Ted Lindsay

In Memoriam
Updated on March 4, 2019

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Ted Lindsay (Autism Light #411) passed away on March 4, 2019, at the age of 93. The Detroit Free Press has issued a news story on his passing while under hospice care. Ted Lindsay's name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

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Autism Light #411 is Ted Lindsay.

Ted Lindsay

Ted Lindsay was born on July 29, 1925, in Renfrow, Ontario in Canada. He lives in Oakland, Michigan near Detroit. Ted Lindsay had a hall of fame career in the National Hockey League playing for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Ted Lindsay is an Autism Light because he established the Ted Lindsay Foundation and has been shining a light on finding a cure for autism since 2001.

NHL Career: Ted Lindsay scored 851 points in his hockey career from 1944-1965. He played Left Wing for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks. His nickname as a player was Terrible Ted, because of his aggressive style of play. Ted Lindsay was inducted into the National Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. His illustrious career included winning the Stanley Cup four times and he was the first player to skate around the rink with the Stanley Cup hoisted over his head after his Detroit Red Wings team won the championship.This started a tradition that has been continued to this day.

The following documentary celebrates the accomplishments of Ted Lindsay as a Legend of Hockey.

Hockey Players Union: Lindsay is also known for playing a key role in helping the Hockey players organize a players association, an action that resulted in the Detroit Red Wings trading him to the last place Chicago Blackhawks in 1957. The 1995 movie Net Worth was about Lindsay's role in this historical step for the NHL.

Ted Lindsay Foundation: The Ted Lindsay Foundation was created in 2001 and had raised over $2 million for research into new autism treatments as of 2013. The mission of the Ted Lindsay foundation is, "To raise money and funds to support research and educational programs focusing on the cause and management of Autism Spectrum Disorders (Source: tedlindsay.com)." You can find more about the foundation at tedlindsay.com.

Ted Lindsay does not have relatives with autism, but back in 2001 his physical therapist at the time had a 4 year old with autism. "Ted took on this cause at 76 years-old after finding out the son of a close friend had autism. Ted tells everyone until then he never heard about autism and didn't know how debilitating it is to children (Detroithub, February 25, 2013)."

Here is a video of Ted Lindsay at his 12th Annual Celebrity Golf Outing to raise money for autism in 2013.


The Ted Lindsay Foundation, 12th Annual Celebrity Golf Outing from Zara Creative on Vimeo.

Hope Center at Beaumont Hospital: In April 2014, Ted Lindsay announced a $1 million gift from his foundation to the Beaumont Hospital. Because of this gift it will be renamed the Ted Lindsay Foundation Hope Center (Ted Lindsay Website).

The following is a video of some of the work the Ted Lindsay Hope Center will be doing for families.

Todd Lang, an autism father, said that The Ted Lindsay Foundation, "is one of the foundations that really makes a difference, where the results are tangible. Mr. Lindsay's passion for creating awareness, to making people understand not only what autism is but what resources are available, is important (Livingston Daily, February 8, 2015)."

Wikipedia: You can learn more about Ted Lindsay at his Wikipedia Page.

Social Media: You can follow the Ted Lindsay Foundation on the following social media.

• Facebook Page for Ted Lindsay Foundation
• Twitter @TedLindsay07

Contact: Information on contacting Ted Lindsay for an autograph is on his FanMail webpage. You can also contact the Ted Lindsay Foundation at 1819 E. Big Beaver Rd. Ste. 200 Troy, MI 48083 Phone: 248.457.1400 or email: info@tedlindsay.com.

Special thanks to Ted Lindsay for being an Autism Light. The efforts he has made to raise funds to support autism are shining a light in many areas of autism in Michigan. Never estimate what one man can do who wants to make a difference.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Ted Lindsay was from the Creative Commons of Wikipedia. 

Scott Mellanby

Autism Light #408 is Scott Mellanby.

Scott Mellanby was born in Montreal, Canada on June 11, 1966. Scott Mellanby has two sons named Nicholas and Carter and a daugher named Courtney. His son Carter has autism. Scott Mellanby is a retired National Hockey League player who helped found Athletes Against Autism. Scott Mellanby is an Autism Light for his dedication as an autism father and for his efforts to raise awareness for autism through the former Athletes Against Autism and the Mellanby Autism Foundation.

The following is a a YouTube video featuring an interview with Scott Mellanby. In the video Scott Mellanby discusses his willingness to help fellow autism father hockey player Pierre Groulx.

Hockey Career: Scott Mellanby played as a right wing in the National Hockey League from 1985-2007.  He played during his career for the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Atlanta Thrashers. On October 9, 1993, he scored the first ever goal in the history of the Florida Panthers franchise. He killed a rat with his goalie stick in 1996 and inspired the "rat trick" movement from the fans of the Florida Panthers, where they would throw plastic rats on the ice after a Panthers goal. Scott Mellanby's career statistics are available at Hockey-reference.com.  Scott Mellanby retired in 2007.

Post-Playing Career: Scott Mellanby continued to be involved in hockey in front office positions after his playing days were finished and most recently he was named the Assistant GM of the Montreal Candiens on July 30, 2014.

Athletes Against Autism: In 2006, Scott Mellanby joined fellow hockey players Olaf Kolzig and Byron Dafoe as one of the original founders of Athletes Against Autism. Athletes Against Autism is now associated with Autism Speaks. 

Mellanby Autism Foundation: Scott Mellanby and his wife  Susan established the Mellanby Autism Foundation in 1999 after their son Carter was diagnosed with autism. It is a non profit organization that helps with direct care services to people affected by autism and their families. Scott Mellanby said this about starting the foundation as an acknowledgement to the many others who care and are not autism parents.

We get credited for starting foundations and doing this kind of stuff. Obviously for us there was a direct relationship to our family so it was a natural thing to do, but there are a lot of athletes and non-athletes that are doing what they can nowadays to get involved with charities even if they weren’t affected by it and I think those people are very special for wanting to get involved and they deserve a lot of credit for that (Scott Mellanby, Pros Give Back).

Wikipedia Page: You can find out more information about Scott Mellanby at his Wikipedia Page.

Social Media: You can follow Scott Mellanby on the following social media areas.

• Twitter @Mellanby19

Special thanks to Scott Mellanby for being one of the founders of Athletes Against Autism and using his notoriety to promote autism awareness. Autism Light wishes Scott and his family all the best in their ongoing journey with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Scott Mellanby is in the Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Michala Riggle

Autism Light #345 is Michala Riggle. 

Michala Riggle is a 17 year old from Louisville, Kentucky. Her younger brother Evan has autism. After seeing Evan benefit from receiving IV infusions of an amino acid called Glutathione at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, she started Beading to Beat Autism in order to raise funds for a study including 50 other children with autism. Michala Riggle is an Autism Light because of her amazing ability to raise money for autism research in honor of her brother Evan.

Michala and her borther Evan

National Media: The following are video clips from when Michala appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres show and Good Morning America in 2011 to share about her autism fundraising.



Fundraising Initiatives:  Michala Riggle created Beading to Beat Autism in order to raise funds for autism research at Kosair Children's Hospital in Lousiville, Kentucky. Michala started fundraising in 2007 at age 10 and in 5 years she raised over half a million dollars for autism research, more than doubling her goal of $200,000 (WDRB.com, August 13, 2012).

Michala Riggle Beat Autism Foundation: Michala has created a private 501c3 foundation called The Michala Riggle Beat Autism Foundation, Inc. According to her Facebook page her goal is to "build the most comprehensive, autism research and treatment center in the world and eradicate autism forever (Facebook Page of Beading to Beat Autism)!"

The following is the fundraising video that Michala Riggle has on her website in her current project called CAMPAIGN 7 that has a goal to raise $300 million in funds to build an autism research and treatment center in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.



Motto: Michala's response when people doubt that she can raise the amount of money she has for her goal is, "If you go into a game thinking you're gonna lose, it's game over-you've lost-YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!! (Michala Riggle as quoted on Beading to Beat Autism Website)."

Awards/Honors: Michala has received the following awards and honors according to the Facebook Page of Beading to Beat Autism.  These are just a few that have been received.

1. "Kentuckian of the Year" by Kentucky Monthly Magazine (2008)
2. Build-A-Bear Huggable Hero (2008)
3. Kohl's Kid Who Cares Regional Winner
4. Youth in Philanthropy Award by Kosair Children's Hospital Foundation
5. Chosen as a child hero in The My Hero Project (Young Heroes) (2011)

Social Media: You can follow Michala Riggle's efforts on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page of Beading to Beat Autism
• Twitter @Bead2BeatAutism
• Twitter @MichalaRiggle
• YouTube Channel for Beading to Beat Autism

Make a Donation: Visit Michala's website at www.beadingtobeatautism.org for information on how to donate to her foundation.

Special thanks to Michala Riggle for the tremendous amount of fundraising she has done through Beading to Beat Autism. She is commended for having the courage and the tenacity to undertake a big goal to create a center for autism research in Louisville. We are believing with Michala that she will reach her goal. Autism Light looks forward to hearing exciting news of Michala's accomplishments in the years ahead.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photos: The photos in this post are used with permission of Emlyn Riggle.

Pentru Voi Foundation

Autism Light #337 is the Pentru Voi Foundation.

The Pentru Voi Foundation is a non governmental organization that was established in 1995 in Timisoara, Romania to support people with intellectual disabilities. The Pentru Voi Foundation is the first Autism Light from the country of Romania. The Pentru Voi Foundation is an Autism Light for their efforts on behalf of those with Autism in Romania.

Mission: The mission of Pentru Voi is "to increase the quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families (Vimeo Channel of Pentru Voi)."

2012 FlashMob in Iulius Mall: The Pentru Voi Foundation organized a FlashMob for April 2, 2012 for Autism Awareness Day that performed in the Iulius Mall in Timisoara, Romania. The Timisoara Zumba Club collaborated on this FlashMob for Autism Awarness.

2008 Project: "In 2008 Pentru Voi project 'Different Together' received Romanian top award at the civil Society Gala. It is the first time the award goes to an organization from Timisoara, and also the first time when it is won by an organization for people with intellectual disabilities (Pentru Voi Foundation Wikipedia Page)."

Website: You can read more about the Pentru Voi Foundation at their website at www.pentruvoi.ro.

Wikipedia: You can read more about Pentru Voi Foundation at the Pentru Voi Foundation Wikipedia Page. Social Media: You can follow the Pentru Voi Foundation on the following social media areas.

• Pentru Voi Foundation on Facebook
• Twitter @PentruVoi
• Vimeo Channel of Pentru Voi
• YouTube Channel of Pentru Voi

Special thanks to the Pentru Voi Foundation for their efforts to serve individuals with disabilities in Romania. Those with autism in Romania are blessed to have Pentru Voi Foundation shining their light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Bob and Dreama Denver

Autism Light #323 is Bob and Dreama Denver.

Bob Denver was the comic actor who starred in the sitcom Gilligan's Island. Bob Denver died on September 2, 2005, from cancer. Bob Denver was an autism father who quietly spent the last two decades of his life caring for his autistic son Colin. Bob's widow Dreama Denver is an author, speaker, runs The Denver Foundation and Little Buddy Radio, and continues to care for the couple's son Colin Denver. Bob and Dreama Denver are Autism Lights because of how their devotion to their son and their journey with autism has increased autism awareness. In addition, Bob Denver will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Actor: Bob Denver starred as Gilligan in the popular sitcom Gilligan's Island which originally aired from 1964-1967.  Bob Denver also starred as Maynard G. Krebs in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which aired from 1959-1963. You can read more about Bob Denver's career at Bob Denver's IMDb Page or the Wikipedia Page of Bob Denver. Bob Denver was not wealthy as he was only paid for the original shows he did and had no residual income from the numerous years of syndication and reruns of his beloved shows.

Autism Father: Dreama Denver shared with Fox411's Pop Tarts column about Bob Denver as an autism father.

I wanted the fans to know who he really was because he was a special, special man, especially when dealing with our son Colin, who has severe autism. I thought it was important to tell people that he set aside the last 21 years of his life to be with me and take care of our son, who had to have full-time care, [because he] didn't want me to do it alone. That speaks to the type of human being he was...He was highly intelligent, and I think that is the most surprising thing about him. He was extremely intelligent, and that didn't always come across in the characters that he played (Fox News, Wife of Late Bob Denver Says, 11/15/2012)

Little Buddy Radio: Bob and Dreama Denver founded Little Buddy Radio that provides a variety of music that comes from different decades of history. Dreama Denver continues to manage Little Buddy Radio. You can listen to the radio station online.

Foundation: Bob and Dreama Denver established The Denver Foundation in honor of their son Colin who has autism. The foundation operates in West Virginia and has a partnership with ResCare to meet the needs of special needs families in the community. You can learn more about The Denver Foundation at www.bobdenver.com/the-denver-foundation.  The following is a video where Dreama Denver reflects on Bob Denver.

Author: In September, 2012, Dreama Denver published Gilligan's Dreams: The Other Side of the Island. The book shows people that Bob Denver loved in his life and includes a discussion of his relationship wth his autistic son Colin.

Autism Mother: Dreama Denver encourages other autism mothers and widows who are caring for children with autism alone while she promotes her book on her family. She said, "Even when you get a heartbreaking diagnosis for your child -- and even when you lose the person in your life who is everything to you and shares the load with you -- that you can survive. It really is a book about hope and survival and mainly about making commitments and keeping them (WDTV.com, Wife of Deceased Actor Shares Her Story, 4/13/2013)."

Special thanks to Bob and Dreama Denver for being a light for autism. The autism community is grateful for the light of Bob and Dreama Denver and for the courage of Dreama Denver as an autism mother who continues to make a difference for autism without the support she once had of her husband Bob Denver.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Jamie McMurray

Autism Light #310 is Jamie McMurray.

Jamie McMurray is a NASCAR Driver and has a niece who has autism. He who won both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010. Jamie McMurray was born on June 3, 1976, in Joplin, Missouri and lives in Mooresville, North Carolina today. For over 5 years Jamie McMurray has been promoting autism awareness through his position in NASCAR. Jamie McMurray is an Autism Light for being an autism uncle and for raising awareness and funds for autism for over a decade as a successful NASCAR driver.

NASCAR Record: Jamie McMurray holds the record for the quickest NASCAR start as he won the 2002 UAW-GM Quality 500 as a substitute driver in just his 2nd Career NASCAR start. Jamie McMurray won both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010 and was only the 3rd driver in history to win both of these races in the same year. Jamie McMurray presently drives the No. 1 Chevrolet SS in the Sprint Cup Series for Earnhardt Ganassing Racing (Read More at Jamie McMurray's Wikipedia Page). The Yahoo Sports Page for Jamie McMurray has the career statistics for Jamie McMurray.

The following is a Public Service Announcement by Autism Speaks and the Ad Council that featured Jamie McMurray.

Jamie McMurray Foundation:  Jamie McMurray is the President of the Jamie McMurray Foundation that helps the autism community. The foundation lists this as their mission:

The Jamie McMurray Foundation (JMF) promotes awareness of, and raises funding for, the research, education, and support of inviduals and families afflicted with autism. JMF is dedicated to bringing the financial backing and support of the NASCAR community, together with the passion and commitment of the autism community, to promote better understanding of this challenging disability (Read More at the Jamie McMurray Foundation's Website).

You may support the Jamie McMurray Foundation by sending a check payable to the Jamie McMurray Foundation to P.O. Box 3460, Mooresville, North Carolina 28117-3460. You can also donate through the Jamie McMurray Foundation Donation Paypal Account. For charity requests or other information email info@jamiemcmurray.com.
The following is an interview with Jamie McMurray conducted back in 2008, when he shared about his passion for autism that inspired him to create the Jamie McMurray Foundation. 

Autism Speaks Day at the Races: Jamie McMurray was at the "Autism Speaks Day at the Races" in 2013. Jamie McMurray said about the event, "I enjoyed the chance to meet some of the families last year at this event. The whole weekend at Dover is great, with all the attention that it generates for autism awareness (Read More in an Article by Health Day on Jamie McMurray)." There is a YouTube video of Jamie talking to a young fan at the Autism Speaks Day at the Races. 
Drive for Autism Celebrity AM Golf Tournament: Jamie McMurray participates in the Drive for Autism Celebrity AM Golf Tournament, comprised of NASCAR drivers, some like Jamie who have personal family connections to autism. In 2013, $506,000 was raised for autism at the event. The next Drive for Autism will be on May 29, 2014 (Read More at the Drive for Autism on the Autism Delaware Website).
Social Media: You can follow Jamie McMurray at the following social media areas:

• Jamie McMurray's Facebook Page
• Jamie McMurray's Twitter @jamiemcmurray

Wikipedia: You can learn more about Jamie McMurray at Jamie McMurray's Wikipedia Page.

Special thanks to Jamie McMurray for being an Autism Light. We wish this Autism Uncle the best in his NASCAR races and for his continued advocacy on behalf of autism.

Note: This article is dedicated to my brother in-law, Eric Hostetler, who is both an autism uncle and NASCAR fan.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Curt and Ana Warner

Autism Lights #304 are Curt and Ana Warner.

Curt and Ana Warner are from Clark County, Washington. They have four children. Their twin sons Austin and Christian have autism and are now 19 years old. Curt Warner is a former NFL Football Running Back. Curt and Ana Warner are Autism Lights for their autism advocacy as well as their dedication as autism parents.

Here is an ESPN News story on Curt and Ana Warner's family and how autism has impacted it.

Penn State Career: Curt Warner was the leading rusher on the Penn State Football Teams from 1980-1982.  His 3,398 career yards rushing was a Penn State Record that lasted until 2010.  He helped Penn State win their first National Championship in the 1983 Sugar Bowl. In 2009, Curt Warner was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

NFL Career: Curt Warner was a Running Back from 1983-1989 for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He made the Pro Bowl 3 times. He concluded his career in 1990 with the Los Angeles Rams. You can view Curt Warner's complete NFL statistics at the Pro Football Reference Website.

High School Football Coach: Curt Warner serves as the running backs coach for the football team at Camas High School in Camas, Washington (Read More at Curt Warner's Wikipedia Page).

Curt Warner Autism Foundation: Curt Warner founded and is the President of the Curt Warner Autism Foundation.

National Autism Conference: Curt and Ana Warner delivered the keynote speech at the National Autism Conference on August 1, 2013 that was held at Penn State University (Read More in an Article on the Warner's by the Centre Daily Times). It was their first public speech on autism except for the ESPN film that was done on them.  You can view the entire speech on this YouTube video.


Here are two autism quotes from the Warner's speech at the National Autism Conference.

• "I think the most important thing in this whole situation comes down to having faith. I will say that again and again and again: You've got to have some faith because this is a struggle that doesn't end....It's an ongoing process; it's not something you volunteer for. You're picked; you've got to deal with it. So God bless all of you (Read More in an Article by The Salt Lake Tribune)--.Curt Warner."

• "Count your blessings. It helps a lot. You're going to have dark days, so remember to count your blessings. Write them down and read them, the funny stories. When you're sad, you'll laugh at stuff like that. It will brighten up your day (Read More in an Article by the Penn Stater Alumni Magazine)--Ana Warner."

Wikipedia Page: For more information on Curt Warner visit Curt Warner's Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to Curt and Ana Warner for being Autism Lights. Their dedication as parents and as advocates is a bright spot for all those in the autism community. To read other posts about Athletes visit the Autism Light Sports Page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Sheila R. Medlam - Mason Allen Medlam

Autism Lights #300 are Sheila R. Medlam and Mason Allen Medlam.

Sheila R. Medlam is from Colwich, Kansas. She is the mother of Mason Allen Medlam, who passed away at the age of 5 on July 29, 2010, after he wandered away from his home and drowned in a nearby pond. Sheila Medlam is an Autism Light, because since the tragedy of losing her son, she has been an influential national advocate for autism safety and wandering awareness, including talking to numerous commuity law enforcement agencies, promoting the Mason Alert system and founding the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety. Because of the inspiration that the memory of Mason Allen Medlam has on his mother and her work in wandering awareness, we are also naming Mason an Autism Light posthumously. His name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Mason Allen Medlam: Mason Allen Medlam left this world on July 29, 2010, after he wandered away from his home and drowned in a neighbor's pond. However, in a real sense Mason continues to shine his light each time the life-saving autism safety and wandering awareness initiatives are adopted by the autism community through the leadership of his mother. Sheila Medlam writes about the blessing of Mason's brief childhood on the front page of the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's website.

My son, Mason, was born on July 07, 2005. He was brilliant, beautiful and full of joy. He lit up our world and was the center of our universe. Sometimes he would break out into this glorious laughter, and even though you couldn't figure out what he was laughing at, you would join in because the sound of it touched your soul and filled it with joy. He was the most incredible child I have ever known. He loved life and life seemed to love him. He overcame more obstacles in his life than many adults ever have to even contemplate and he did it with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart (Read More at the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation Website).

Sheila R. Medlam: Sheila Medlam worked as an estimator at the time of Mason's death, but she is now studying to become a structured learning educator, so she can help teach children with severe autism like Mason. Sheila Medlam describes herself and goals this way on her blog.

I am about to drive over the edge of forty. I live on a farm in Kansas with my husband, daughters and many animals. I have an angel in heaven who wandered from home and drowned in a neighbor's pond when he was five years old. His name is Mason Allen Medlam and he was severely autistic. He is my purpose, my drive, my heart. Everything I do for the rest of my life is because of him. I love you, Bubby, I love you, I love you, I love you (Read More at Sheila R. Medlam's Blog).

Following Mason's death in 2010, Sheila Medlam formed the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety.  The foundation was nominated for the 2010 Age of Autism Award. Sheila has worked tirelessly through the foundation to promote Autism Safety through what is known as a Mason Alert.  A Mason Alert would be similar to but different from the nationwide Amber Alert System, because it would take into account unique circumstances applicable exclusively to missing people with autism of all ages. You can read more about the Mason Alert at this description of the Mason Alert from the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's Website and you can also sign the online petition to establish a Mason Alert system throughout the United States. The foundation also promotes the Mason Alert Take Me Home Registry. 

Here is a video from Sheila Medlam and the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation that provides information on the goals of the foundation and serves to give educational awareness of some procedures and equipment that could prevent future tragedies. The YouTube video says, "The Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's goal is to layer all the protections we can around each at risk person." The video also respectfully remembers some of the precious lives with autism that were lost to wandering around the time it was made and helps show the depth of the problem.


United States Health and Human Services: On October 22, 2010, Sheila Medlam was a speaker at the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) about autism wandering awareness. She corresponded with Kathleen Sebelius, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, about her message to the IACC. The exchange of letters is available as a note on Sheila Medlam's Facebook Page.

Blogger: Sheila Medlam has a WordPress Blog, where she shares about her life and promotes autism safety. She also documents the tragic accounts of new incidents of autism lives lost to wandering or elopment. The blog shares Sheila's dreams and goals and is a treasure of educational material on wandering awareness and prevention as well as a memorial to those autistic lives lost to wandering. Sheila Medlam's Blog will be added today to the index on the Autism Light Blogs Page.

Social Media: You can interact with Sheila Medlam and the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Facebook Page - Mason Alert
• Facebook Page - Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety
• Facebook - Sheila R. Medlam
• Twitter @MasonAlert
• Google+ - Sheila Medlam
• YouTube - Mason Alert

One of the most serious problems facing the autism community today is the regular occurrences of those with autism wandering away from caregivers and falling a victim to tragedy, usually through drowning. Since Mason Allen Medlam passed away three years ago at least 65 known deaths from wandering have befallen the autism community. Below is a photo of some of those precious lives.

Today as Autism Light reaches the milestone of publishing the 300th point of autism light, it's hard to express in words the gratitude we have for Sheila Medlam, who has made autism safety and wandering awareness her life's passion since her son died from wandering. And we shall never forget Mason himself, whose brief life continues to help raise awareness of autism wandering, and whose light shines on as he inspires his mother and the autism community. Thank you Sheila and Mason!

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photos in this post are used with permission of Sheila R. Medlam.

Kate Winslet

Autism Light #260 is Kate Winslet.

Kate Winslet is an Actress and Singer from England. Kate Winslet found her passion for autism charity work in 2009, when she was asked to narrate the English version of the Icelandic book A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism (A.K.A. The Sunshine Boy), which is about a mother who raises a nonverbal autistic child, that learns to communicate with a letter board. This experience would lead Kate Winslet to form the autism charity called the Golden Hat Foundation. Kate Winslet is the mother of two children, Mia and Joe, neither one of whom have autism. Kate Winslet is an Autism Light for her creation of the Golden Hat Foundation as a charity for autism.
Acting Career: Kate Winslet earned acclaim for her roles in the movies Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Titanic (1997). She was the youngest person to receive 6 Academy Award nominations. Kate Winslet earned the Academy Award for Best Actress in The Reader in 2008. 
Here is an ABC News video explaining Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | Technology News | Celebrity News

The Golden Hat:  The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism was published in March, 2012. The book features photos of 100 celebrities and famous people wearing a golden hat for autism. Each celebrity is then asked to state the first thing they would say if they could talk and previously had not been able to talk (like those with autism). Celebrities featured in the book include George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Sting, Kobe Bryant, Julia Roberts, Meryl Strepp, Ben Stiller and dozens of other stars. You can purchase the book through The Golden Hat Foundation Store for $29.95 with all proceeds to benefit the autism foundation.   Kate Winslett is joined in writing the book by Margret Ericsdottir and her son Keli Thorsteinsson (A.K.A. Kelli Ericsdottir). Margret and Keli inspired Kate Winslet to write the book by their documentary A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism. The name for the book was inspired by a poem that Keli Thorsteinsson wrote at age 12 called The Magic Hat. It goes like this. 
The boy had a golden hat. The hat was magical. It could talk. The boy did not have any voice. He had autism. His hat was always with him. His hat was lost one day. Now he had no way of telling them his stories. His mom and dad became sad. They taught him spelling on a letterboard. It was hard.  end (Source).
The Golden Hat Foundation: Kate Winslet founded the Golden Hat Foundation in 2010 and Margret Ericsdottir serves as the present Director of the Foundation. The foundation is based in Austin, Texas. 
The Golden Hat Foundation lists this as their mission on their website:

The Golden Hat Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers for people with autism around the world, and creating an environment that holds these individuals as intellectually capable. The mission of the Golden Hat Foundation is the establishment of innovative campuses that offer people with autism the opportunity to learn to communicate, receive an education, job training and enjoy recreational activities, all within a supportive network. When given a suitable education and the means to communicate effectively, people with autism can truly realize their dreams (Source).

Visit www.goldenhatfoundation.org for more information on the Golden Hat Foundation.

Quote on Autism: Kate Winslet told Celebrity Baby Scoop in an interview that the biggest misunderstanding about children with autism are, "That they are not capable of understanding anything, that they are completely locked in their own worlds and aren't paying attention to anything around them or that they are disinterested. Even those closest to them sometimes believe that. And so often that proves not to be the case (Source)."
Other Articles: The following online materials have been written about Kate Winslet and her autism work.

• Kate Winslet Wears a New Hat: Charity Coordinator (USA Today)
• Kerry's Favorite: Kate Winslet and the Golden Hat Foundation  (Note: Kerry Magro was Autism Light #119)
• Kate Winslet Raises Awareness for Autism (Celebrity Baby Scoop)
• Kate Winslett: Why I Wrote the Golden Hat (Divine Caroline)
• The Golden Hat Foundation (Note: Laura Shumaker was Autism Light #40)
• Kate Winslet's Autism Awareness Project: The Golden Hat (Thinking Person's Guide to Autism)

Social Media: You can follow The Golden Hat Foundation and Kate Winslet at these social media areas.

• Facebook -Golden Hat Foundation
• Twitter @KateWinsletGHF
• YouTube Channel - Golden Hat Foundation

You can read more information about Kate Winslet on her Wikipedia page here. 
Special thanks to Kate Winslet for being an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing about the exciting growth of the Golden Hat Foundation to help the autism community and of course to future movies starring Kate Winslet. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
The photo of Kate Winslet is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia and was taken by Andrea Riffon. 

Doug and Julie Sharp

Autism Lights #243 are Doug and Julie Sharp.

Doug and Julie Sharp are from Johnstown, Ohio and have two sons, including a 12 year old son with autism named Daniel. Their dedication to make the world a brighter place for those with autism has taken them on a journey to set up an enterprise called the Lettuce Work Foundation (Lettuce Work), which will provide teenagers and adults with autism important work opportunities.  Doug and Julie Sharp are Autism Lights for being visionary autism parents and filling a need for young people with autism to transition into the workplace.

  

Education: Doug and Julie Sharp are both graduates of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Julie Sharp earned her Masters in Teaching from Otterbein University and Doug Sharp earned his MBA from The Ohio State University.

Work: Julie Sharp is a teacher at Oakstone Academy and Doug Sharp serves as a Vice President at Grange Insurance Companies in Columbus, Ohio.

The following are two versions of a production that Jenna Smith and Katharine Egli did for a photo journalism project at Ohio University in 2009 on the Sharp family and how their autism journey with their son Daniel led to the birth of Lettuce Work.

Smith:Egli project4 from Jenna Smith on Vimeo.
Lettuce Work: Doug and Julie Sharp incorporated Lettuce Work in 2007.  Doug serves as the Executive Director and Julie is the Program Director of Lettuce Work. The passion for starting an enterprise like Lettuce Work came from real needs the Sharp's discovered in their roles as autism parents and their involvement in education of autism students at Oakstone Academy in Westerville, Ohio.  Doug Sharp wrote this to Autism Light about their mission.

As we saw our students progressing through high school, Julie and I recognized that there is a significant need for additional training post-high school for many of our ASD kids. Even if they have plans to attend college, many of them still need additional help/training developing their social skills & communication skills outside the school. And of course, there are also students who will not go on to college that need vocational training and assistance finding work and succeeding in a work environment after high school. There just aren't enough programs "out there" to meet this need. We wanted to create a work environment where we could focus on developing these skills for our young adults with autism, and help them find other employment opportunities and live independently to the extent they are able. We worked with Ohio State to create our hydroponic growing business model, and will be selling a pre-packaged salad mix to local restaurants.

According to Doug Sharp the first years of Lettuce Work were "dedicated to market research, creating a business plan, developing a board, and soliciting donations to construct our facility."  A new facility for the business is currently being constructed and should be finished in 2013.  Doug Sharp writes this about the future of the company.

New Home of Lettuce Work

Lettuce Work is best described as a "social enterprise, since it is an actual business, but instead of using profits to reward the business owners, those are used to provide services to our ASD associates. Since we are just getting started and still under construction, we are starting to work with the Vocational Ed. students from Oakstone Academy in Westerville, Ohio. This school is nationally known for their programs for ASD students, and we are working with them to provide work experience for their Voc Ed ASD students. Once construction is complete, we will transition the students over to our growing operation, where they will get involved in all aspects of the business. That not only includes the basics of planting, harvesting and packaging, but also customer interaction via sales & delivery, and a lot of chemistry and math due to our hydroponic growing systems. Also plenty of exposure to computers related to running the business and growing systems.

The Lettuce Work Foundation is a 501c3 organization and has a board of directors made up of professionals in Ohio who bring considerable skill and experience to the organization (Source).  Donations are extremely helpful at this time and one may make a secure online donation to the Lettuce Work foundation through their website.  Lettuce Work is an approved agency provider for the Ohio Developmentally Disabled system. For more information on the mission of Lettuce Work you can contact them in these ways:

The Lettuce Work Foundation

PO Box 217 New Albany, Ohio 43054

PH: (614) 893-8029

Website: www.lettucework.org

Email: doug.sharp@lettucework.org or  julie.sharp@lettucework.org

Social Media: You can follow Doug and Julie Sharp and the Lettuce Work Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Facebook Group Page for The Lettuce Work Foundation
• Twitter @LettuceWork
• YouTube Channel for Lettuce Work

Doug Sharp said this to Autism Light about his expectation that programs that offer work opportunities for those with autism will become more widespread.

The most encouraging trend that I see is that more and more businesses are popping up that fit this "social enterprise" model to help employ adults with disabilities. I really believe this business model is the wave of the future versus the "traditional" non-profit organization that relies almost exclusively on donations to keep its doors open. Given the current economy and the extremely high unemployment rate for adults with disabilities (70%+), these small businesses are a bright light on the horizon.

Autism Light asked Doug Sharp how parents can prepare their older children for the day when they may enter the workplace.  This is what he said:

They need get started in High School and let the child work through the change together with their teacher/job coach and employer. Progress is measured in inches, not miles and in years, not days. Finding a patient employer who is willing to work with them is critical. Get started before they are out of high school. So many parents think that somehow their child will be able to go on to college or easily find a job after high school just like they did. Unfortunately, that's just not the case. Be honest and realistic about your child's interests, skills and abilities and get started sooner rather than later. Don't put it off - you'll do yourself and your child a big favor.

Special thanks to Doug and Julie Sharp for making a difference for autism. As children age and the population of adults with autism increases the business concept represented in Lettuce Work can serve as a model for how to create a win-win situation for business and disability services. We expect to hear great things from Lettuce Work as it grows and completes it's facility expansion in 2013.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The Photos in this post were used with permission of Doug Sharp. 

Dave and Mindy Rice

Autism Lights #240 are Dave and Mindy Rice.

Dave and Mindy Rice are from Las Vegas, Nevada. Dave Rice is currently the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dave and Mindy have two boys and their 9 year old son Dillon has autism. In response to the personal way in which autism has touched their lives they established the Dave Rice Foundation on February 9, 2012 (Source). Dave and Mindy Rice are Autism Lights for their work to make a difference for autism as parents and as creators of an autism foundation.

D.J. Allen, Sr., the Associate Athletic Director at UNLV said, "Anyone who has ever been involved in the life of a special needs child at any level understands the amount of love, dedication and sacrifice that goes into that child to maximize his or her potential. What Dave and Mindy have decided to do is personal. They're not doing this for sympathy. They're doing it because it's the right thing to do (Source)."

Education: Dave Rice graduated from UNLV in 1991 with a B.A. and 1993 with an MBA.

UNLV Basketball: Dave Rice was a member of the UNLV Men's Basketball team during the 1989-1990 season, when UNLV won the National Championship. After 11 years as an Assistant Coach for UNLV and one year as an Assistant Coach for Brigham Young University, Dave Rice became the head coach at UNLV on April 10, 2011. In the 2011-2012 season UNLV won 26 games and made it to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Dave Rice Foundation: Here is a video of Dave and Mindy Rice talking about their autism foundation.


Dave and Mindy Rice started the Dave Rice Foundation on February 9, 2012. Dave Rice serves as Chairman of the Board and Mindy Rice serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Board.  Dave Rice said, "Shortly after we moved back to Las Vegas, we saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, and to bring about attention to the needs of those who are affected by autism (Source)."

According to the Dave Rice Foundation website they are a "non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the education and support of health initiatives including developmental disorders such as Autism, and other charitable causes. The Dave Rice Foundation will be partnering with the UNLV Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Dave Rice said, "The difficulty with autism is that we would go to the doctor and he would ask us what we thought. And I thought, 'Aren't you the doctor?' That was the frustrating part. And with this foundation, the education and awareness will just benefit everybody (Source)."

Fundraising Events:  On May 4, 2012, the foundation held "An Evening with Dave Rice" as it's first fundraiser (Source). On November 12, 2012, the Dave Rice Foundation held a fundraiser with the support of restaurants in Las Vegas (Source).

The following is a video of the press conference when Dave and Mindy Rice announced their foundation for autism.  
For more information on the Dave Rice Foundation visit it's website at www.davericefoundation.org or connect with them through the various methods listed on their website contact area. 
Social Media: You can follow Dave Rice and the Dave Rice Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Twittter @CoachDaveRice
• YouTube
• Wikipedia

Special thanks to Dave and Mindy Rice for starting the Dave Rice Foundation and for being inspirational  public figures who are facing the challenges of being autism parents. The autism community in Nevada is blessed to have this foundation working to make the world a better place for families with autism. There will be a link to this post placed under the "Coach's section" of the Autism Light Sports Page as well as on the Autism Light Foundations Page. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Eddie and Lisa Guardado

Autism Lights #202 are Eddie and Lisa Guardado.

Eddie and Lisa Guardado are from Tustin, California. Eddie Guardado is a retired major league baseball player. Inspired by their daugther Ava who has autism, Eddie and Lisa Guardado founded The Eddie Guardado Foundation in 2008, which in 2011 joined with ACT Today.  Eddie and Lisa Guardado are Autism Lights because of their advocacy for autism and for starting a charitable foundation that allows them to help give back to other autism families with financial needs.

Major League Baseball Career:  Eddie Guaradado was known as "Everyday Eddie" as a relief pitcher in a career spanning from 1993-2009. Eddie played in 908 games, and only 21 other pitchers have played in more games (Source). The complete career statistics for Eddie Guardado may be viewed on his page at Baseball Reference. The following is an interview Eddie Guardado had on baseball and his passion for autism.

The Eddie Guardado Foundation: The Eddie Guardado Foundation has a special emphasis on helping families who struggle with the financial load of autism. You can find out more about their services at their website at www.eddieguardadofoundation.org. Their website says,

Lisa and Eddie understand the emotional and financial hardships families impacted with autism experience and founded the Eddie Guardado Foundation to help other families receive access to therapy and treatments that they could not otherwise afford (Source).

One of the main fundraising projects The Eddie Guardado Foundation sponsors is called Stars and Strikes Celibrity Bowl, which this year was held on January 29, 2012 at the Bowlmor Lanes in Tustin, California.  Here is a video of the event.


In 2011, a $27,000 grant to ACT Today from the Eddie Guardado Foundation allowed iPads to be purchased for 45 children with autism (Source).

ACT Today: ACT Today has a very diverse outreach that is not new to the Autism Light blog. Autism Light #82 was ACT Today for Military Families. The Eddie Guardado Foundation has chosen a fine autism organization to partner with that is meeting needs of people with autism.  The Eddie Guardado Foundation website says, "In January 2011, The Eddie Guardado Foundation merged with ACT Today!, (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) as both non-profits share the mission of providing awareness of and access to effective therapies for children with autism (Source)."

The following is a video where Eddie Guardado talks about the relationship between his foundation and ACT Today.

  You can read more about Eddie Guardado on his Wikipedia page.  Special thanks to Eddie and Lisa Guardado for being Autism Lights. They have used their celebrity fundraising skills and their experience as autism parents to shine a light on autism for many.Families with autism are the real winners in this partnership between The Eddie Guardado Foundation and ACT Today.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Eddie Guardado is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia. It is attributed to Keith Allison.

Eustacia Cutler

Autism Light #195 is Eustacia Cutler. 

On this Mother’s Day we want to pay special tribute to one mother in particular:  Eustacia Cutler, the mother of Temple Grandin, known world wide for her ground breaking work in animal husbandry. Eustacia raised Temple in the 50’s when autistic children were diagnosed as “infant schizophrenics” and frequently were banished to institutions. Since raising Temple, Eustacia has devoted much of her life to helping all family members find the support they need to face the unique challenges of autism.

In 2010, British actress, Julia Ormond won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Eustacia in the HBO docudrama Temple Grandin, and shortly afterward, at an autism conference in Los Angeles, she presented Eustacia with her Emmy. The following video captures the moment when Eustacia accepted Julia’s Emmy, saying it was a tribute for all mothers.

And here on this special Sunday Eustacia delivers her own tribute:

“Today is Mother’s Day. And today I salute all the long ago mothers who helped me raise Temple. In those days we had what we called the “Leave-it-to-Beaver Mom’s Union.”  Every child in the neighborhood knew that if he or she was doing something unacceptable one of the Mom’s Union was liable to open her window and yell, “I’m going to tell your mother.” When Temple heard that warning she knew she’d better shape up quick before the word reached home. Today this is called harassment and it’s not officially allowed, but my hope is that there’s still an unofficial Mom’s Union alive in every neighborhood. And to those Moms—as you lean out your window and scold, drive down roads chasing misbehavior—meet with other Moms to share the dark moments and the triumphs—I toast YOU!

A strong family is the linchpin—all through life. Some families have that strength, along with neighborhood support and maybe a little extra money. But what of those who don’t? Who live trapped in a neighborhood where there never will be a Mom’s Union? Exhausted parents adrift and broke, some of them hiding the dark stain of domestic abuse born of frustration and furious despair?

To honor the family linchpin Temple and I have set up The Temple Grandin/Eustacia Cutler Autism Fund dedicated to supporting and guiding all members of the family and the neighborhood organizations helping them.

The Temple Grandin/Eustacia Cutler Autim Fund will raise funds to:

1. Search out existing organization-based programs that guide and support all family members.  Replicate the best of these as “seed programs”, supply them with an operational manual and on-location coaching.
2. Establish a communicating network of organizations working together to strengthen family programs.

For more information go to our website. If you’d like to donate to our cause send it to:

The Temple Grandin/Eustacia Cutler Autism Fund 

c/o Families Together 

103 South Polk Street 

Moscow, Idaho 83843

In the meantime to all you Leave-it-to-Beaver Moms, thank you for helping me raise Temple and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY."

Our thanks to Eustacia Cutler for being an Autism Light, and for creating a special Mother's Day tribute for all autism mothers.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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For Related Information on the Autism Light Blog:  For more information on Eustacia Cutler's daughter, Dr. Temple Grandin read her post on this blog when she was named Autism Light #38. Also, if you liked this article you can search the label "Mother" and browse in chronological order all the stories of the mothers of children with autism who have been featured on Autism Light since the blog started.

Photos: The photo in this post was used with permission of Eustacia Cutler.