Mowmita dwells with Kate’s journey from diagnosis to leadership reflects courage, resilience, and hope—turning personal battles with autism into a movement for change, exclusively for Different Truths.
From the early years, the prayers, the anxiety to know the answers, the diagnosis, the medical issues, the grief of not having a child and then the journey to acceptance. This was what Julia and Ted were experiencing. Kate came into their lives with loads of happiness. Being a parent is the most cherished experience a person can have. It brings a bouquet of joy that tends to increase with time. When Kate arose, each member of the Anderson family was euphoric. But all their happiness turned into misery, and they understood the tragedy behind their happiness. When Kate was two years old, they realised that Kate was an autistic child. Julia and Ted were in extreme distress and sorrow. Their only child has autism.
The deafening silence of a non-verbal child struggling for existence. The isolation and depression, the fight for services, and the thoughts of the future for the child, and life with autism forever and who will take care of her when their time on earth is done. All these issues haunt the Andersons day and night—uncertainty about the future. A possible future threat disrupted the ability to avoid it or to mitigate its adverse impact, resulting in severe depression amongst the Anderson family.
Kate, who has Down Syndrome, has used sign language since she was little as one of her ways of communicating with Julia, her mom, and her dad, Ted. Once Kate and Julia went to the store to buy ingredients to make some chocolate brownies. Kate stopped near the toy store when she saw the video playing inside. It caught her attention immediately, and she stopped to watch, mimicking the sign language on the screen. Julia posted the video of Kate’s incredible reaction to the message on her social media profile.
Julia said, “The video was adorable, and Kate loved it! I guess the main reason for having screens like that in the store is to make things accessible and inclusive, and it worked!”
Julia loves sharing the stories of her family that they meet, who have struggled and overcome the obstacles presented by having an autistic kid. Julia posted another message, saying, “These kids are not faint of heart. They are fighters; that was decided a long time ago that they were going to achieve their goals of success in life, no matter what.”
This is the story of Kate, about one of those individuals. Julia achieved success for herself and received acknowledgement for her extensive knowledge about autism. She was striving to make life better for those who have come up behind her in the world of autism.
Kate was born into a smart, hardworking, supportive family. She struggled in school but managed to graduate from high school. Kate met Jonathan during her graduation. Jonathan’s family knew he was working on something, but they didn’t know what it was. After graduation, he was taken to Edinburgh for an evaluation. He was diagnosed at that time with a learning disability. Jonathan and his family were fortunate to find a special program at Edinburgh University called the Alternative Learners Program. This program, under the direction of Dr Nick Cooper, helped support Jonathan through his college years, and he graduated. They came back, and then Jonathan took Kate to Dr Cooper. They were happy. They got married.
The next several years presented lots of challenges to Jonathan and Kate. Kate lost both of her parents. She was then diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension, which is a chronic disease with no cure. Kate continued to struggle, and through the efforts of herself and Jonathan, she underwent another battery of tests. It was then that she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. But Kate’s resilience shone through. She knew she would come back stronger and healthier; nothing could win over her determination. She fought back and recovered from her illness.
As Kate became more aware of the formation of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), she became increasingly involved. She became one of the founding members of this group, and her work with the group allowed her to build relationships with many important and influential people in the autism community. She also attended many autism conferences over the years, further expanding her network and knowledge. Her involvement in the ASD group not only benefited the community but also had a profound impact on her own life, providing her with a sense of purpose and connection.
Kate struggled a lot. Finally, she started coping with all the medical conditions & recuperated quickly. Her determination, strength and courage are an example to everyone. She has had the opportunity to share her story multiple times through interviews and speaking engagements and has also been part of numerous autism committees over the years.
Her determination once again proved that nothing is impossible. She was then offered a position on the board of directors for the Autism Support Group (ASG). She remains on the board of directors for the ASG of Bristol, a testament to her hard work and dedication.
Like her mother, Julia, Kate took her social media handle to share her stories. She wrote – “Hey fighters! The Autism Support Group meeting is going to take place on the second Sunday of every month at 5:30 PM at the Tinsel Hall, Bristol. Come forward, join your hands. We can defeat autism. I’m here to help you out. As an autism survivor, I can feel your pain. But don’t worry, everything is going to be alright. Together we will make it right.”
This group is a lifeline for the children, adults, older adults, and their families and caregivers. It’s a place of understanding, support, and hope. Kate was my batchmate. We are so grateful to Kate for all the work she has done on behalf of ASG. Her fighting spirit and determination to be successful have brought her a long way. She has also shown others with ASG what is possible. ASG is honoured to share Kate’s story and support her efforts to educate and inform all of us about autism, helping others with ASG reach their full potential.
This is how I witnessed a strong woman who never blames others for her failures. She knows that she controls her own fate. Kate is a woman with severe determination and willpower. Bravo lady! Hats off.
“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” ~ Dan Gable, Olympic Wrestling Medallist.
Picture design by Anumita Roy
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