Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Autism Awareness Bracelets


They are finally here!!!! We have begun making Autism Awareness Bracelets and we are so excited to see them all put together! They are beautiful and the puzzle pieces we found with the words "One Day the Pieces Will Fit" just made the whole bracelet. We will be selling these for $15.00 dollars each and the money will go directly to "Autism Speaks".
Leave me a comment with your email address, if you would like to order the bracelets and I will forward you the details how to do so :)

I have been so blessed beyond belief this past month from all the support we have received from so many people. My team "Rock Autism" now has 6 team members and have together raised $350.00 dollars for "Walk Now For Autism" which is sponsored by Autism Speaks.I have been moved to tears...never in my imagination could I have known God would ask me to step out and be a voice this year and that so many of you would stand right along with me and support me and my family! I have been blessed to reach my personal goal of $250.00(THANK YOU to all who donated) I now continue to press on to help reach our team goal of $2500.00....I know that not only will this result in Hope for our Gabriel and our nephew-n-law (hahahaha...can i say that) John but it will impact and bring HOPE to many children! God works in mysterious ways...right down to the person I purchased the puzzle pieces from! I got them on eBay and then emailed her to ask if she had more and she did not have as many as I was looking for but she is going way out of her way to contact a vendor to order more for me! She has a nephew and friend who have Autism as well and God has connected us in this journey!
I am in "AWE"...."Can't stop the tears lately" God has a plan and a Hope for these children!
1 out of 150 children are diagnosed with Autism....
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. A plan for Hope and a Future and not harm." Jeremiah 29:11


Thursday, April 16, 2009

Awww...too CUTE!




When your child suffers from Autism...you get very few in the eye looks...very few embraces...very few I love you's! So when an opportunity arises you are overjoyed and it is so worth the wait! Gabe got off the bus and he looked so stinken cute i couldn't pass up a photo op...lately he isn't into having his picture taken, but as you can see...he was all into it! When i looked back at the picture I was really excited and told John look at this picture...Gabe's eyes are looking right at me and focused and they are clear and he looks really healthy....Praise God for a good and healthy week for him :)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Squeakers up close and personal

OK, so...even after a year of VIRGINIAN LIFE..we still think Squeakers are so adorable!!! Easter Day, Destinee spotted this one out in our deck and we had to get a picture. Gabriel thinks "Squeaker" is his little pet...he will yell with huge excitement every time he looks out the windows and sees them. With the cold weather they were in hiding for a bit but they are back and we so enjoy them!!! It is so sweet to stand and wash dishes and look out and see them running and jumping from tree to tree...they have the most adorable little faces!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Resurrection Day

Happy Easter from the Barrera's!
We love and miss you all! Praying God Blessed you all with a wonderful Easter :)




Thursday, April 9, 2009

The Barrera's will be walking on October 3rd, 2009 in Richmond for "Walk Now for Autism". We have developed a team "Rock Autism" and are currently recruiting team members. Our goal is to recruit 10team members who each raise $250.00 in support. All proceeds will go to Autism Speaks, for funding more research, 100 days packets ( these are packets families can request for free within 100 days of their child being diagnoses with Autism, to help provide vital information for treatment), education support, etc. Our team will be hosting the next few months a few different fundraisers in an effort to reach our goal of $2000.00. We will be making and selling Autism Awareness bracelets ( I will post them as soon as we get one made), bake sells, garage sells, as well as a few more ideas that are coming. If you would like to join our team please click on the "walk Now for Autism" picture to the side, it will take you to our team website. If you are unable to join the team and would like to donate please go to http://www.walknowforautism.org/richmond/totaljesusgirl
Together we can Find the Missing Pieces and Provide Hope and Healing for millions of families!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Junior Honor Society

Destinee received a letter in the mail this weekend that she was accepted into the Junior Honor Society at her school. She has worked really hard to achieve this...She has gotten straight A honor roll every year she has been in school and she is demonstrating leadership qualities in school and in the community. She is required to keep up great grades and do community service hours, which she already fulfills serving at our church as the children's worship choreographer and in her serving time in the nursery and toddlers class. We are really proud of her and continue to pray that God would continue to lead and guide her into becoming a wonderfully well balanced girl of God.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

National Autism Awareness Day

Latest Autism Statistics
AUTISM OCCURRENCE: One in every 150 children in the US has autism (read CDC report). It is estimated approximately 1 million in the US have this disorder.


U.S. FACTS:
A new case of autism is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes
There are 24,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. per year
The economic impact of autism is more than $90 billion and expected to more than double in the next decade.
Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.
There is no medical detection treatment, or cure for autism.


AUTISM COMPARED TO OTHER DISABILITIES: Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. today.


AUTISM & CALIFORNIA STATISTICS:
MORE THAN TWO new cases each day – 7 days a week in California alone!
From 1987-1998 there was a 633% increase in Autism (DSM-IV) in the State of California. (Note: In 1998 mandatory immunizations programs and the MMR vaccine were introduced.)
From 1998-2002 there was an additional 96% increase in Autism (DSM IV) in the State of California.
There are 35,626 cases of autism in California as of September 2007.
Autism cases represent over 18% of the Regional Center caseload. Annual budget for ASD care is over $171,000,000. Autism cases account for nearly 60% of intake.
In state-operated institutions of care there are 3,273 people with autism.
NOTE: These numbers below do NOT include: PDD, Asperger's and other spectrum disorders.


AGE AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: In the State of California nearly seven out of TEN children with autism are less than 14 years old.


SOURCE INFORMATION:

California Department of Developmental Services Autism Main Website
Link to the CDC Data
BETTER DIAGNOSIS? Some of suggested that autism is just being better diagnosed today versus ten years ago and that many cases of mental retardation are now being coded as autism. This would also assume that the experts diagnosing autism before did not know what they were doing.

This is NOT TRUE. Autism is the only rising dramatically disorder while mental retardation, Down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis remain relatively the same. Autism is now more prevalent among California children than cerebral palsy.


GIRLS VS. BOYS: Autism often strikes boys more often than girls – roughly four times more common in boys. With statistics being 1 in every 150 children that makes it 1 in every 94 males.
FUNDING RESEARCH: In the late 1990s The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded just $5 million in Autism Research. Today, the National Institutes of Health funds allocation:
$29 billion Total NIH funding
$5 billion Funding of relevant NIH departments: Child Health, Mental Health, Environmental Health, Neurological Disorders
LESS THAN $100 million* Portion of the $5 billion allocation that directly or indirectly impacts autism research. *This represents 0.3% of total NIH funding.
MUCH MORE FUNDING is needed.


HOW DOES FUNDING FOR AUTISM COMPARE TO OTHER CHILDHOOD DISORDERS & DISEASES?
Leukemia 1 in 25,000 Funding: $300 million
Muscular Dystrophy 1 in 20,000 Funding: $160 million
Cystic Fibrosis 1 in 5,000 Funding: $75 million
Juvenile Diabetes 1 in 500 Funding: $140 million
Autism 1 in 150 Funding: $15 million

(Dollar amounts reflect approximate annual funds raised by major private advocacy groups.)

Note: it is important to note that there is no suggestion to place an importance on one disease over another. This funding information above is only to demonstrate the disparity of funding towards autism


Thank you for taking time to be educated and to get the facts about Autism. Much more research needs to be done and especially on the link between Autism and Vaccines(that's for another post) Please join me in raising awareness!

I have started "Rock Autism" Team. We will be walking in the Fall to raise awareness, but until then we each have individual goal to raise money for more research. My personal goal is $250.00 with my team goal being $2000.00. If you would like to support me in my walk you can donate on my personal website htpp://www.walknowforautism.org/richmond/totaljesusgirl
If you would like to join my team log onto my team website and become a member http://walknowforautism.org/richmond/rockautism.
Throughout the month I will be posting more about autism, our personal story about autism and also be doing a few different fundraisers to help raise money for more research.

Continue to pray for Gabriel and the millions of families across the world that suffer from Autism.