Day 11: Meet Mac

Day 11

I received an email from a long time friend asking to use a picture I had recently posted on my Facebook thread to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Of course I said "yes"!

We cannot raise awareness about FASD's and rallying for supports for those affected unless we find the courage to step up and put it out there.  Brainstorming with Jodee we planned and launched the 90 Real People Real Lives campaign.  We day by day would reach out to the FASD support groups on Facebook to find people, parents and kids courageous enough to share about living with FASD.  I launched a blog that I had owned since 2008 and began writing again.  It has now been 10 years since releasing our families memoire "Tiny Titan, Journey of Hope" and being honored with a Gold Award from the Mom's Choice Awards and given a 5 star Dove Rating.

Most people do not know that Jodee Kulp helped me publish my book and we have been long time friends and partners in the quest to raise awareness and help families find hope and help living with FASDs.


Meet Mac... Day 1 of 90 Real People Real Lives and also Meet 89 Real People with Real Lives
affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.

Mac came to us at 17 months old and was soon diagnosed with full Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. His birth mother had Tourette Syndrome and learning challenges of her own. She had mental health disorders and substance abuse issues.  He was the third child, born in three separate states who would be taken away and put into foster care/adoption.

He is our "second time around kid" and he got a second chance at a new life. He has the benefit of all our years of learning with our medically fragile daughter Becca and the lessons from our adopted sibling set and their FASD and the alphabet soup.

He is our gift.  Others say he was won the lottery ticket when it comes to families, but we say we won having him.  Maybe we are both right.  God chose Mackie the family who he needed and the family that never gives up and we our gift and a chance to use everything we have learned to help him and maybe out of that, maybe what we learn with Mackie will help others just like with Becca and her Noonan Syndrome.

More about Mac

Little Mac Teaches Family, Yurcek's Find Joy in Adopting A Special Needs Child


Thank you Jodee for sharing Mac and for helping me launching my blog and for the Red Shoes Rocks and for tirelessly raising awareness about FASD.  Maybe with teaming up we can lighten the workload and make a difference for persons affected by FASD and their families.

PS:  I absolutely love the Cartoon Mackie graphic you designed and look forward to what adventures  Mac and the cartoon Mac travel!