Hi everyone, 

A group of us will be walking/running this years VHI mini marathon for AsIAm Ireland, a charity based organisation that is helping us as a society accept, change and lift barriers we face around Autism. 

I had my beautiful baby Keri in January 2020 just 3 months before Covid hit. So as you can imagine when Keri wasn’t hitting milestones I got the usual “Covid baby” etc. and was talked out of what my gut as a mammy was telling me. 

Fast forward to May 2023 and we received Keri’s autism diagnosis. It was a whirlwind of emotions grief, denial, relief and joy. Relief was the biggest one for me as I finally felt I had answers and had a road to travel……. Not an easy road to get down I’ve since learned. 

Keri is currently on a 5 year waitlist to receive any kind of public support so it is charities like AsIAm that make all the difference is providing support, guidance and information to families durning this time. 

The main thing I’ve learned in my short time on this road is the world is a scary place with very little understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity. To society my little girl is bold or it’s bad parenting I constantly have to explain myself and ignore the stares when in public or around people with no or little understanding on autism. 

My baby is so beautiful inside and out, she is unique and inquisitive, she is funny and strong and most importantly unapologetically KERI. I hope above everything else the world doesn’t change this. 

Keri never needs to change, the world around her does. 

Any donation is so greatly appreciated and means AsIAm can keep raising awareness and understand for all autistic people in Ireland.