6 months into being pregnant with my second child, I was told by a pediatrician that my firstborn, who was then 2-years-old, had autism and my second would likely as well.

How could this be?  My whole world froze and my heart sank deeper than I ever knew it could. The isolation and depression was like nothing I had ever felt.  I had no one to turn to.  I didn’t know anyone who had autism, much less a parent who had advocated for their autistic child.  Yearning for a community like @bumpdateapp, I humbly share my story so that readers can connect and feel that they can be part of a safe community.

My eldest son, Winston, is autistic.

In my eyes, he is perfect, and so are his siblings.  Being a parent is the hardest, most vulnerable, and also rewarding role I have ever stepped into.  I now have 3 beautiful children: Winston (4), Constantin (2), and Olympia (1) and we live in Pacific Palisades, CA.  After spending our entire lives in big cities across the globe, we welcome the sun and sea into our daily lives.  The kids love growing up next to the ocean and my husband and I love growing our businesses alongside the dynamic city of LA.

Winston might not be like everyone else, but I have come to realize that’s the point of life.

Despite his many hardships and gifts, I remind myself that humanity can’t push forward if we are all the same.  Winston has made enormous progress through early intervention.  What’s Winston like today?  Well… he doesn’t stop talking, is curious about everything, earnest beyond measure, and has a heart of gold.  He’s learning Spanish at home and how to write his name at school.  Winston memorizes books like it’s nothing, is a barrel of laughs, and likes to be quite literal in all things he does and expresses.

His favorite song is Tequila by Dan + Shay.

Winston is thriving and will continue to do so under the care of his wonderful therapeutic team.  Now that advocacy for Winston and my family at large fills my life, we are especially lucky and eternally grateful to have a community here in LA that supports us, including @bumpdateapp.  If you are a parent dealing with similar issues, don’t be afraid to connect and ask for help.

YOU are not alone.

♥️ Claire