I was young when Quincy was born. I was around seven years old, so as you can imagine I don't remember much, but what I do remember hearing that there was a baby but he couldn't come home. This confused me at the time, because when my baby sister was born she got to come home right away. Well what I did not know or even understand was that on June 10, 2007 my new baby brother was being kept in one of those baby incubators because he was born via emergency C-section at the 26th week of my mother's pregnancy. Not only that, he only weighed about 1lb at the time of birth. 

It has been an interest 12 years since that day, and by grace of God, he grew up to be a healthy young boy, but that didn't come without a few obstacles along the way. It has been a rough ride for Quincy growing up, you could even ask him about his "good days" and his "bad days", but he should never give up on himself. And through Fraser, Quincy is being provided the resources he needs to not give up on himself. For that I am forever grateful.

Hearing the diagnosis of autism begins the journey to see and learn about life from a unique perspective. According to the CDC, 1 in 59 children has autism. Thousands of Minnesota families are faced with the challenges of navigating an autism diagnosis each year.

Fortunately, evidence shows early intervention can result in dramatically positive outcomes. Given the right tools and support, people living with autism can make great strides at any point in their lives. As the largest and most experienced provider of autism services in Minnesota, Fraser can help individuals with autism and other special needs reach for a bright future.

This April, I will be raising support and awareness for Minnesota families affected by autism at the Fraser Walk for Autism. Your support will help provide life-changing services to these Minnesota families.

Please consider joining me and making a gift today! Each dollar moves us one step closer to realizing a future where all individuals have the equal opportunity to live, work, learn and play as members of our community.