Becca and David Ackerman were born within minutes of each other in May of 1995, but from the start they couldn't have seemed more different.  Becca was a tiny, perpetually frowning little thing with brown hair and eyes.  David, on the other hand, was a big, happy baby boy with blue eyes and a mop of blonde curls atop a head that seemed one size too big for him.  But despite their differences, they loved to play together.  The pictures from their babyhood present them as an inseparable pair--David and Becca crawling together, David and Becca sleeping together, David and Becca laughing together.  It was only a matter of time, we assumed, until they began running together, talking together, fighting together, and generally raising hell together.

But something went wrong.

Becca continued to grow and develop like a normal toddler.  But David was struggling--struggling to walk, struggling to talk (and then, forgetting the few words he had learned), struggling to keep the sparkle in his eyes from going out.  At first we hoped he was just a late bloomer, but by age three David's developmental problems were just too big to ignore.  All too soon, the heartbreaking diagnosis came: David was autistic.

What is autism?  Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old.  Autism is also a spectrum disorder, which means that different autistics have varying capacities to function in society.  A few children with mild cases (Asperger's syndrome) can function fine on their own, while others can be mainstreamed in schools and careers only with careful restrictions and constant assistance, while yet others cannot function in society at all.  The exact cause of autism is not known, although there appears to be a genetic link.  And, for unknown reasons, the number of autism cases is on the rise: about 1 in every 150 children alive today is autistic.  There are limited treatments, but no cure--an autistic child is autistic for life.

David is about as low-functioning as it is possible to be.  Although he is thirteen, he has the cognitive ability of a two year old.  He cannot talk, maintain eye contact, or perform any but the simplest motor skills (for years, he entered the backyard pool by walking off the edge, since he couldn't figure out how to jump).  He babbles and grunts, wrings his hands and covers his ears compulsively, and rocks rhythmically while sitting down.  His sense of touch is hyperdeveloped--he runs his hands over everything, and reacts dramatically to unexpected physical contact.  Crowds and loud noises terrify him, and any major deviations from his daily regimen of activities frustrate and panic him.  He uses picture cards to make his wants known--simple things like "cake" or "outside" or "Barney".  His once sparkling blue eyes are veiled, inscrutable.  He needs supervision and one-on-one assistance at all times.  He has been living in a specialized facility for years now, although he sees his family sometimes on weekends.  He will have to continue to live in a facility for the rest of his life.

And yet, despite all of this, David is a person.  He loves swimming and watching Barney, and smiles when he gets to see his siblings, parents, or grandparents.  Sometimes, he takes people by the hand and tries to show them things--the view from a window, or the feel of a piece of fabric.  He uses his picture cards to make rudimentary jokes, by smiling and holding out the cards for things he knows he can't have.  He is good-natured, warm, and completely adorable...but he will never have a Bar Mitzvah, will never be called up to the Torah.  He can't.  His body is maturing (he recently discovered what fun could be had with his "man parts"), but his brain is frozen in time.  With every year, he becomes more and more a child trapped in a man's body.  And as of right now, there is nothing that we can do to help him.

But that hasn't stopped Becca from trying.

Becca knows that, when her parents are gone and she is grown up, it will be her responsibility to make sure David is cared for...and she has already set out to prove herself equal to the task.  For the past two years, beginning when she was eleven, Becca has participated in the Greater Boston Walk for Autism, raising over $10,000 total for autism research through bake sales, solicitations for donations, and organizing her friends to walk--and work--as a team.  Why does she do it?  I'll let her words speak for themselves:

(Note: Becca is the one on the right.)

"Doing it for Dave"
I am walking for my twin brother, David, for the third year. Last year, we raised a lot of money for autism research and we are hoping to have an even better fundraising year in 2008. As you may know, more and more children are getting diagnosed with autism--1 in every 150 children has autism. Autism has a huge impact on children, families, schools, and the entire country. It takes a lot of money to teach and care for people with autism. It also is really sad, because people with autism have a hard time playing and talking with other people. My twin brother cannot talk at all and he does not really know how to play, either.
Please support my team so we can try to find the causes of autism. Someday, we will find a way to end autism!

Becca believes with all her heart that the fact that we have so little knowledge about and so little research funding for a disorder that affects so many is unconscionable.  We must do better...not just for David, but for the thousands upon thousands like him who may never have a life outside of an assisted living facility.  Not just for Becca, but for the thousands upon thousands of girls who may never have a real relationship with their brothers, or the thousands upon thousands of parents struggling to do right by their auistic children.

I know most of you have been donating like crazy lately (between the primaries and the disasters in China and Myanmar, its been a busy month), but MyDDers, Becca and I are calling on you: rec this diary, and most importantly, donate to Becca's Autism Walk team.  1 in every 150 children has autism, and the number continues to rise.  They need our help, our funds, and our support.

In all likelihood, it is too late to help David.  Becca knows this.  But if we can raise the funds needed to discover and develop better treatments or cures for autism, if we can help prevent another such tragedy striking another family, then Becca's work will not have been in vain.

Becca is fired up.  Are you?