Stefan Marinoiu is not a federal or provincial political figure, or an entertainment celebrity of any kind talking endlessly about raising autism awareness without taking any action to help the 1 in 88 Canadians who suffer from autism disorders.  Stefan is a real Canadian autism hero.  He has made courageous efforts to have our federal government address Canada's autism crisis. 

Stefan has raised autism awareness without the benefit of political or media connections. He has not done so in order to obtain free travel to Banff or the UN or to augment a political career, he has done it to help his son, Simon,  and  others with autism disorders.  He has done it by twice putting his life at risk with a mid winter walk :autism" trek from Toronto to Ottawa and with a  hunger strike.  I was very pleased to meet Stefan and his wonderful family in Toronto.  Stefan did not confine his efforts to simply raising the awareness as happens with so many much less challenging efforts. Stefan actually advocated for  our federal government to get involved in a meaningful serious way to address Canada's autism crisis.   

Unfortunately the Stephen Harper-Mike Lake government does not want to acknowledge or deal with Canada's autism crisis and there will be no federal progress in Canada as long as the Harper version of the Conservative government holds majority control. Not a single member of our Harper Conservative government, not even those with family members affected by autism, have bothered to push for meaningful federal efforts to address Canada's autism crisis. I doubt though that Stefan will give up.  I will try to follow Stefan's example and continue efforts to advocate for meaningful efforts by our federal government to address Canada's autism crisis.  

Those of us who believe that our federal government should offer meaningful assistance to the 1 in 88 Canadians with an autism disorder have to look past the Harper era and look to NDP and/or Liberal governments to address Canada's national autism crisis.  We can't  give up in the face of Harper's indifference, we must keep fighting and refuse to give up.

The above comment by Stefan Marinoiu, father of a severely autistic son, Simon Marinoiu,  is great advice for parents of autistic children.  It is the advice of a man who has literally walked that path and knows of what he speaks. As the parent of a severely autistic son I do not always want to hear from people who know nothing of the realities of severe, low functioning autism disorders telling me what is best for my son or what I must do to help him.  When I listened to Stefan Marinoui though I was listening to one who knew of what he talked, one who had quite literally walked the walk.

On January 31, 2008 in the middle of a cold Canadian winter Stefan Marinoiu left his home in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough and began walking with only the clothes on his back to Ottawa to raise awareness about the lack of services for people like his son Simon, a strong young man with limited communication abilities and serious behavior issues. When Stefan arrived safely in Ottawa, after receiving help from well wishers he met on his journey, he met with then Health Minister Tony Clement. 

Unfortunately Tony Clement, and the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper were not genuinely moved by Stefan's journey. They have done absolutely nothing to ensure that  all autistic children in Canada received evidence based ABA treatment for their autism. They have done nothing to ensure that autistic adults in Canada have access to decent residential care and treatment. Gazebos, prisons, jet fighters sure, but not real help for autistic Canadian children or adults.

I met Stefan and his wonderful family when I, along with Jean Lewis and David Marley of Medicare for Autism NOW!, visited their home in the Toronto area in 2008.  Stefan is a modest person of great focus and presence.  There is no hidden agenda. His concerns are clearly and succinctly expressed in compelling language as in the advice quoted above.  I was deeply moved by the Marinoiu family, for the love they have for Simon, by their struggles to help him and by the impact Simon's autism has had on their lives.

In Medicare's Orphans Stefan, wife Bernadette and daughter Lia speak about what Simon's autism is like and what it has meant to them, the impact it has had on the members of their family.  If you watch this film and listen to Stefan, Bernadette and Lia, you will be moved.  Listening to their stories again strengthens my resolve to continue advocating for my son Conor and other children and adults with autism disorders. It strengthens my resolve to fight for early intervention, effective, real education and decent residential care for autistic children and adults here in New Brunswick and across Canada.

If you are a parent of a child with an autism disorder I encourage you to view the Medicare's Orphans film and "take your heart in your teeth ... and go on ... and go on".

Medicare's Orphans. from MedicareForAutismNow on Vimeo.

This third trailer for Medicare's Orphans, scheduled for release this fall, features the Marinoui family.  While on a previous Toronto visit I had the pleasure of meeting Stefan Marinoiu and his lovely family: wife Bernadette, daughter Lia and son Simon who is severely affected by autism.  Stefan has twice risked his life, walking in mid winter from Toronto to Ottawa, and engaging in a hunger strike,  to bring attention to the autism crisis in Canada and the need for a real National Autism Strategy, one  which treats autism like a health disorder and provides treatment to all autistic Canadians. The trailer shows some of the anguish of this caring and courageous family that has struggled to give Simon the best life possible and to bring attention to his challenges.  They are challenges shared by many Canadian families with a member severely affected by an autism disorder.