By JOLENE OGLE
THE school holidays are usually a time for family holidays or trips to the park, but for the Laidlaw family of Tewantin life with their autistic son means they won’t be heading out at all.
Parents Sabine and Warren said their 12-year-old son Ziggy, who is non-verbal autistic, has reached an age where he wants to explore outside his home environment.
“We are unable to take him out because he runs away and has no sense of danger,” Sabine said.
“Ziggy has now realised he can climb over fences and in the past two weeks has been found in the middle of Beckmans Road watching the cars fly past him.
“Although he found this very exciting, it has been very traumatic for ourselves and our two children.”
Sabine said her son is a bright and bubbly boy, but his disability means family life is a “struggle”.
“I have witnessed the effects Ziggy’s disability has had on our other two children growing up,” she said. “For example, we are unable to go to restaurants or to the park for a day out.”
Sabine said the impact of family life really “hit home” when her eldest son, Luca, wrote a letter about his despair for his brother’s behaviour and fear of losing him.
“It hit home that myself, my husband and my children need help,” she said.
Now, with the help of the Noosa Vietnam Veterans Association and Sunshine Butterflies, the Laidlaw family are hoping to raise funds to buy a Smart Pup for Ziggy.
“When I was given information about the benefits of Smart Pups I got excited,” Sabine said.
“There pups can provide a distraction to an autistic child’s frustrations and provide an anchor to allow independence, as well as hold the child in an embrace when out and about.”
For Sabine, a Smart Pup would mean the family can enjoy the simple things in life such as going out for dinner, to the park for the day and sleeping through the night.
A Smart Pup costs $25,000 to train and place with a family, but the Vietnam Veterans Association of Noosa have already kickstarted the fund-raising with the donation of $750 to the Laidlaw family.
Vietnam Veterans Association member Bruce Wilson said the cost of a Smart Pup wasn’t within the family’s reach and is calling on the community to come together and help the family raise the money needed.
Sunshine Butterflies have also come on board by providing a fund-raising page on their website www.sunshinebutterflies.com.au and search “Fundraising Appeals”.
For more information on how you can help the Laidlaw family, phone Sunshine Butterflies on 5470 2830.
