Thanks to the efforts of four runners, parents of children in Malta diagnosed with Autism can hope to receive a Maltese language handbook to help guide them as they adjust to life with this news.
The initiative is spearheaded by a campaign on crowdfunding website ZAAR, in which the brave runners will complete a gruelling off-road 50-kilometre trail run in Gozo, in a test of endurance and determination involving a total climb of 1400 metres, purely to raise funds to create the handbook.
Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disorder which affects the way a person communicates with and relates to other people and the world around them.
The English version of the handbook was launched last Saturday at the Autism Parents Association (APA) AGM and Fun Day and now need a little bit more help to publish the guide in Maltese. APA recognised the need for such a guide to support parents of newly diagnosed children, during what is an especially confusing and distressing period. The handbook will include an overview of autism, guidance on how to cope in the early years and information on the services offered locally.
"It's hard to describe, but the helplessness you experience when you discover your child has autism is truly disorientating," one parent commented. "A simple guide like this would have been incredibly valuable for my son and I during those early years."
The campaign target of €5,000 will pay for the hefty 120 page handbook to be translated into Maltese, designed, and then for 100 copies to be printed. Any surplus funds would contribute to the printing of additional copies and, should the target be exceeded, then this would allow the creation of other Autism handbooks for use in junior schools and adults receiving a diagnosis.
The four Green Fox Runners - Italo Bonnici, Tiziana Bonnici, Jason Greenaway and Patrick Tabone - took on the Hellfire Gozo Ultra 50km Trail Run yesterday. Thanks to their sponsorship by Zaar, Vibe FM, Vodafone, TeamSport Mayhem Design, Alan the Designer and SADO Printing, all funds raised from the campaign will be used towards the creation of the Autism Handbook. The initiative was started in March when Sandra Peyre and Emma McEwen raised Euro 2,000 by running Malta Half Marathon.
Supporters are invited to click on the 'Autism Guide' page on Zaar.com.mt to learn more about the project and cause. You can also donate through SMS €2.33 - 50617314, €4.66 - 50617919, €11.65 - 50619249. APA wishes to thank everyone who has donated and supported this initiative.
Visit ZAAR and Autism Parents Association pages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/zaar.com.mt https://www.facebook.com/AutismParentsAssociation/).
For more information, visit www.ZAAR.com.mt
A short interview with runner Italo Bonnici
How old are you?
36.
How long have you been running for?
Almost 2 years.
What's the longest distance you've run before?
25km on the road and 17km on trail
How long will it take you to run the 80 off road km?
We are planning to do this in just under eight hours. Hopefully we all cross the finish line together within the specified target time.
What do you like listening to when you run?
I do not listen to music during my runs even though I am music savvy. I prefer to focus on my running form be it for a short or even a long run.
What do you do when you are not running?
Try keeping the work/family-life balance in equilibrium
Where are you from?
Naxxar
How long have you been training for the event?
Unfortunately, only seven weeks as I struggled to recover from an injury after the half marathon. However I am back in great form at the moment for the Gozo Ultra. Can't wait to go for it!
What's the hardest part of the training or the event?
I think the hardest part in training is the interval speed work where you have to dig deep to sustain your scheduled pace for the specified time with minimal recovery in between each interval. The event will definitely be hard since this is my first attempt at ultra running and Gozo is full of elevations. If it will be a hot sunny day it will make things even harder, but the fact that we are running for a cause like Autism will definitely help us psychologically.
What are you looking forward to most after the event?
A shower and a good meal in Gozo to start the recovery process!
Why did you choose to support Autism Parents Association?
One of our fellow runners is the Secretary of the APA and when she has informed us about the Autism handbook translation project from English to Maltese we hit the ground running in order to raise some funds for this initiative. It will be the greatest satisfaction if we manage to raise the funds required for this project to happen.
Please feel free to add anything which you think of.
I wish to thank our coach for his dedication and the attention he gives to all his runners. Furthermore, I wish to thank all those whom have helped us in any form be it sponsors, donations or supporting this initiative. Without all these people coming together we would not have managed to make this run a success in terms of its underlying cause.