27/09/2024
**A Journey with Leila: A Mother’s Strength**
From the moment she was born, Leila was a strong-willed, beautiful child. She hit her milestones early—walking at just 9 months—but at 15 months, things started to change. Meltdowns that lasted hours, temper tantrums over the smallest things, and behavior that just didn’t seem to match what most people expected from the "terrible twos." As a qualified preschool teacher, I knew something was off, but the answers weren’t clear.
When my second child arrived, life grew even more challenging. Leila’s meltdowns worsened, and I reached out to Plunket, who connected me to various support services. By age 5, we were seen by a public specialist, but no one seemed to have an answer. “She’s masking at school because she’s a girl,” they told me. So, we waited—waited for someone to see what I knew was happening.
School was hard for Leila. The teachers didn’t understand what I was asking for, and it wasn’t until I consulted with a specialist that they began to see the signs themselves. Leila, though deeply caring, struggled to manage her emotions. If she became too excited, it would spiral into aggressive meltdowns—hitting her siblings, the family pets, and even banging her head.
Years went by, and we still didn’t have a diagnosis. By the time she was 10, the fight with the public system left us drained, so we sought out a private diagnosis. It was a turning point. Throughout the years I dove into learning about everything—from managing her anxiety and behavior to understanding her dyslexia and communication struggles. Armed with this knowledge, I became a better parent.
This experience also lit a passion in me to help other families dealing with ADHD and Autism. As a teacher, I could offer strategies to parents and gently help them recognize when their own children’s needs were different.
But Leila’s journey was far from over. Now 15, her school years have been stressful, with no one truly listening. Leila, in her darkest moments, turned to self-harm, and when my son began to show similar behaviors, my heart broke all over again. He was finally diagnosed at 10 after serious problems at school.
Just when I thought things might never improve, I discovered Nrf2 and Axio, which brought some much-needed light into our lives. Through it all, I’ve learned to fight, to grow, and to love even more fiercely. This journey has shaped me into the parent and advocate I am today, and while it hasn’t been easy, I wouldn’t change a thing about my children or the strength they’ve given me.
