Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is more common than most other neurodevelopmental disabilities combined, yet awareness and understanding is low by comparison. This creates challenges for individuals, caregivers and communities.

Raising, caring for or supporting someone FASD can be a challenge (when you aren’t aware of the disability or how best to support the person) and can result in frustration for everyone. But once you learn and make a mind shift, relationships improve and success is possible.

Here you will find stories of our FASD journey, support, and links to resources to help you in your journey.

Mindfulness became an important part of my journey as a caregiver. I learned about the importance of regulation via breathing and focus through a practice called sacred breathwork. The sacred breath is an ancestral practice of breathing with the understanding and management of the creative power of thought. It is a powerful mindfulness tool. Our breath is sacred. It is our life force and we can use it to regulate ourselves when we are dysregulated.

One of the significant parts of my caregiver journey has been healing my past so I can be in the present in the moment. It is learning to pause and respond, rather than react. It is teaching myself, and then my daughter. It is learning about our sacred breath.

Our Sacred Breath is about our story, told from my point of view and interspersed with examples from life with my mother and daughter and others I’ve learned from along the way. The original tagline was The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone. As I have evolved, so have the stories and they way they are told.

Click on the FASD Life Blog button on the main menu above to view the latest blog post.

Click FASD on the Web to find useful links and I am the Mother to find out more about the author.

If you are looking for Red Shoes Rock or FASD swag and would like to support an adult with FASD in a small business, check out the Our Sacred Breath Redbubble Shop.

We add new designs a few times a year. Available in different colours and styles. It is an international ordering site so prices should reflect your currency for your country. Please make sure you are on the Our Sacred Breath account. Unfortunately there are people who steal other designs and sell them. Reach out if you aren’t sure or favourite our page for easy access.

Looking for the 99 Days to FASDay series of information?

Each year for the last 7 years the campaign ran from June 1 until September 9. The pages have been disabled for now (2024) while they are being updated.

For those new to the series, each day one fact, piece of information, quote, helpful tip or historical fact about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is shared. We thought 2021 might be our last year but we had requests to run it again, so new graphics were created and if added information or research has been shared, those will be added. Since this is a labour of love (there is no compensation to me) if you are so inclined, you can Buy Me Coffee.

2023 was the 25th anniversary of International FASD Awareness Day. It started in 1999 (by two Canadians and an American) as an idea to recognize the 9 months of pregnancy on September 9 each year. It has spread around the globe. Since 2015, I have participated in Red Shoes Rock – a grassroots movement to raise awareness about FASD with a focus leading up to FASDay. The 99 Days to FASDay series was my contribution in 2017.

If you want to know the history of Red Shoes Rock, check out the blog post: Red Shoes Rock and 99 Days to FASDay or visit the Red Shoes Rock website.

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of this blog! Thanks to those of you who have been here since the beginning and to those who have joined our journey along the way. The blog is undergoing a review as I update some of the posts for language, and make sure links are valid. As a result, you may find posts that have been moved or are temporarily unavailable.

I am honoured when people share posts or information from pages, but please credit the source and do not alter graphics, links, or references. If you have any questions, you can contact me as below. Thank you.

If you do find broken links on any pages, or missing acknowledgements, credit or reference, please provide details by sending me an email.