Thanks for visiting my page, you've made the first step at helping me raise funds for Autism research! Let me introduce myself - although I am just a vehicle for this cause as the main names you want to remember are the people living and directly involved with Autism - My name is Sean and the two adorable faces and names that I want you to think about are my second cousins - Paige and Payton. I cannot be more happy to complete the LifeTime Chicago Triathlon on behalf of them - these two girls have such an amazing strength, I will use to fuel me as I swim, bike and run on August 26th!
Paige and Payton are 4 years old and will celebrate their 5th Birthday on August, 9th. They love to swim, gymnastics, play dress up and sing. In fact, they like to pretend they are in a band and want their parents to watch them perform. They like to say "hit it boys" and then pretend to strum guitars and sing and dance. They both have been attending an Early Childhood school program through the school district since they were 2 and both attended Fraser Group Skills Autism program weekly to help develop their skills.
Paige is excelling at school and is a person that others seek out as she loves to help others if they are struggling. She still struggles with her speech a little, but she takes the time to sound out her words. She works hard and works diligently on all her school assignments and she continues to meet and exceed the expectations and goals that are set for her.
Payton has far exceed everybody’s expectations and goals within the past year. Her goals and plans at school and at Fraser are constantly being revised because she has been squashing them! She is making her own friends and takes the leader and helper role within her Fraser class.
They both will be starting kindergarten this year and will be among the youngest in their class. Their parents and family members consider this a huge achievement for them! This huge milestone was made possible through all the programs they are enrolled in and the services they are receiving. It would not have been possible without all the dedicated people who work with Autism.
Please consider any amount of donation for Paige and Payton and all the faces of Autism, we all are truly lucky and if each of us give just a little extra - it goes a mile, the girls stories are proof of that.
Thank you so much for visiting!
-Sean
More than $.84 of every dollar you donate will directly fund research studies that help answer some of autism’s most pressing questions. The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is a national, nonprofit organization formed and led by relatives of children and adults with autism and Asperger Syndrome. OAR is dedicated to promoting research that can be applied to help families, educators, caregivers, and individuals with autism find much-needed answers to their immediate and urgent questions. Committed to the excellence in its services to the autism community, OAR funds applied research that will make a difference in individual lives; provides information that is timely, useful, and cost-efficient; and offers opportunities for the autism community to collaborate and make advances together.