FASD
Special Series: My Life With FASD
I have written a number of articles accompanied by videos about my life struggle living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder over the last little while. This four part series looked at different aspects of my life with FASD as well as how society views those whom are incarcerated and suffer from FASD as well as my spiritual journey and how that ties in to my struggle day in day out.
List of Series Articles:
1. Depths Of FASD
2. Shadows Of FASD
3. Testimony Living with FASD
4. Prisoners Of/With FASD
5. Discussing FASD
*FASD is a acronym for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Depth Of FASD
I often envision myself walking on a long road with desert on each side and nothing but pavement in front of me for as far as my eyes can see. What are the billows blowing in the wind? Are they part of me blowing away? I do not know. Why is it this road I am on is always in the valley? Can I not reach the mountain peeks? To see forever, to not have anything impeding my view not cloging my thoughts but free to soar as an Eagle?
I have these wings on my back but they do not hear me, they do not perceive my desire to fly. I do not understand when I run and leap to fly I fall on my face and groan. Why have my wings if they do not fly? I wish my wings heard my desire to fly, I wish they would answer my cries. Life seems to be full of to many unexplained and confusing paradoxes. The biggest paradox of all of course being me. Can someone please help me to make sense of the conundrum that is me…
Prisoners Of/With FASD
CTV National News “In Focus” did a interview with me about my life living with and battling Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and my incarceration and how Canada’s prisons are filled with those who have committed terrible crimes. But they are also filled with the mentally ill: those suffering from the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Now some doctors are suggesting jail is not the right place to help the mentally ill. Research shows that those abnormalities often land FASD sufferers here, in prison. The reason. Alcohol injures the brain so much that many with FASD can’t tell the difference between right and wrong. One of Canada’s leading researchers, Dr. Christine Loock, estimates that at least one in every four inmates in federal institutions are behind bars, not because of a conscious crime, but because of FASD.
Testimony Living with FASD
I was invited by Crossroads ministry a number of years ago to speak about my life and battle with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. A story of suffering and crime and a story of hope. Hope because of my faith in Christ and my open willingness to listen to advice of those around me and make changes in my life for my betterment.
The best way to describe my life is when you wake up from a nightmare you wash your face and go back to sleep but with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder life is the exact opposite, when you go to sleep the nightmare stops and when i wake up the nightmare continues.
Video is currently offline. Please be patient while i process this video to be online again soon.
Thank you
Jonathan
I hope this video is a help and a blessing to all those people that see it out there that they are not alone, there is hope and help out there.
Shadows Of FASD
This is a video taken of me sharing a writing i did a while ago about my life living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
I am 38 years old and i have a incurable disability called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. FASD is caused by paternal drinking of alcohol during pregnancy. I live a all things considered pretty good life. I am in need of nothing. I have community support and people to turn to when i need help or advice.
I am active in a support group focusing on FASD support of both parents of those affected with FASD and those like myself that battle with it everyday. I believe we are making a difference in our community.
Shadows Of FASD from Snow Eagles Mantra on Vimeo.
Discussing FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is the topic discussed on this episode of the Dave Carr show. Rogers television local television program “Dave Carr Live” approached me and the FASD support group in Owen Sound, Ontario about talking about my living with this disability and about my speaking at various conferences and television programs and curious as to what it is i say to people about my life and what is it i look to achieve in the end. Now i am not going to explain it here or you will not need to watch the program. So please sit back with a warm coffee and let me walk you down the road of living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Discussing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder from Snow Eagles Mantra on Vimeo.
