Autism Awareness Month Giveaway Winner- Please read!

3 amazing mamas wrote about their journey with autism. I read each comment and each one brought me to tears. I admire you and all the other families out there on this journey. You are strong, you are courageous, you are incredible. Thank you for sharing your story!

                                      The winner of the photo shoot is Lucia!

Here is Lucia's Story

Ok well I am not even sure where to begin, Alex's story is so long that it's had to put into a short story but I will try my best. Alex was born November 1st, 2006 he was 7lbs 1oz, 21 inches in lenght and beautiful as could be. He was an amazing sleeper since day one, he was such a calm baby, perfect in my eyes, but what can I say I'm his mommy. Then 2 months later came time for his 2month check up and his vaccinations. This was the beginning of the worst experience of my life. He recieved 6 vaccines that day, a combination I should say of about 7-8 vaccines. That day Alex cried non-stop for almost 24hrs, which was very strange since he was not like this at all. After those 24hrs things seemed to go back to normal. Then a few days after he was taken to the ER because he was having trouble breathing, scary you ask? Very scary, but according to drs it wasn't anything serious, and sent us on our way. 4 month check up, same thing (expect the ER visit) same set of shots and same 24hr period of crying, 6 months same thing. I kept asking drs if this was normal and they kept reassuring me that it was, me being a 1st time mom I didn't know any better and I trusted the drs completly. When he turned 14 months, we were back at the drs, and once again more vaccines, this were the ones that started to show more abvious signs that something was wrong. Then about 2 months later Alex recieved another vaccine that he had not gotten at his 14 months check up, this one gave us horrible symptoms that I had no idea were related to vaccine injury, I feel so bad even saying all this because there is always that guilt of not knowing this could happen. Guilt of not investigating this more, but at the same time I think how could I research or know to research somthing I didn't kow was happening. By this time (16-18 months old) Alex was showing us more signs that something was wrong, he became very picky about food, about food textures, he developed sensitivies, sensory issues, wanted to be alone most of the time, lost eye contact, lost interest in kids and people in general, he was spinning constantly and flapping his arms throughout the day, he had regressed into autism. He was officinally diagnosed on March 31st 2009, that day will live with me for the rest of my life, that day all my dreams for my son were taken away from me, that day my heart broke into a million pieces, that day I truly knew what pain was. Since then we have been working non-stop to recover Alex from autism, first with biomedical and since November of last year (2010) with homeopathy. Alex has made lots of progress and that is a true blessing, a HUGE blessing. It has not been easy but not impossible either, I am sure that with faith and HOpE anything is possible, god has the power to change all things, we just have to believe.
Alex is still non-verbal (for now hopefully) but communicates through Sing language, thanks to Signing Times his world and ours is a much happier place, he is reading since he was 3yrs old, knows his number, and can put some words together. We still have a ways to go before we can say we have defeated autism but everyday we get a day closer, I have faith that one day my son will be able to speak to me and call me momma, tell me how this day was and tell me stories and all his dreams. I have lots of faith that one day that day will come, it's all a matter of time, in god's time. Till them I will keep going, keep fighting, keep hoping, and keep dreaming, I know that all his dreams and mine will be a beautiful reality one day. Autism is tough ot deal with but not tougher than a determined mom who will never give up on her son, and when I say never I mean never. There's is hope for our children, we just have to go out there and find a way to make HOPE strong and recovery a reality.
www.alexautismoysurecuperacion.wordpress.com Our blog just incase anyone wants to follow Alex's Journey out of Autism.

Lucia, please send me an email at lacie@catchingmemoriesphoto.com

 so we can chit chat about the details of the photo shoot!

Thank you to everyone who participated!