Welcome To The Silence Is So Loud
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller
As I launch The Silence Is So Loud, I couldn’t help thinking of the above quote.
We live in a world rife with need and hurt. We may automatically think of the terrible infernos engulfing California, Mexico, and Canada. Or the global horror of human trafficking.
Money is flying like crazy to causes around health care, education, human rights, and the environment.
And according to a Google search, the advocacy industry is estimated at $51 billion in revenue per year with approximately 275,000 employees across 16,800 organizations.
Now I am launching The Silence Is So Loud as my way of raising awareness around a problem that few are talking about these days.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
My name is Jesse Pogue and I want to welcome you to The Silence Is So Loud.
When I was born I was diagnosed with FASD. There was very little encouragement from the doctors.
FASD refers to the range of problems caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol (exposure to alcohol during pregnancy).If a woman drinks alcohol while she is pregnant, the alcohol crosses the placenta from her blood into the baby’s bloodstream and the baby is exposed to similar concentrations of alcohol as the mother.Statistically, it was unlikely that I would survive. An estimated 54% of babies born with FASD die within their first year.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to hear your child given that kind of prognosis. But that’s not all.
Due to my constantly crying, and suddenly throwing my baby guts up, the doctors discovered that I had hydrocephalus. Within my first month I had a surgery to implant a shunt that removed the extra fluid building up against my brain.
So I had a rough start to life.
I am happy to share that though the odds weren’t in my favor, I am alive and well.(hahaha) And as of writing this, I am 30 years old.
The reason I am starting The Silence Is So Loud is to tell my story and raise awareness about FASD among our communities.
FASD is 100% preventable.
I just believe we can do a better job at educating people.
Since it is preventable, no child should have to deal with it.
I am afraid it may always exist, but I will do what I can to lessen its presence.
My goal here is to show from my own life and experience what it’s like to live with FASD and exploring how we can do better. I want to learn the lesson that Martin Niemöller was talking about.
I don’t want to be a bystander, I want to save children from having to live as I do. As I have said, I don’t regret or fret about my life. But other children don’t have to experience this. So here I am.
The opinions expressed here are not to be considered medical advice. I want to hear from you.
Leave your questions and comments below.
This is just an introduction. We will open this world wide open soon.
Thanks for reading.