Xena Hickey

Autism Light #469 is Xena Hickey, The Warrior Puppy.

Xena the Warrior Puppy is a Pitbull dog who lives in Johns Creek, Georgia. Xena was a severely abused rescue dog adopted from the Dekalb Animal Services, who over the past 6 years has been a therapy dog for a now 14 year old boy with autism named Jonny Hickey. Xena is an Autism Light for having a positive impact in improving Jonny's journey with autism. Xena won the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Dog of the Year Award in 2013. Xena and Jonny have their own 501c3 non-profit and over the past six years have been raising awareness for autism and the prevention of animal cruelty.

The following video tells the story of Xena and Jonny Hickey and was featured when Xena won the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year Award in 2013.




Xena arrived at the Dekalb Animal Services on September 25, 2012 and after months of physical rehabilitation was able to join Jonny's family on February 11, 2013, and officially adopted on March 25, 2013. Linda Hickey stated, "We've spent thousands of dollars on therapy, and I just said to myself that is the best therapy, standing, four-legs, in my family room (As quoted by Pawpulous.com, June 14, 2017)."

This video was made by Jonny to promote April as Autism Awareness Month and the prevention of Animal Cruelty Month.



Although this story was born six years ago, it is remarkable the difference Xena continues to make in Jonny's life and for others as they raise awareness of autism and animal cruelty. There next publicized event is a "Spread the Words" 5K Fun Run/Walk on October 29, 2019, to benefit the Special Needs Community and Animal Rescue.

If you wish to keep tabs on Xena visit her website at Xena the Warrior Puppy and check out her social media pages below. 

• YouTube Channel for Xena The Warrior Puppy
• Facebook Page for Xena the Warrior Puppy

Xena will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Xena is an inspiring example of a rescue dog who is making a difference in the life and development of a young person with autism. We wish Jonny and Xena all the best in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Nancy Herndon Cale

Autism Light #461 is Nancy Herndon Cale.

Nancy Herndon Cale served as an advocate in the autism community for the past two decades, motivated by her personal relationship to autism as a grandmother. Her grandson Wynn Johnson has autism. She was born on January 5, 1944, in Atlanta and passed away on August 11, 2017, at the age of 73. Nancy was the co-founder of Unlocking Autism and had worked for over a decade as a counselor at the hotline call center for Autism Research Institute. She is survived by three children, Todd Hale, Shannon Johnson and Branndan VanEgmond, and four grandchildren. Her memorial service was held on August 13, 2017 at the Peachtree City Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia (Read more at Dignity Memorial). Nancy Herndon Cale will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

The following is a photo tribute to Nancy Cale from her daughter Shannon Johnson's YouTube Channel.




Unlocking Autism: Nancy Herndon Cale co-founded Unlocking Autism in 1998 with Shelley Hendrix Reynolds, in honor of her grandson, Wynn. In her role at Unlocking Autism, "Nancy fielded many thousands of calls and emails from families in need in the U.S. and around the world (Read more at National Vaccine Information Center, August 14, 2017)." She earned a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her work in Unlocking Autism that involved fostering state and local governmental partnerships to help meet the needs of the autism community (Read more at Dignity Memorial Obituary).

Autism Research Institute: In her work at the Autism Research Institute, Nancy Herndon Cale answered calls at their hotline and served as an administrative assistant for conference planning.

Nancy Cale once said this about how the call center brought added purpose to her life:

I am humbled each and every day by the depth of the needs and concerns of those who call searching for help for their loved ones with autism. I am happy knowing the generous heart of our community makes it possible to assure new parents, parents facing new struggles, and adults looking for help. Bless you all who take time to reach out to others as we work to make life better for those who ask for our help (Read more at Autism Research Institute: Remembering Nancy Cale).

Nancy was indeed so dedicated to the work of the autism hotline call center, she continued to answer phone calls for Autism Research Institute up until the very day she was admitted to the hospital in August 2017 (Read more at Dignity Memorial Obituary).

We remember Nancy Herndon Cale for her efforts to counsel and provide community resources for families that struggle with autism. Her legacy is that of an autism grandmother who determined to do what she could to shine a light for autism. Her grandson Wynn Johnson can be very proud of his grandmother. His autism diagnosis spurred Nancy Herndon Cale to begin the great work she did. May Nancy Herndon Cale's example as an autism grandmother encourage others to make a difference for autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Tom Herrion

Autism Light #381 is Tom Herrion.

Tom Herrion is the Assistant Coach of the men's basketball team at Georgia Tech. He was born on November 13, 1967. Tom Herrion is also an Autism Father. His 9 year old son Robert has autism. Tom Herrion is an Autism Light for his willingness to use his role as an autism father and an assistant coach of a Division I NCAA basketball program to spread autism awareness.

Basketball Career: Tom Herrion played basketball in college for Merrimack College from 1985-1986. Tom Herrion was hired by Georgia Tech Coach Brian Gregory to be his assistant coach on September 18, 2014. He has 147 career wins as a head coach at College of Charleston and Marshall University. Follow the future success of his team at the Georgia Tech Men's Basketball Page.

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism: Tom Herrion and Pat Skerry started the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism campaign in 2014. Both coach Herrion and Skerry have sons with autism. In 2014 they presented their fellow coaches across the NCAA with the request to wear the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece during televised games the first weekend of February. In its first year (2014), "More than 82 NCAA coaches and broadcasters took to the sidelines and airwaves throughout the weekend wearing the pin (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism partners with Autism Speaks and funds raised benefit the work of Autism Speaks. The campaign was in place in 2015 for the televised games on the weekend of February 6-8, 2015. The Coaches Powering Forward for Autism fundraising page lists the coaching leaders in this autism awareness campaign in 2015. The top 3 coaches in 2015 in fundraising for autism as of March 23, 2015 are:

1. Coach Jim Fox, Appalachian State University
2. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
3. Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame University

Both Duke and Notre Dame have teams that are experiencing success on the court in the 2015 NCAA Final Four Tournament as well.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "There's so many good things that have happened for these youngsters, and so to help in some way is an easy thing to do. And Tom's a great guy, and so we'll participate in that, definitely, and feel proud and honored to do it  (Atlanta Constitution, February 5, 2015).

Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks said, "Pat (Skerry) and Tom (Herrion) are advocates in every sense of the word. Last year's campaign was a true grassroots effort, and it continues to grow under the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism banner with far more coaches and broadcasters engaged. In addition, Pat and Tom have become great ambassadors for Autism Speaks attending events across the country that demonstrate the importance of participation and volunteerism (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

Here is a video of Tom Herrion giving a speech at an Autism Speaks event.

Other Information: You can read more about Tom Herrion and his work with autism in these online news stories:

• Georgia Tech Assistant Coach Driving Autism Awareness (Atlanta Constitution, February 5, 2015)
• GT Assistant Coach Tom Herrion's Belief Helped Create this Weekend's Coaches Powering Forward for Autism (Georgia Tech Sports, February 6, 2015)
• Coach with Son on the Spectrum Raising Autism Awareness (Autism Speaks, February 6, 2015)

Wikipedia: The Wikipedia Page for Tom Herrion has more information on his life and coaching career statistics.

Social Media: You can follow Tom Herrion on Twitter at @CoachTomHerrion.

Special thanks to Tom Herrion for spreading autism awareness. His leadership in Coaches Powering Forward for Autism has indeed had an impact around the United States. We wish Tom Herrion all the best in the future as an autism father, coach, and autism advocate.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Nicholas Bennett

Autism Light #376 is Nicholas Bennett.

Nicholas "Nick" Bennett is a senior at North Hall High School in Gainesville, Georgia who has autism. Nick has served as the manager of his high school basketball team for four years from 2011-2015.  Nicholas Bennett is an Autism Light for his dedication as a student manager in basketball and for accomplishing an amazing goal with making basketball shots from half court. Because of his accomplishment in basketball shots, Nick Bennett will be added today to the Autism Light Sports Page.

As manager of the basketball team since 2011, Nick Bennett has attended hundreds of practices. He started shooting shots from half court to entertain himself at practice. He set a goal to make 1,000 half court shots. His team and coaches helped him keep track of how many he made over the years. In January 2015, Nick Bennett made his 999 shot. 

Basketball Game on January 24, 2015: During halftime of his high school basketball game on January 24, 2015, Nick Bennett made his 1,000 half court shot on the third attempt. Nick also was put in the starting lineup for the game, and made his first shot before being taken out of the game. Nick will go down in the history books at North Hall High School as the only basketball player to have a perfect career shooting percentage. 

Here is a YouTube video of the magical moment on January 24, 2015, when Nick made his 1,000 half-court basket.

Nick Bennett told the Gainesville Times after the game, "This was such an exciting experience. It felt like I was in heaven (Fox59.com, January 30, 2015)."

Here is a news story on Nick Bennett's accomplishment. 

Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Future Plans: Bill Murphy reported that, "In addition to his love of music, primarily the guitar, Nicholas has a strong desire to share his Christian faith with everyone he meets. Following graduation, [his father] Tim said his son plans to attend the Gainesville Baptist College & Seminary, an accredited ministry with the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Clermont (Bill Murphy, Gainesville Times, January 25, 2015).

Special thanks to Nicholas Bennett for being an Autism Light. Nick's success on and off the basketball court are an example to others of the amazing things that students with autism can accomplish. We wish Nick Bennett the best of success in reaching his goals in the future. May he continue to be an inspiration of an autism life well lived.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws

Autism Light #349 is the Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws.

LionPaws is a partership between Paws4People and The LionHeart School in Alpharetta, Georgia. Paws4People sends Golden Retriever puppies to help the students with autism at The LionHeart School. It is a win-win situation as the puppies are being socialized to be future service dogs for injured war veterans who have Post-Traumic Stress Disorder. The Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws are Autism Light for how their presence helps the children with autism at The LionHeart School. They will be added today to the Autism Light Animal Page.

Here is a news story from USA Today on the LionPaws program.



Autism Speaks and NBC News 11 in Atlanta also did features on the Golden Retriever puppies in the LionPaws program.

The LionPaws program describes the benefit of their partnership as follows:

LionPaws is the only program of its kind in the nation, where students with special needs help socialize future Service Dogs. Many children with special needs have a natural affinity and comfort level with animals, so being around the puppies is beneficial for both the students and the puppies. Research indicates that animal interventions provide health benefits such as reducing anxiety levels, helping with depression and fear as well as facilitating social interactions (LionPaws Website).

The following was posted on Twitter about Austin and Memphis, representatives of these adorable Golden Retriever puppies.

Today's training was a ride on @MARTASERVICE for AUSTIN and MEMPHIS! #lionpaws #lionpawspdc #marta #paws4people pic.twitter.com/1T4TQg1SGI
— LionPaws PDC (@LionPaws_PDC) June 17, 2014

Special thanks to the Golden Retriever puppies in the LionPaws program and their human handlers who made this light to autism possible. Hopefully this concept of puppies learning socialization from students with autism will continue at The Lion School and be replicated in other schools in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Bernard Marcus

Autism Light #236 is Bernard Marcus.

Bernard Marcus is a businessman and the co-founder of Home Depot. Bernard Marcus was born to Jewish immigrants from Russia and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the years Bernard Marcus has been an Autism Light through his charitable giving for autism treatment and research. In 1991 he founded the Marcus Center for Autism in Atlanta, Georgia, which has helped over 40,000 children and families dealing with autism since it's formation.

Education: Bernard Marcus earned his pharmacy degree from Rutgers University. In 2008, Marcus was given the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters form Emory University. You can listen to his 2008 Commencement address at Emory University at on YouTube at this link.

Home Depot:  Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is the world's largest home improvement warehouse and has stores in all 50 states of the United States. Home Depot was founded in 1978 by Bernard Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, and Pat Farrah (Source).  Marcus served as the CEO of Home Depot from 1979-1997. Although they are self-insured, Home Depot has provided the ABA benefit to all it's eligible full-time employees who have children with autism (Source).

Marcus Autism Center: The Marcus Autism Center is a premier organization for the diagnosis and treatment of autism in Atlanta, Georgia. They have received national acclaim through their designation as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autism Center of Excellence (Source). Significantly, the Marcus Center has merged with the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to meet the unique medical needs of those they serve with autism (Source). For more information on the Marcus Autism Center visit their website at www.marcus.org.

The following video is Bernard Marcus discussing the work of the Marcus Center for Autism. In the video he explains the amazing work being done but also notes they "haven't even scrapped the surface."

 

Charitable Giving: Bernard Marcus is Jewish and besides children's causes and autism, he also has a passion for supporting Jewish causes through the Marcus Foundation, and he serves as the chairman of that foundation.  Business Week lists Bernard Marcus as one of the Top 50 Givers in America (Source).

Awards:  The following outstanding recognitions have been given to Bernard Marcus.

• In May, 2005, Marcus received The Others Award from The Salvation Army.
• In February, 2009, Marcus was named a Georgia Trustee, by the Georgia Historical Society, which is the highest award given to a Georgian for philanthropy and community service (Source).

More Information: For more information on Bernard Marcus you can visit these biographical websites:

• Bernard Marcus' Wikipedia page
• Bernard Marcus page at Forbes.com
• Bernard Marcus' biography at the Jewish Virtual Library

Bernard Marcus' charitable interest in autism is making a difference for children in Atlanta and around the country.  In addition, families with autism who work at Home Depot are fortunate to receive a generous autism insurance benefit. Special thanks to Bernard Marcus for being an Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Georgia Lights

The State of Georgia is the home currently to 9 Autism Lights. They include individuals with autism, autism parents, a professional athlete, animals, and a businessman. The Georgia delegation at Autism Light are outstanding examples of the diversity of autism.

Georgia Autism Lights

Individuals with Autism:

1. Nicholas Bennett is from Gainesville, Georgia. He has autism and served as his high school's basketball team manager from 2011-2015. He gained fame for making 1,000 half-court shots over the years of practicing with the team.
2. Cortland Hale is from Snellville, Georgia. He has autism and is a former football player with Brookwood High School. He is listed on the Autism Light Sports page.
3. David Militello is a young singer who has autism from Georgia. He has been honorably nicknamed the "Little Michael Jackson".

Autism Parents:

Tom Herrion is an autism father and assistant coach for Georgia Tech.  He is the co-founder of Coaches Powering Forward for Autism. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Animals:

Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws are puppies being trained to be services dogs with students with autism at The Lion School in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Xena is from Johns Creek, Georgia and is a Pitbull who is a service dog to Jonny Hickey, who has autism.

Other:

1. Jeff Francoeur is from Lilborn, Georgia. He plays Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and was recognized for his great attitude toward a fan with autism while playing for the Kansas City Royals.
2. Bernard Marcus is from Atlanta, Georgia. He is the co-founder of Home Depot and the benefactor for the Marcus Autism Center.

Memorial Roll:

Nancy Herndon Cale (1944-2017) is from Sharpsville, Georgia. She was an autism grandmother who spent decades of her life in advocacy and answering phones at the Autism Research Institute call center.

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Georgia" Label.

The map of Georgia is in the Wikipedia Commons.

Jeff Francoeur

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Autism Light Classic
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Autism Light #221 is Jeff Francoeur. 

Jeff Francoeur is from Lilburn, Georgia. His fans have given him the nickname "Frenchy". Jeff Francoeur is a Major League Baseball player. He played for the Kansas City Royals from 2011-2013. On June 19, 2012, when the Kansas City Royals were on the road playing a game against the Houston Astros, Jeff Francoeur took time during batting practice to spend a moment with a 7 year old boy with autism. Jeff Francoeur is an Autism Light for that kind gesture.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012, Tammy Blanchard Robertson of Houston, Texas posted the following letter on the Facebook page of the Kansas City Royals. She sent a special thank you to Jeff Francoeur for the attention he gave her 7 year old son who has autism. This letter explains the details of the moment when Jeff Francoeur was an Autism Light.

Dear Jeff Francoeur, 

Just last night my husband, daughter and 7 year old son attended the Royals vs Astros game here in Houston. My husband was born and raised in KC and our family lived there for 5 years before we were transferred to Houston. 

Last year my son was diagnosed with Autism. Going to large stadiums that are really loud are out of my sons comfort zone, we told him we were going to see the KC Royals and he was instantly excited. 

We made sure to get to the game early so that we could find our seats before the stadium filled up. We were lucky enough to get to the stadium while the Royals were having their batting practice. 

My husband told our son that he should call you over and that you may autograph his cap for him. As my son yelled with hope in his voice, you came jogging over to us. My son was so excited when he saw you coming over that he fell while trying to climb over the seats to the front row. It is rare that we see our son get excited over anything to do with sports as Autistic children tend to be more interested in books, and computers rather than sports. 

Our son stared up at you with tears in his eyes, you took the time to coddle him, ask his name and make him feel special. 

We just wanted to say thank you for not only taking the time to come over to see our son, but for signing his hat, and posing for a picture with him. It is truly a day that our son will never forget. You are a true role model, this was a day our family will always remember.  

In 2015 Jeff Francoeur was playing outfield for the Philadelphia Phillies.You can view the career highlights of Jeff Francoeur on his Website at www.jefffrancoeur.com. One of Jeff Francoeur's achievements is that his first major league hit on July 7, 2005, was a Home Run.

Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew covered this story of Jeff Francoeur shining his light for a 7 year old boy with autism in a sports blog post titled Jeff Francoeur Shares Special Moment with Autistic Child. A photo of this Autism Light moment can be seen as part of that feature. 
Wikipedia: You can also keep tabs on Jeff Francoeur at his Wikipedia page.
Each of us has within us the power to shine our light for others, but Jeff Francoeur was uniquely positioned to make this difference to a boy with autism who attended a Major League Baseball game. Special thanks to Jeff Francoeur for helping make life brighter for a boy with autism and his family. Jeff Francoeur shows us how the simple act of giving a little bit of our time in life can make such a difference in the life of a person with autism.    Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo of Jeff Francoeur is from the Wikipedia commons and is attributed to Keith Allison. 

Cortland Hale

Autism Light #95 is Cortland Hale.

Cortland Hale lives in Snellville, Georgia near Atlanta.  He has autism and played football for the Brookwood High School varsity football team during the 2007-2008 seasons. Cortland Hale is an Autism Light because he excelled in high school football and also encourages other special needs children that they can one day play sports if they work hard.

He was a 6 foot 3, 270 pound starting Defensive Tackle for the Brookwood Broncos in 2007-2008. Because of his autism He did not speak until he was age 9 when he started playing football. Cortland said about his football experience, "When I started playing it just changed the way, you know, it helped me socially and just really gave me the confidence to say, I can do anything."

One of the honors he received for his playing high school football in 2008 was being named Honorable Mention for a Defensive Tackle by the Gwinnett County Touchdown Club. This website has the high school information on Cortland Hale. The following is a news story featuring Cortland Hale's story.

Boot Camps wrote a story on Cortland Hale using football and his faith to overcome his shyness that can be found at this link.  At the end of his senior year in high school he hosted a Walk for Autism in May, 2009.

Cortland Hale Today: After finishing high school Cortland Hale went on to study at Georgia Gwinnett College. He continues to be a regular speaker to diverse audiences on behalf of autism. According to his Facebook page, during the month of November, 2011 he spoke to college students at Georgia Gwinett College who are preparing to be special education teachers and also spoke to the Mountain View Football team about autism.

Social Media: You can follow Cortland Hale at the following social media.

• Facebook

Special thanks to Cortland Hale for being an Autism Light on behalf of all those young people with autism that need encouragement to overcome their struggles. They too may find help through sports. Anything is possible. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

David Militello

Autism Light #20 is David Militello.

David Militello

Referred by many as a "Little Michael Jackson", David Militello was born in Georgia on February 4, 1999.  David sings Pop, Christian, and R&B. David Militello's musical talent is all the more impressive considering he has autism and struggles with verbal communication. David Militello is an Autism Light because as he uses his talent in signing he is showing the world that people with autism can achieve success as they do what they were meant to do with their life.

David Militello was introduced to the world on the public stage of "America's Got Talent" in 2008, at the young age of 9, where he made it to the top 50. Below is a video of his performance of the song Ben on America's Got Talent in 2008. Many more videos of this musical wonder are available on David Militello's YouTube Channel.

In addition, to singing he is an actor, comedian, and author. He has been granted numerous opportunities to perform at important events such as the following:

• Atlanta Hawks NBA Basketball Games in 2007.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Rally in January, 2008.  
• America's Got Talent in 2008
• Presidential Inauguration of United States President Barack Obama in 2009. 

For more information on what David Militello is currently doing with his career visit these pages.

• David's page at IMDb.
• David's page on soundclick.com.
• David's page at Reverbnation.

Booking: For information on booking David Militello's services call (678) 558-7103. 

Social Media: Find David Militello on the following social media. 

• Facebook Page for David Militello
• Twitter for David Militello @DavidMilitello1
• YouTube Channel for David Militello

Special thanks to David Militello for being an Autism Light. His gift for singing is an example to others with autism who might be considering a musical career. David inspires us to realize just how great the results can be when people with autism are allowed to cultivate their talents. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: The photo in this post was used with the permission of Patty Militello (Image Source).