As a mother, I will never give up on my child. As a mother of a child who has autism, I will never give up hope.
I look into his eyes and I see all the potential that he has to offer to this beautiful world and I just know that one day the world can see what I see.

Follow my blog as I share my life and my experiences as a person who loves someone with autism.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Autism is about getting your community involved!

Today me and Bryce went to the Vancouver Walk Now for Autism Speaks 2015! Autism is about getting your community involved! It’s about inclusion! It’s about awareness! It’s about acceptance! It’s about support! Today was just a friendly reminder that there are so many people that love someone with autism. Was super great to see the super brilliant, super sweet, and super talented, Kyle of Banta Music, my dear friends for life, Lorrie and Harmony, who are an amazing mother/daughter duo who supports and volunteers for countless charities and organizations just because they have huge hearts ((hugs)), and my one and only favourite photographer, Justin of JR Media Group (the guy who took this picture!) Thanks for coming out to show your love!

Just wanted to give a couple shout outs to organizations that I am a huge supporter of and so thrilled to see them today!

Much love to the Snug Vest team!

Sadly there are a ridiculous number of companies that make ‘must-have’ products just to profit off of a diagnosis, and as parents we can’t put a price tag on anything that we are brainwashed to believe will make our child's life just a little bit easier, so we get sucked into it and drop thousands of dollars and get no results. The Snug Vest is not one of these companies! If you love someone with autism, sensory processing disorder, or anxiety then please check out my Snug as a Bug review and order one of these and see how deep pressure therapy works!

Much love to the Canucks Autism Network (CAN)!

They are the very definition of inclusion! CAN provides year-round, innovative, high quality sports, recreational, arts, and social programs for individuals and families living with autism, while building awareness and capacity through community networks across British Columbia. They are amazing!

While the venue wasn’t the greatest as we were once again tucked away in the corner away from any bystanders, publicity and promoting was very minimal, and there wasn’t a huge attendance compared to previous years, it was still very nice to see all the support from the community at the Vancouver Walk Now for Autism Speaks! Till next year WNFAS!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Pease help me reach my goal of $150 and donate now!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

I really, really, really, really, really, really LOVE you!

Today was another Saddest. Day. Ever.

Today was Bryce’s last day of school and we had to say goodbye to his two Education Assistants (EA), Ms. C and Ms. M.

Ms. C and Ms. M were so incredibly supportive throughout the year and we will miss them both! Bryce has learned so much this year and had many accomplishments and I know a lot of it is because of his support staff, his teachers, and his amazing classmates. I am forever thankful!

To celebrate the last day of school there was an end of the school year dance and me and Bryce danced together. When this song came on, I couldn’t resist...

End of the year School Dance!

"I really, really, really, really, really, really LOVE you!" #ILoveSomeoneWithAutism

Posted by Bubbles Make Him Smile on Wednesday, June 24, 2015

It was a great way to end a great year!

Thank you again, Ms. M. and Ms. C for everything and I wish you all the best!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Thank you, Beary Sweet Cookies!

I just wanted to give a huge shout out and a big thank you to  Beary Sweet Cookies​, for generously baking these beautiful (and delicious!!!) puzzle piece cookies for me to give to my sons classmates as a show of my appreciation for their support and acceptance of Bryce this school year!

They were a huge hit (of course!) and I know they were made with love!

Thank you so much, Beary Sweet Cookies!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Monday, June 22, 2015

Kind Notes. #AutismAcceptance

As some of you know my son is almost 14 years old, has autism. and goes to a regular school. He’s always been very accepted by his peers and they include him in as much as he can handle even though he isn’t very verbal (more echoic, like a parrot). Today Bryce came home with this ‘Kind Notes’ from his peers in his class and I really wanted to share it with you all as I think ‘Kind Notes’ is a beautiful idea!

Kind Notes from Bryce's classmates

This meant so much to me, more than these kids will ever understand!! Just having a proud and emotional mommy moment and wanted to share.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Sunday, June 14, 2015

“You’re doing a great job!”

I was sitting on a bench watching Bryce play on the playground when a woman approached me and said, “You’re doing a great job!”

She mentioned she had a child with special needs too and also was approached by a woman who told her she was doing a great job as well, and wanted to ‘pay it forward’ as most of us parents to special needs kids could always use that little reassurance every now and then.

It honestly made my day.

I thought it was really nice of her to come up to me to tell me that. It was like a belated Mothers Day gift. It honestly made me feel like I’m doing something right at least for a complete stranger to take notice.

So to all you moms or dads out there, caring for a child with special needs, I just wanted to let you know, you’re doing a great job!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Monday, June 8, 2015

A few of his favourite things

There are six things that Bryce loves!
So I thought I’d share some of Bryce’s most recent drawings:

The Hellevator at Playland
Wii Sports Resort (Swordsplay Showdown)
Google Maps ‘Street View’
A movie theatre
The story, ‘Robot and Mr. Mole’ on Starfall.com
For more of Bryce’s art please visit our Facebook page and check out Bryce’s Portfolio!
Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I just want my son to keep smiling.

We were at the dentist a couple months ago for Bryce’s first teeth cleaning. He was a champ and it was the start of many visits to the dentist to come.

Today he had 4 ‘pit and fissure sealants’ on 4 teeth in the very back of his mouth, top and bottom to help prevent cavities.


Again, he surprised me with how patient he was even though there were strange tools in his mouth. I kept asking him for thumbs up to see if he was ok and even played assistant to help keep his tongue down. None of this seemed to bother him. All he wanted to do was operate the adjustable chair when his appointment was done. It made his day!

The easy part is over now.

He has two cavities and scheduled for fillings next month. That will be a brand new challenge to say the least. I’m honestly worried with the numbing and the drilling sounds, but he has been amazing so far, so we’ll see how it goes.
 
All these procedures are required before the real work can begin.

Bryce has a “11mm Overjet - 40% overbite - Treatment is recommended for function of bite, not cosmetic reasons” says our dentist. This requires an appliance to be placed in Bryce’s mouth to correct his bite so his bottom teeth aren’t biting into the roof of his mouth as that’s what will happen if left untreated. This appliance is called a Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance or better known as a MARA.

I don’t even want to post a picture of this torturous looking device, but if you are curious (or brave), please feel free to Google it. Basically the purpose of the MARA is to reposition your jaw and In order to close your mouth all the way, the MARA forces you to bring your lower jaw forward.

If you Googled ‘MARA’ and that didn’t scare you, maybe the cost of this treatment will.

Despite it not being cosmetic and purely for function (so he can chew), it’s not covered under our dental insurance and the estimation, based on a visual exam, which may change after orthodontic records are taken, is $5,850.00 paid out over the 2 years he will be wearing the appliance. This includes all the dentist visits from start to finish, with the exception of another procedure to begin the treatment, also not covered by dental insurance, the orthodontics records, which is another $350.00.

That’s roughly $250.00 a month plus $350.00 upfront just to start everything!

Now I realize to many that is not a lot of money. But for this single mom it is.

I plan to start a fundraiser once I know the exact cost, once I can figure out the $350.00 for the orthodontics records.
 
I hope that people understand and are supportive as many of you have helped Bryce in the past, and for that we are forever grateful, so I hope you can find it in your hearts to help Bryce again.


I really can’t do this alone and I just want my son to keep smiling.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

HandyCard from #TransLink: Getting you everywhere you want to go in Metro Vancouver.

Do you have a permanent physical, sensory, or cognitive disability and require assistance to use conventional public transit? HandyCard fare discounts and TaxiSaver coupons can help keep you connected.


If you live within the TransLink service area of Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, and 12 years old or older, Handycard allows you to travel at concession fare prices on the bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express, and if someone needs to travel with you for assistance, they can travel for free! An attendant is someone you need to assist you to be able to travel on public transit, and remains with you throughout your trip.

HandyCard members are eligible to participate in the Taxi Saver Program. Taxi Saver coupons are purchased at a rate of $25.00 per book which provide $50.00 towards taxi fare and you can get a limit of two books per person, per month and they do not have an expiry date. That is huge savings!

There is no fee to apply for a HandyCard, however, part of the application must be completed by a senior official of a recognized social service or heath agency such as a family doctor, medical specialist, public health nurse, or long-term care administrator, and you may be charged a fee for one of those people to fill out that portion of the form, so just keep that in mind.


I’d like to thank our friend, Leah, for telling me about this great program. Thanks, Leah!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

For more information about HandyCard and the Taxi Saver Program please visit TransLink.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

#DayOutWithThomas

Today we spent a Day Out With Thomas!

Thank you Random Acts of Kindness - Squamish Edition for generously giving my family tickets to a Day out with Thomas courtesy of West Coast Railway Heritage Park!

I brought my brother, my sister-in-law, and their two boys (my nephews, Bryce’s cousins) along for the day!

There was tons of different things to do at the event. From magicians, to musicians, tons of Mega Bloks to play with, Thomas & Friends related games preset on iPads, a bouncy castle, even a meet and greet with Sir Topham Hatt. Everything you could think of for the little conductor in your life!

Then it was time for the main event: Getting to ride Thomas!

We had a great time and I would highly recommend going to this event!

There is something about children with autism and their connection with Thomas the Tank Engine.

In 2007, the National Autistic Society (NAS) conducted a survey of 748 parents of children with autism to investigate their strong and positive relationship between children with autism and Thomas & Friends.

Many parents felt that Thomas & Friends played a significant part in their child’s early learning and development – in particular numbers, colours and language. Some children in the study have been able to learn basic facial expressions and emotions from Thomas & Friends. Parents have been able to use Thomas & Friends’ ‘language’ to communicate with their child where ordinary language has failed.
- Making connections: A report on the special relationship between children with autism and Thomas & Friends (executive summary) (PDF)

For me, it’s a different kind of connection.

My dad worked for B.C. Rail for over 30 years before he passed away. So trains have always been a part of my life in some way or another and I try to share that memory with my son, who didn’t have much time with his grandpa before his passing.

This event meant a lot to me and I really appreciate Random Acts of Kindness – Squamish Edition for thinking of us.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

For more information or to see if Thomas is coming to your town please visit: Day Out With Thomas

For more pictures of our Day Out With Thomas please visit our Facebook page.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

“Uncle Robert and Me”

This past weekend I was in Squamish helping my brother out with an event he put on, the Squamish Business and Trades Show! Seeing how a community came together was an incredible experience for me! It was a pleasure to meet everyone who participated in the event and I hope to work with you all again very soon!

The two day event featured over 75 local exhibits and performances from local talent. Everything you could dream of at having at an event under one roof, my brother made it happen. His goal was to connect old and new businesses together for networking while creating lasting memories for the children of the community.

It definitely created a memory for Bryce! Every day at school Bryce writes in his journal and draws a picture to go with what he wrote about. Today he wrote about his Uncle Robert and drew the stage and projectors that were in the centre of the arena. It just made me smile so much. Bryce usually draws random pictures but today it was all about Uncle Robert and me.

Bryce's journal - Squamish Business and Trades Show 2015

Thank you to my big brother for all your hard work, dedication, determination, commitment, and passion you have for your community! You are inspiring! I am very proud of you!

And thank you for creating this memory for my son, your nephew.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Missed out on the event? Check out Squamish Business and Trades Show Facebook page for pictures from the event.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Most Inspirational Personal Autism Blog of 2015

I am so very honoured to be featured as one of the Most Inspirational Personal Autism Blogs of 2015 among some really amazing bloggers!

Inspirational Autism Blog Winner 2015

Thank you so much for the award and your support, UKS Mobility!

Share the life experiences of Tanaya, a mother documenting her love and pride for her son.

Catch every special moment in the life of Bryce, a boy who was diagnosed with autism just before his third birthday.

Prepare to feel heart-warmed and inspired by the life events and short stories which can be seen on Bubbles Make Him Smile.
- UKS Mobility

I encourage you to check out and follow the Most Inspirational Personal Autism Blogs of 2015 as each bring another perspective of loving someone with autism.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

About UKS Mobility
UKS Mobility is a family business with over twelve years experience supplying mobility equipment and healthcare products to the public in the United Kingdom.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Random Acts of Kindness makes him smile

Thank you Random Acts of Kindness - Squamish Edition for generously giving my family tickets to a Day out with Thomas courtesy of West Coast Railway Heritage Park!

Bryce is super excited to meet and ride Thomas the Tank Engine!

Day Out With Thomas Celebration Tour 2015

There is something about children with autism and their connection with Thomas the Tank Engine.

In 2007, the National Autistic Society (NAS) conducted a survey of 748 parents of children with autism to investigate their strong and positive relationship between children with autism and Thomas & Friends.

Many parents felt that Thomas & Friends played a significant part in their child’s early learning and development – in particular numbers, colours and language. Some children in the study have been able to learn basic facial expressions and emotions from Thomas & Friends. Parents have been able to use Thomas & Friends’ ‘language’ to communicate with their child where ordinary language has failed.
- Making connections: A report on the special relationship between children with autism and Thomas & Friends (executive summary) (PDF)

For me, it’s a different kind of connection.

My dad worked for B.C. Rail for over 30 years before he passed away. So trains have always been a part of my life in some way or another and I try to share that memory with my son, who didn’t have much time with his grandpa before his passing.

This event means a lot to me and I really appreciate Random Acts of Kindness – Squamish Edition for thinking of us.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

For more information or to see if Thomas is coming to your town please visit: Day Out With Thomas

Thursday, April 30, 2015

The perfect ending to #AutismAwareness month!

Recently we celebrated autism awareness at a Starbucks in downtown Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.

While we were there I was interviewed by a reporter from The Squamish Chief newspaper and shared some of my stories. Today the newspaper came out and look who is all smiles in the picture for the article!

The Squamish Chief newspaper - '‘He just has autism – you don’t need to be afraid’

You can read the article here.

I’d like to thank Jennifer Thuncher of the Squamish Chief for taking the time during her day off and coming out to the event to show her support, as well as David Buzzard for taking a great photo!

This was a perfect ending to autism awareness month!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Friday, April 24, 2015

Teach. Love. Inspire. Hope.

Today we celebrated autism awareness at a Starbucks in downtown Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.

There was a table set up where you could colour an autism awareness ribbon, get your face painted by Brazen Pirate Face Painting, or learn more about autism from the team at Autism Society of British Columbia.

Bryce was all smiles as he was getting a blue puzzle piece painted on his arm (with glitter!) Thanks, Lizzy the Pirate from Brazen Pirate Face Painting.

It was really nice talking to everyone from Autism Society of British Columbia. They are an incredibly awesome team to have at any event to help promote autism awareness. They provided a ton of information and are just real people who understand autism and are there for you and your community.

Thank you, Starbucks, for hosting this event and bringing your community together in support of autism awareness!!!!!

I want you to know that it is absolutely beautiful that you were willing to TEACH your community about autism awareness, acceptance, and understanding. How much you LOVE and support your community enough to do this for them and hopefully INSPIRE many more autism awareness events throughout your community. And I personally HOPE this is something you will continue every year.

Always fight for what you believe! Always be the best advocate for your child! Always make things right!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Students show support for classmate with autism

I have never been worried about Bryce being teased or bullied in school. He has always been very loved and cared about by his support staff, his teachers, his classmates, and his school.

Today just proved to me how much they cared.

We arrived a little late to school.

When we walked into Bryce’s classroom we were immediately showered by bubbles that his classmates were blowing. His teacher, support staff, and classmates were even wearing blue t-shirts to show their support in honour of autism awareness month. And there was a box of Timbits donuts from Tim Hortons sitting on his desk.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

Thank you, with all my heart, to everyone who was involved in making Bryce feel accepted. It means a lot to me.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The little things can mean so much

With a couple months left until the school year is done, and then off to a new school for high school, I was thinking about what I would get Bryce’s two Education Assistants (EA) for an end of the school year ‘Thank You’ gift.

Then I saw a post on Facebook from a local mom that makes these cute handmade custom engraved key chains and this month she is donating half her proceeds to Autism Community Training (ACT) in honour of April being Autism Awareness month!

I love supporting local businesses and the proceeds benefited a great local organization so I placed an order for two.

Please visit Maura Makes Stuff website if you’d like to place an order. Thank you, Maura, for helping me give a little back to people with big hearts.

This year has been amazing. The support staff at my sons school has been incredible, as it always is every year. We love all the EA’s who have worked with Bryce like family. They deserve more than a keychain, but it’s the little things that can mean so much.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Monday, April 20, 2015

I’m done with support groups: Me, Myself, and Bryce

I warn you that this is a pretty lengthy post. I applaud you if you read it from top to bottom.

An article entitled, “Special needs kids forced to leave public school system advocates say” was shared in a local autism spectrum disorder moms support group I was in. It addressed concerns for parents in the province I live in.

An advocacy group is calling on the British Columbia government to address gaps in the public school system after an online survey revealed more than half of polled parents have removed their special needs children from school because their needs aren’t being met.

...The group polled 236 of its members...

About 51 percent of those polled said they had removed their children. Thirty-one per cent of those that had removed their children said they were forced to do so, while 18 per cent said they did it by choice.

Like most online groups, especially ones where you have been a member of for over a year and should feel safe and everyone respects each others opinions, I thought I’d share my story. How I have had a great experience in the school system so far for my son. Here’s the comment I left to that article posted (a little of the wording is changed for a more clean read on a blog post, but I assure you, the point remains the same):

My son has been in three schools between two cities: Elementary school for grade Grade kindergarten to grade 5, another elementary school for grade 6 and 7, middle school for grade 8, and come next year another new school for high school for grade 9 to grade 12.

Every year we have had an amazing support staff, incredible teachers, great communication, and never have had a problem. We make staff cry at the end of the year as we say goodbye. They are like family to me and I love each and everyone of them.

It saddens me when I see parents posting on social media groups that they have to homeschool their kids because they left the school system, the teacher called and so-and-so needs to go home for reasons that imply the teacher or support staff can’t handle it, or bullying, etc. I don’t know if it’s the school districts, schools, area, lack of parent involvement or communication, or their child isn’t adjusting to a school setting, but it seems to be a combination of things and not just the school to blame.

Nobody is “forced” to leave the school system. You chose to leave the school system.

And honestly I don’t understand how a poll of 200ish people are the voice for every parent who has a child with special needs. It mentions in the article that parents removed their child from the school because their needs weren’t being met. Why weren’t your child's needs being met? Did your Individual Education Plan (IEP) have unrealistic goals? Does your Education Assistant (EA) or supportive staff not communicate with you or you to them? It breaks my heart if someone felt compelled to leave a school for whatever reason but regardless of the circumstances I would fight for my sons education and rights to an education until I was blue in the face, and even then, I’d keep fighting.

I realize that everyone has different circumstances, situations, reasons, whatever you would like to call it, for leaving the public school system but I don’t understand how one is “forced” to.

If you’re not on the same page with your child’s support staff, fight until you were not only on the same page but they memorized it word for word and then recited it back to you.

This is no disrespect to anyone who leaves the school system or feels “forced” out but it’s almost like giving up on your child’s rights to an education. You have to fight because nobody else will. Change schools if you have to but never give up. It’s your choice to do what you feel is best for your child but never, ever give up.

I apologize if I have offended anyone. I’m biased because I have had a great experience with the school system.

Boy was leaving that comment a big mistake! Forget feeling safe and respecting each others opinions. It was their opinion or no opinion at all. Monopolizing how you are to think and no room for disagreements.

I was removed from the group being told in a private message from one of the admins that “we have been notified about some of your posts that don’t really fit with what the etiquette in the ASD group and just wanted to give you a heads up as I will be removing you from the group”.

“Etiquette”?? I had an opinion that was different than yours, and I’m being punished for it? Because you can’t handle someone else’s opinion?

I simply replied, “Whatever.”

And then I got angry, which, I’m sure most people in these types of situations do:

...It is very sad to be removed from a group because an opinion differs. If we all had the same opinion, we wouldn’t need a support group. Good luck.

I was disappointed.

I don’t have any close family or support outside of the school, and to be in a group with other local moms who are all on the same boat as me, who ‘get’ me, meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to me for my son. I was even looking forward to a meetup that was being planned at a local park, but that’s clearly off the table.

Being in a group that is supposed to be about supporting each other, listening to each other, respecting each other, and I’m removed from the group because you don’t want to support me, you don’t want to listen, and you don’t want to respect me? “Whatever!!”

It does suck. I’m not going to lie. But to know that those were the type of women in the group, attacking me over my opinion differing their own, well, I don’t want to be a part of a group like that anyways.

Shortly after I was removed I received several private messages from members who either were agreeing with me or sharing that the school system hasn’t failed them.

Sadktm something I have noticed over the year that I’ve been in groups. You stand alone when you post something online until you have people agreeing with you. If you have people agreeing with you you will get all kinds of support. If anyone disagrees with you nobody who agrees with you will say anything in fear that they too will be attacked.

I ended up saving the entire conversation that took place. Me defending my opinion, then being attacked for it, people disagreeing with me, words being put into my mouth when they are clearly typed for all to see, you know, the whole typical crap you would expect whenever opinions differ.

I was debating if I should add some of the things people said, some of my responses to this post, but I honestly just don’t care anymore.

I’m done with support groups.

From now on it’s just me, myself, and Bryce.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

Friday, April 17, 2015

“A future of inclusion and acceptance for our autistic children”

A future of inclusion and acceptance for our autistic children.
- The Autism Directory’s vision

This starts with educating people about autism. Better understanding of autism leads to more accepting of autism.

The Autism Directory created a free short Autism Awareness Training presentation for individuals and organizations alike to share and raise awareness and understanding of autism.

It also shows how to communicate with individuals with autism and recognize and understand their behaviours.

It is a great tool for anyone wanting to learn more about autism and become autism friendly.

The Autism Directory is run by parents of children with autism. When they were given the diagnosis they were completely unaware about autism. They knew very little about it, what caused it, or what they could do to help their children. They felt isolated and alone.

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The Autism Directory was created because parents should not feel that they are alone. There is help and support out there, but if people don’t know what or where it is, how to access it, then it is of no benefit to them.

We expected a society that understood, but did not anticipate the lack of awareness, often ignorance, that we would have to put up with every day.

A future of inclusion and acceptance for our autistic children.
- The Autism Directory’s vision

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

The Autism Directory is an online directory website that aims to pull together the help and support that is out there and signpost autism families to the help they need. For more information please visit The Autism Directory.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

#BoostingBrainpower: Helping Children Succeed in School

The following information was provided to me to share with my readers.

Melinda Curle, author of Boosting Brainpower, is helping parents with children who have learning disabilities to overcome obstacles and excel in school. Curle provides practical exercises that parents can use to literally boost their child’s brain power so that learning is much easier.

Her tips on foods to enhance your child’s brain power, healthy habits that will improve your child’s health, and simple strategies that can be included in the child’s daily activities will enrich the child’s attitude toward education. Curle provides a first-hand perspective on how to improve and learn faster in spite of the disability.

In addition to her work with children, Curle specializes in helping people improve their cognitive function, decrease their seizures naturally, and improve memory function and processing speed. She focuses on helping individuals within the epilepsy community eliminate their seizures naturally.

Boosting Brainpower will provide you with easy to use tools and strategies to give your student an edge.

You’ll learn:

  • How to boost your child’s brainpower with food
  • How physical activity can sharpen focus
  • Simple habits that will give stability to your child's day
  • Strategies to make your student excited about school

For more information about Melinda Curle or to order your copy of “Boosting Brainpower” please visit her website.

About the author:
Melinda Curie Melinda Curle has over ten years experience working with students with disabilities to improve their brain health and help them learn. With a Masters in Special Education, Curle became an expert in brain health on her journey to overcome her own learning disability and epilepsy and she chose to do it naturally. Curle is passionate about helping people improve their lives through education and fitness. She is the author of “Seizure Free: Addressing the Causes of Seizures Naturally” and “Epilepsy Empowerment: Living an Exceptional Life with Epilepsy.”

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Celebrating Autism Awareness at #CANFamFest

Today we celebrated autism awareness at the 4th annual Canucks Autism Network Family Festival at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It’s a family friendly event that welcomes everyone in the community.

My mom, sister, and her girlfriend joined us this year to show their support, and of course we brought our bubble blowers!

The event included the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, a Family Fun Zone with special guest appearances, face painting, a photo booth, an exhibitor and sponsor fair, a BBQ lunch hosted by Moderne Burger and Myrtle’s Famous Hot Dogs, and the CAN Family Festival Walk. We even got the opportunity to meet Trevor Linden who is a retired Canadian hockey player and current president of the Vancouver Canucks.

There was live entertainment featuring musical performances by Juno award winning, children’s performer, Charlotte Diamond, and the Neil Diamond tribute band, Nearly Neil.

It honestly felt like there was a lot less people attending this year than last year, but the dark clouds and light rain didn’t dampen those that were there. The Canucks Autism Network throws a great community party! The Bubbles Make Him Smile family had a great time and already can’t wait for next year!

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures! Oh, and if you took pictures of our bubbles please feel free to share them on our Facebook page too! :)

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya and Bryce

The Canucks Autism Network provides year-round, innovative, high quality sports, recreational, social, and employment related programs for individuals and families living with autism, while building awareness and capacity through community networks across British Columbia.

For more information please visit Canucks Autism Network.