FASD Awareness Day marked in Sioux Lookout with awareness walk

Tim Brody - Editor

September 9 was International FASD Awareness Day.

“First celebrated in 1999, FASD day is devoted to raising awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) to improve prevention of FASD and diagnosis and support for individuals with FASD,” according to Canada FASD Research Network.

In Sioux Lookout, a group of about a dozen people marked the day, participating in an FASD awareness walk from the Sioux Lookout Travel Information Centre to the Town Beach and back.

FASD awareness walk coordinator Yvette Jones shared, “We’re just trying to get the word out into the community so people know not to drink if they’re pregnant.”

Many of the participants wore red shoes or red laces.

According to the website https://www.nofasd.org.au/red-shoes-rock/, “The Red Shoes Rock movement was started in 2013 by RJ Formanek, an educator and advocate living with FASD. He decided to wear red shoes to stand out, be noticed and have fun starting conversations 

about FASD.”

“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. Each person with FASD has both strengths and challenges and will need special supports to help them succeed with many different parts of their daily lives,” the Canada FASD Research Network shared on their website https://canfasd.ca/fasd-awareness-month/.

Locally, Community Living Dryden-Sioux Lookout provides support to children and families living with FASD through its Healthy Generations program.

Supports include a family support group, the ability to work with families in their homes and assessments of classrooms and other locations a child diagnosed with FASD might frequent to help the location to be a supportive place for that child.

These supports can be accessed by emailing healthy generations family support coordinator Jill Davies at jill.davies@cldsl.ca.