Charity funds research in the UK (From Herald Series)

Charity funds research in the UK

12:00pm Saturday 2nd April 2011 in News By Debbie Waite

ONE mum from Watlington is urging people to help find out more about the condition which took her chatty toddler into a world of silence forever.

Sue Fotherby, 48, said: “My daughter Lucy said her last word ‘Mummy’ at the age of three and hasn’t spoken since.

“She was born normally and started to develop normally. But she slowly started to ‘lose’ words and now she has no speech at all.

“We have no idea why she developed autism and it is heartbreaking. She makes a lot of strange noises, but she cannot bathe or dress herself, she cannot play and she cannot tell me if she is crying because she is in pain.”

Mrs Fotherby, pictured with Lucy, said: “I support the work of the charity Autistica, which funds research into autism.

“Unfortunately, autism is not seen as a very ‘trendy’ condition, so doesn’t attract as much funding as it should when you consider how many people it affects.”

Autistica, based in Henley, was founded by autism campaigner and Henley resident, Dame Stephanie Shirley in 2004 to fund autism research in the UK.

Dame Shirley will be speaking about her life and experiences at a fundraising lunch in aid of Autistica, at Cliveden, near Maidenhead, on Tuesday, May 10.

Autistica is also hosting its fifth charity clay shoot at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School near Pangbourne on Friday, June 17.

Contact lynn.hart@autistica.org.uk