06/06/2025
The toll it can take đ
Uplifting all Autism parents, praying they'll have loving support around them - makes me realise just how blessed we are to have my famz and a growing community that 'see' and are willing to help where possible.
If not for God - we'd be a mess - that's a fact!
Behind so many closed doors are families barely hanging on. Parents of autistic childrenâespecially those with high support needsâare facing unimaginable stress. Some are living in survival mode every day. Many are doing it alone. Some have no support. Some are still waiting for it to arrive⊠years later.
As a parent of a non-speaking autistic child, I know the love is fierceâbut so is the weight.
**Weâre incredibly blessed to have the support that we doâ**a tight-knit aiga, an understanding church, and access to some services, knowledge, resources that many families go without. đ
But I know too many others donât. And that is heartbreaking.
Even with the support we do have, I can honestly sayâitâs only by the grace of God that we keep going. đ
Our faith anchors us. Jesus holds us.
In the chaos, in the meltdowns, in the sleepless nights and impossible decisionsâwe are carried.
But no family should feel they have to walk this road alone.
This is not a post for pity.
This is a call for support.
For understanding.
For policy change.
For community care.
For listening.
For seeing us.
đ We need more respite.
đ We need trained carers.
đ We need mental health support for parents.
đ We need school systems that donât force children out.
đ We need churches, workplaces, and communities to open their arms without judgment.
And we need to know weâre not alone.
If youâre reading this and youâre a parent in the thick of it, please knowâyou are not invisible. Your love, your tears, your strengthâit all matters. đ
You are not failing. You are faithfully showing up. And God sees it all.
If youâre reading this and you're not a parent of an autistic childâcheck in on someone who is. Offer a meal, a break, or just your ears. You donât have to understand everything to care.
Letâs not wait for another tragedy to act. Letâs be the village.
This broke my heart. đđ
A 47-year-old mother took the life of her son, Esteban, a child with autismâand then took her own.
Before she did, she wrote a letter to her husband, Fernando Cuello.
In it, she poured out everything she had been carrying aloneâthe pain, the exhaustion, the deep loneliness.
She wrote:
âNow youâll be able to live your life, you wonât have to travel anymore. All I asked for was a hug for Esteban and me, a kiss in the morning before you went to work. We didnât ask for much⊠We wonât beg you for more. Youâll remember us for the rest of your life.â
That line shattered me.
All she wanted was presence. A hug. A kiss. A little love.
But in the absence of support, of affection, of careâ
She broke under the weight of it all.
This isnât just about one tragedy.
Itâs about so many mothers who fight silent battles every single day.
No help. No rest. No one to lean on.
We donât talk enough about thisâ
Mental health. Emotional abandonment. The quiet suffering that happens behind closed doors.
It doesnât take grand gestures to make someone feel loved.
Sometimes, all a person needs is a hug. A little effort. A sign that they are seen. That they matter.
So if you know someone who seems tired, withdrawn, or barely holding onâ
Check on them. Hug them. Listen to them.
Sometimes, thatâs all it takes to save a life.
