Coming like a Flood

Is there an epidemic? What is the definition of epidemic? Wikipedia defines an epidemic as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is "expected". Well, this week was an epidemic. First my colleague identified 2 possible FASD relatives as I wrote about in the blog "I Can See Clearly Now". The same day, another colleague came to my office to ask about FASD, as there was a parent coming to an IEP meeting who had identified his child as FASD. As that staff person gathered the information I provided, she started talking about her adopted son whose mother drank during the pregnancy. I could see the realization hit her as she wiped away tears. Her son was FASD. He was suffering from depression and had tried to commit suicide. He also had other behavioral indicators. All I could say was to read, learn, and understand the behaviors were not a result of poor parenting. She left clutching the information in her hand and with a website address to study about her future with an FASD child.

Today is Wednesday, Already, I am aware of two colleagues who are seeing through enlightened eyes. But the week is not over. This morning, two consultants for the tribe visited the school. As I have come to do, I mention my research into school shooters. Imagine my surprise when one of the consultants immediately responded with, "I adopted an FASD child. He started a fire in a school. When he got into the navy, he started a fire and was put into the brig." I almost fell over. Here is another incident that links FASD children to aberrant behaviors in school. Not to be outdone, the other consultant told me his brother teaches in a school where an FASD child brought a gun to school. Another link to FASD and school shooters. Both are willing to provide more information on their experiences.

Six additional examples of FASD in three days. Is this an epidemic? Well, not 15 minutes after I left the meeting with the consultants, another colleague pulled me aside and told me about her experience last night. Her friend, a doctor, and her friend's husband, a cop, invited her for dinner. During the dinner, the cop told of a recent experience with a child, an eight year old girl, who was taken by the police after attempting to kill her 6 month old sister. The description of the eight year old's behaviors and responses to questions caused my colleague’s immediate response of, "Is she FASD?" My colleague has learned to ask the question. Now the question has been asked, the cop can find the answer.

Well, by today, Thursday, the flood continued. My collegue, who told me about her adopted son, came to me today with his pictures. While the pictures were not conclusive, her discription of her son's behaviors, the indication by the Romanian adoption agency that his mother drank alcohol, and his diagnosis of ADHD led me to the conclusion that her son is a victim of FASD. She then started telling me about her daughter, another adopted child from Romania. She said she and her husband went to Europe to adopt because they did not want a cocaine baby. That is so sad, as cocaine babies did not suffer brain damage, while FASD babies do and our society made such a big issue of cocaine babies in the late 80's and early 90's. After she explained her daughters behaviors and challenges with reading and her limited thinking abilities, I saw the tears well up in her eyes again as she began to understand how her family was impacted by FASD. Two children......last week she did not know, now she has something to study so she will have a better understanding of what her family is looking at in the future.

This is an epidemic that is invisible to most people. When you have your eyes opened, you can see it. Please, please learn more about FASD. Only when we can see the epidemic will we understand what this is costing each individual victim and society as a whole.