This is FASD
Help Children Like Kiaria Live Their Best Life
5 Ways to Increase Awareness of FASD
She was born lucky.
She was lucky to be born.
I’ll call her Kiaria.
It’s a Japanese name that means blessed by fortune.
Kiaria’s not her real name, but the girl I’m calling Kiaria is real.
She’s not Japanese. She’s Australian. Born to parents with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
You might think I’m being racist by telling you about her ethnicity right up front, but I’m not. I’ll explain why in a bit. Please bear with me because I have an important story to tell.
I’ve given Kiaria a number of labels already and there’s more to come, but the one I really want to tell you about is FASD.
Do you know what FASD stands for?
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Kiaria was born with FASD.
Of course, she didn’t choose to be born with FASD. She didn’t choose to be born at all. None of us choose to be born. It’s the luck of the draw.
Kiaria’s mother didn’t choose to be pregnant. It just happened. An unplanned pregnancy. There’s nothing unusual in that.
Around half of all pregnancies are reported to be unintentional. The incidence is highest for disadvantaged women in terms of low levels of education, socio-economic status, and access to health and community services.
Kiaria’s mother ticked all those boxes along with language barriers, ethnic minority, and indoctrinated beliefs and customs.
Kiaria’s mother already had five children. Caring and providing for them had pushed her beyond her capacity. She didn’t want any more. Couldn’t cope with any more. What she wanted was not to be pregnant. Abortion wasn’t an option. Miscarriage was her only hope.
So, she did what she could to make it happen.
She drank.
To excess. To excise.
It came to naught.
