send you the money every month, please send me 12 packets and I will put myself to work. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this idea and the effort you are making to raise this money. In the name of my son, Max, whom was diagnosed with Autism this past November 2007, at the age of 23 months, i thank you very, very much for this. Dallas, TX I am a mother of a 7 year old with Autism. I just read about your $1 million fundraiser and I'd love to help! Go ahead and send me 3 packets and we'll get 'em sold! (Update) Just wanted to let you know that I'll be mailing checks (w/ puzzle pieces) to you on Monday totalling $1,325.00. I've done nothing special really. I sent an email to my closest friends and family asking them to mail a dollar or a check for whatever amount that wanted to donate. They have been supportive of my son and have seen his progress, so they know that Autism Is Treatable! They are always offering to help us and, right now, this is the best way they can. :) I hope to reach out to our community once the mail stops arriving. LOL! Alpharetta, GA I am a parent to three boys, two of whom are on the spectrum. I serve on many committees and am heavily involved I the school district. I would like to get several packets of puzzle pieces, if possible, as I feel that I will be able to get donations fairly rapidly and I don’t want to run out! Please let me know what you need from me and who the checks can be made out to. This is a wonderful idea and a great way to honor Dr. Rimland and the exceptional work and the hope that he provided to all of us involved with the autism community. Thank you for all that you do! Livonia, MI Can you give me more info on how this works, I would love to do this for autism awareness month I run an online biomedical support group for Maine and we have coupled with support groups around the state for a big push for autism awareness for the month of April and a message of hope with it, I have passed the info on to them as I would like to see us do a state wide push in the month of April to get this in all our grocery stores, and fast food places and raise around 20,000. I will let you know. I will also passed out this idea to the other rescue angels to push for autism awareness month, if we all did this in our area and or states we would hit 1 million I have sent your info on this project to about 20 support groups around the state and I will let you know what I get going for you, and will direct people your way for the project, all I ask is you let us know our state total by the end of the month long push so we can get it on the news.... I am ready to start this up. can you send me a pack of 12 to 14 so I can start working on this before the DAN conference.. I have a news station ready to cover this as well If I see this take off as I am hoping I will need a ton more., I would love to see us raise 20,000 dollars for you HANNAFORDS out here is interested in perhaps doing this regionally NEXT year. I will have to work on that after April though as I have a lot on my plate right now with 2 fundraisers and a conference I am putting on for generation rescue PLUS the DAN conference. If things are going really well I may need a HUGE supply when we get to the conference for more, I will keep you updated. Windham, Maine Please send me a packet to get started. I am the mother of a son with autism and also a teacher in an MRDD school. Uhrichsville, OH Could you please send me a stack of puzzle peices - maybe 1000 - I plan on selling them at various car shows and walks throughout April and beyond. What a great idea. I am planning on emailing everyone I know to get their donation. Thank you for your time in this VERY IMPORTANT MATTER. I will do my very best to sell more than the 1000. - I am excited about this. Kathleen Avouris Unlocking Autism Rep-FL, Gulf Coast Area Please send me 3 packets of Puzzle Pieces (150). I will do the best I can to help raise funds for such a worthy cause. My grandson, Ethan, was recently diagnosed and since then I have learned and read so much about autism, that I know I need to try and help him and so many others like him. Chicago Ridge, Illinois |