Art for Autism Auction planned in Silver Lake

 

By Gall Peckler-Dziki~C0rrespondent

If you have been in Heartstrings Resale Shop on the corner of Lake and Second Street in Silver Lake, you’ve met Jackie Case. “I enjoy thrift and resale shopping, it’s a lot of fun. And I named my store Heartstrings, because my great affection for my children and grandchildren tug at my heartstrings.”

She will also tell you that she shouldn’t be here. “Four years ago, I was experiencing extremely sharp, short pains in my head. The last one brought me to my knees.”

It also brought Jackie to the hospital to find the cause of the pains. She was diagnosed with a brain aneurism.

“It wasn’t an easily treatable one on the edge of my brain,” she said. “It was right in the center.”

A specialist was found and his method of treatment implemented.

“When I went in, I wrote letters to my husband and sister just in case,” Jackie remembers. “I knew my chance was 50-50.”

The idea of the odds was reinforced when several other neurological patients died. “I wondered, why was I still here? Why did I live?”

Last January Jackie and husband Arthur had a major life changing experience when they received custody of their six grandchildren. The children range in age from one to 13.

“That day the answer to the question of why I survived came through loud and clear,” Jackie said. “They needed me.”

The sudden change of now caring for six children is in itself a great challenge. But they have one more challenge. Two of those children are autistic.

“We went from a pretty free-wheeling lifestyle to one where structure and stability are necessary,” Jackie explained. “Children with autism require structure and stability to get through the day without falling apart.” That means precise wake-up, bedtimes and meal times among other firm boundaries.

Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.

More children are diagnosed with autism each year than with juvenile diabetes, AIDS or cancer, combined. The disorder is seen more in boys than girls, with about one out of 54 boys and one in 252 girls diagnosed with autism in the United States annually.

There is no known specific cause of autism. There are theories that connect a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal, used in some inoculations and side effects of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) with autism. These theories are based on anecdotal data with no studies to back the data. The medical community has refuted these theories.

Some cases of autism have a genetic basis, and it is possible that genetics are involved with all cases. Studies have shown cases of “spontaneous” genetic mutation that are not inherited. In addition, studies have shown that parents from families with autistic members are more likely to have autistic children, and families with one autistic child have an increased risk having another child with autism.

Jackie is scheduling an Art for Autism Auction for Saturday, Sept. 22, starting at noon. Food will be available. Jackie would also welcome any other interested food vendors.

“I want to make sure our community of Western Kenosha County is engaged in aiding these vulnerable people. It takes a lot of patience and financial resources to help children that face the challenge of autism.”

When a child deals with autism, Jackie will tell you, “It’s like they have a ticker tape going a million miles an hour through their brain. Every so often that ticker tape stops.”

“That’s what causes the repetitious behavior,” she explained. “It could be constant hand clapping that stops only when the child is asleep.”

All children require patience, but the child with autism requires an extra measure. There may be repetitious behavior, a child may have trouble with speech and often the child cannot look at others while speaking because that is too much sensory overload.

What Art for Autism will do is raise money to aid families who are parenting autistic children. “So much government funding has been cut and that’s hard when the need is so overwhelming.”

Workers from Kenosha County’s Children’s Behavioral Services visit Jackie’s home four times a week to work with her grandsons. “Three of these workers will take part on a panel to review applications from families who have needs. The money raised by this event will help families with autistic children,” Jackie explained.

“We need to work together as a community to help these families,” she said. “We need people to donate a picture or other form of art like a sculpture that we can auction. And we need people to show up on the day of the auction to purchase something.”

If you want to donate art to the cause, you can bring your item to Heartstrings, located at 301 East Main Street in Silver Lake. That’s the corner of Lake and Second Streets. The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The telephone number to reach Jackie is (262) 206-5040.

If you are interested in applying, the applications are available at the store. They will also be available on the day of the auction.

For more information about autism, log on to autism.about.com or www.autismspeaks.org.


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