Keep your eye out for nine-year-old Michael Vaughan who is walking 100km to raise money for the National Autistic Society. If you see him make sure you give him a wave and better still visit his JustGiving page to make a donation.
Sarah Jones, his mum, told Cwmbran Life: “It all began a few weeks ago after a well-being session in school where they had covered autism. We’ve known about his diagnosis since the end of year one but hadn’t used the ‘A’ word with him.
“After listening to the information Michael saw a lot of similarities between the typical behaviours and his own and basically put two and two together and diagnosed himself.
“He got off the school bus and said to me, ‘mum, I think I’m autistic’. His classmates have been brilliant and asked him lots of questions. He asked us, ‘will it go away?’. He knows it won’t but there will be lots of people to support him as he gets older.
“So after learning that he is autistic and learning a lot about what it is and what help is out there he decided he wanted to do something to help too.
“We had a bit of a brainstorm and together decided to walk 100km to raise £100. We’ve walked just under 60km now and have already raised £315.
“The response he’s had is unbelievable. We haven’t put a time frame on this as sometimes, our walks after school are too overwhelming and aren’t suitable and as he walks on his tiptoes sometimes he can find long walks quite painful.
“But he’s walked every day so far and has done his best distance-wise. We walk around Cwmbran, The Boating Lake, the canal but mainly doing laps of Oakfield Park. This is his favourite place. We have thrown in a walk round to Llantarnam Park to Greggs once or twice as a treat!”
His classmates at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran and helped by joining him on laps of the playground.
Sponsor Michael’s walk for the National Autistic Society
Click here to visit his JustGiving page
