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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, APRIL 18,2001 PAGE A7 Tom and his Shadow pay Bowmanville a visit Man hikes across Ontario for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome awareness BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE - Tom Wilkinson Wilkinson is taking his dog Shadow on a long walk for a good cause. The 23-year-old Belleville resident made a stop in Bowmanville last Wednesday, a week-and-a-half into a cross-Ontario odyssey to raise awareness awareness about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects. It's a disorder Mr. Wilkinson and his family know only too well. Adopted at three-and-a-lialf, it was many years before before doctors determined that his aggressive aggressive and often destructive behaviour might be caused by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Syndrome. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects arc disorders that occur as a result of consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, since alcohol can cross the placenta from mother to baby, says information from the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Treatment and Education Centre. The disorder can result in distinguishing distinguishing facial characteristics, such as small, widely-spaced eyes; low birth weight and difficulty gaining weight after; smaller head circumference; developmental developmental delays; attention deficits; memory problems; hyperactivity; difficulty difficulty with abstract concepLs; poor problem problem solving skills; difficulty learning consequences; poor judgement; immature immature behaviour; and poor impulse control. control. Now, Mr. Wilkinson, who has made great strides since his diagnosis, is walking in the hopes of raising awareness awareness of the disorder, in an effort to find funding for a FAS treatment and education education centre in the Belleville area. Living at such a centre would afford people like Mr. Wilkinson the chance to "do our own cooking, and housework. It'll be all up to us, to decide about what we have for breakfast, to buy groceries," he says, noting the goal would be "to get ready to live on our own someday." According to Tom's adopted mother, Jill Dockrill, the time has come for such a facility. "For years I have struggled to find programs and services to benefit my disabled child," says Ms. Dockrill in a letter. "After two heart attacks and extensive extensive research I discovered that presently no residential facilities exist in Canada for children or adults with FAS/FAE." Ms. Dockrill says she hopes a number number of organizations will get onside to fund such a project. "Today, government, breweries and distilleries fund many educational awareness programs on responsible drinking," she says. "However, no commitments commitments have been made to assist the many victims bom disabled before the terrible effects of drinking during pregnancy pregnancy were known." She says she will apply for financial help from government agencies, breweries, breweries, distilleries, wineries and charitable charitable foundations to help bring the project to fruition. Meanwhile, Mr. Wilkinson and Shadow' will continue walking, with a goal of reaching Windsor in about six weeks lime. Shadow is a major part of the walk, he says. "He is a good dog and will keep me relaxed along the journey," he says. RUB & ROLL Beetle Bonus 'H L? /ill ; v •m 'On selected Benjamin Moore paints. No purchase required. tSkill testing question required. Odds of winning 15% -11n 1.2,20% -1 in 10,25% • 1 in 25,50% -1 in 100. See full details and selected products In store. m if WALTER PASSARELLA/ Statesman photo Tom Wilkinson and Shadow take a break outside the Clarington Municipal Municipal Complex in downtown Bowmanville. The two, are walking across Ontario to misMPyiwemss Mid funding for .FetalAlcohol Syndrome, , „ Paint and Wallpaper Ltd. 55 King St. W. z Bowmanville, 905-623-5431 'i ■ ; . !l Sale ends April 30th, 2001. • . - : ■ : MoofeA PAINTS A STROKE OF BRILL U I a'^ce :/il Ot 1C www.durhamc.on.ca Key Performance Indicator (KPI)* survey results just in! Highest grad employment rate 0 / M V \ . -, .é"\ Ji'-ji /-fY i I!Jr If ;i 1 Pi III ^ MI'MSw 1 m A m /■; I'.'i v;> -- / '- : - V.-A-/® and #1 in the GTA overall individual results: 34* 1 % graduate employment -- tops in Ontario! 90-8% employer satisfaction 82.7% graduate satisfaction 79-9% student satisfaction *The aim of the KPI project is to help make Ontario's colleges more accountable to students, graduates, employers and the community. This mandatory, province-wide initiative was launched in August 1998 and results are published in the spring. ! ' Ul 1*7 '/ J J.2 d»' 3;' Oi j«i 8 fl 98 ! ; ait.