Annette Kelly

World Autism Day 4/2. Not our son... no, our son won't get Autism. That's crazy... I have 12 nieces and nephews. None of them have autism... we have no autism in the family. No way. Not our son. This is how I thought about Autism before William was born. I thought it was something that happened to other people. After all, as you can see from the photo, we had big plans for William.... CC football was written all over this robust infant who was sure to follow in his father's footsteps. Perhaps a MSU grad like his mom. Certainly he'd be outgoing and charming with those Govan genes. Concern set in when he wasn't talking at 1, then 1 and 1/2 then at 2, I knew... something was very wrong. Diagnosed after a 3 hour clinic apt with a neurologist, speech pathologist and psychologist at Mott Behavioral clinic. "Your son has autism." He'll be ok, we told ourselves. I'm his mom, and mom's are supposed to be able to fix it and make it all better. Best therapist, Drs, you name it Those co- morbid conditions no one ever talks about took him down - one after another. Sinusitis, too many ties to count, GI infections, reflux - nothing was working right. Apraxia was diagnosed. Then his immune system was so weak, hypothyroidism set in. Then PANS. We keep fighting for him, as long as there is a breath in us and one more penny in my purse, we keep fighting. You see, William has the type of Autism no one ever talks about because it uncomfortable. No, he's not curiously smart, he doesn't memorize countless facts, he's not just "quirky." He will be forever in our care. There is no retirement or empty nest in our future. I wrote this not for anyone to feel sorry for us. William is a blessing because those small glimpses where he smiles or hugs me or makes a teeny tiny breakthrough makes it all worth it! Don't feel sorry for us, but please research. Research multiple sources! If you are thinking you might be pregnant soon. I implore you to do research, do not have blind faith in a single source. If you think your child may have Autism, act now. Early intervention is so important! ❤️❤️

The holiday season can really take a toll on stress levels, especially when raising chronically ill children. As our family celebrates Christmas this year, I'm making a strong effort to keep things in perspective and focus on celebrating the birth of Jesus. Shopping is done. I could have spent hours in the stores, but I chose mostly internet shopping. What's left is wrapping and ordering that Happy Birthday Jesus cake which my kids love so much. Cheers!

I've created a separate Instagram page to follow my son's journey with PANS/PANDAS, Autism and Apraxia. Join me as we walk this journey of hope for William.

NASDAQ and S&P 500 closed at all time highs on Friday. DOW up 6.3% so far this year. NASDAQ up 13.3% so far this year. S&P 500 up 7.2% so far this year.

I'll be doing a Facebook live today to talk about my story caring for a son who has Autism. I'll be talking about how it happened, accepting the diagnosis, fighting for my son, autism insurance reform, biomed treatment, ABA and life with Autism. Like this public FB page to get the notification and watch.

Cord blood stem cells clinical trial for the treatment of Autism. They are still looking for participants. I know parents have been traveling to other countries to get this type of treatment for their children. Great to see the US evaluating its efficacy.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/health/autism-cord-blood-stem-cells-duke-study/

Stem cells offer hope for autism A study at Duke University to test the safety and effectiveness of cord blood on children with autism yielded promising results, prompting a second larger trial.

An influx of photos from Disney World just might ensue. 😉After 8 long years of spending every single penny on our kids numerous medical bills and education, we decided to take our boys to Disney World. We thought they deserved some magic in their lives. ✨