Some of you may recall this diary from May, about my twin cousins, Becca and David. Becca is a normal young woman, but David is severely autistic, unable to speak or to get by without constant one-on-one aid. Because of this, Becca, even at the tender age of thirteen, is a passionate supporter and fundraiser for autism research, having raised over $10,000 total in her first two years as the head of her own autism walk team.
In my last diary, I focused mostly on David's story. This time around, though, I'd like to tell you a little more about Becca's story.
Because the future of activism looks like this:
Becca's autism walk team at last year's walk
Although David lives full-time at a special residential facility for autistic children, Becca has always felt a deep bond with her brother. In elementary school, she was given an assignment to write a letter to someone, and she chose David. Here is what she wrote:
Dear David,
I miss you and can't wait for you to come again to play and make me and Mommy laugh. (I also like when you smile). When you smile you make me happy and sad when you go home. I wish you could stay here and never leave! (Just don't bite me please!) I wish you could be normal but I love you the way you are. Nobody knows hwy you turned out autistic and nobody knows hwy since were twims I didn't turn out autistic too. Scientists are still trying to figure out what coses autism. Some people think autism happens when your in your Mom's tummy or being born, others think people just have bad luck. I think its both. WOW! I've written a lot to you David and you can't even read. So much for a letter!
Love,
Rebecca
Becca and David at Becca's bat mitzvah in May.
Unlike many children who feel embarrassed by autistic or cognitively disabled siblings, Becca has never tried to renounce or hide her relationship with David. In fact, she has worked for years to teach her fellow students about autism, and to make them realize that autistics are people, too. Not only does she speak out about her brother to anyone who will listen, she often takes friends with her to visit David at his facility, so that they can see for themselves what autism is like.
When Becca was eleven, she learned about Autism Speaks, a national organization that raises money for autism research through autism walks in various cities. She took the initiative to organize her friends--and several of their parents as well--into a team called "Doing it for Dave," raising money for the Boston walk through bake sales, car washes, and phone calls. When she began doing the walk, she hoped that the money she raised might someday help cure her brother. Since then, she has come to realize that it is almost certainly too late to help David live a normal life, but she continues to walk so that in the future, nobody else's brother will have to struggle with autism the way David has.
But don't take my word for it. Here is how Becca, in her own words, explains her participation in the autism walk:
Why I Walk...
My name is Rebecca. I am thirteen years old and this is my third year doing the walk for autism research. I got into doing the Autism Speaks walk because my twin brother, David, has autism. Soon after I decided to do the walk for my first year I learned that my brother was not the only person with autism. In fact, every twenty minutes a child is diagnosed with autism. The rate of children with autism went from one in ten thousand to one in every one hundred and fifty. I couldn’t believe how many children and adults have autism.
After learning what autism really was, I was determined to raise as much money as I possibly could for the walk to help not only my brother, but all of the people with autism. I told my friends about what I was doing and they wanted to help, but the first thing we had to do was come up with our team name. A lot of thought went into creating our team name because I really wanted it to show how much I cared about my brother. After a lot of hard work we finally came up the perfect name that shows all of my love for my brother... Doing it for Dave. I really liked that name because it was true. I really was doing the walk for my brother because I care about him. If my brother wasn’t autistic I probably wouldn’t do the walk because I might not even have known what autism was. I know I can’t get rid of my brother’s autism all by myself, but I feel proud to walk to show everyone that I’m doing little things in my town to make a difference in the world.
The first year I did the walk I was really nervous because I was shy and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to raise money and I wasn’t very good at making change at bake sales. Doing the walk changed me completely. Now I’m not nervous at all and I really enjoy going to bake sales every weekend with a friend or even by myself. I went from being shy to asking company managers if they would sponsor our team. I also learned a lot of ways to raise money like having a car wash, putting cans in offices for teachers to donate, and having lots and lots of bake sales. Now, our booth for bake sales is known all around town and giving people change is second nature. I have also been able to get a lot of kids from my school involved with the team.
I will be walking again this year on October nineteenth as team captain for the third year in a row. This walk, I am working to raise $10,000. Each year, by doing the walk, I hope to raise awareness about what autism really is. I think that if people understood what autism is, they would see why it is so important to find a cure for it. Feel free to help my brother by going to my website:
www.walknowforautism.org/greaterboston/personal/rebecca
I know I can’t cure autism all by myself, but I believe that together we can.
Becca and a friend at last year's walk
The 2008 Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism event is only a month away, on October 19. Becca has already raised more than $4500 towards her goal, $300 of which came from generous Kossacks via my May diary. (To all who donated: our heartfelt thanks!) It's an impressive feat, especially for someone not yet even old enough to drive. But I know we can raise more.
I know, the economy is rough right now, but every little bit helps. It would take just 275 Kossacks giving just $20 apiece for Becca and her friends to meet their goal. Will you donate to help cure autism, and encourage the next generation of activists to keep making a difference?
Because Becca is right--together we can. And together, we will.
For more about autism, visit the Autism Speaks homepage here.
For more about Becca and David, see my earlier diary here, or my grandfather's blogs on the subject here, here, and here. (Also, on an unrelated note, Grandpa's political posts would be rec-list worthy here, and make for great liberal reading...so check them out if you have the chance.)