Editor, Commonwealth:
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful article you published on March 19 about my grandson, Lucas Lormand, and the lemonade stand he had during spring break to raise money for Camp Jigsaw. I would like to thank Staff Writer Bob Darden for a job well done on the article and to thank him for his time in coming out to interview Lucas, his friend Jacob and me.
As was mentioned in the article, Camp Jigsaw is a camp for adolescent boys (13-18) who are on the autism spectrum. Camp Jigsaw is completely free for the boys who attend and runs solely on donations. Lucas attended last year for the first time and absolutely loved it! He can’t wait to go back this summer.
Dr. Sandy Devlin does a wonderful job putting on Camp Jigsaw, and she is so good with the boys who attend. She has lots of help from students at Mississippi State University, where Camp Jigsaw is held. The women’s basketball team visited with the campers last year, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed their visit. Now that those young women are superstars, our boys can say they “knew them when.” Camp Jigsaw is such a blessing to these young men and their families.
Since April is Autism Awareness Month, I would like to shed a little light on autism with a few facts and statistics.
Did you know that autism affects one in 68 children and one in 42 boys? Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism. The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last 20 years. It is the fastest-growing developmental disorder, yet it is the most underfunded.
The costs for raising a child with autism can be astronomical, sometimes reaching $60,000 a year on average. Autism varies from person to person; no two people with autism are alike. Unfortunately, there is no medical detection or cure for autism. However, with early intervention and treatment, autism can be greatly improved in most cases.
For more information on Camp Jigsaw, call 662-341-3322. Donations can be sent to Dr. Sandy Devlin, 577 South Lake Road, Starkville, MS 39759.
Thank you for the opportunity to spread the word about Camp Jigsaw and helping to shed some light on autism.
Cindy Brown
Greenwood
