My oldest son, Aidan, was diagnosed with autism in 2009. I have been advocating for him since before the day the specialist observing him turned to me to say that normally she would wait to send the official diagnosis, but I looked like I was prepared to hear the news that my son has autism.

We didn't prepare for college for Aidan because, quite honestly, we never knew there was a transitional option to college for him. A program to bridge the chasm between high school and life on a college campus. A way for Aidan to move on to a higher education setting with his peers, complete with a set of high-end training wheels. Then one day, I saw a video on TikTok of a young man in a college program designed around introducing special needs children to college life. I saved the video, and then later that same day, in the parent group chat between Aidan's dad, step-mom, and myself, I received a flyer for The Thrive Program at the University of Central Missouri. They had just learned about it from Aidan's best friend's parents as they were picking him up after the boys had hung out all day. It felt like it was meant to be.

The first step was getting Aidan's application in by the deadline, which was a month after getting that text. Second was Aidan getting one of the 18 spots the program takes each year, and now we are on to the third, final, and biggest step, paying for the program. The program is a bit more than your average first year at the university, and since we didn't know programs like this existed until recently, to say we aren't prepared is an understatement. The majority of scholarship windows have closed, and this is where this GoFundMe comes in and is actually the hardest part for me to do. I'm asking strangers on the internet for help.

Look, I get it, times are tight for everyone. If you aren't able to donate, I totally understand.

The program costs approximately $26,000 and the GoFundMe will cover his first year there. I'm beyond grateful for any help, even if it's just sharing this GoFundMe with others.

I realize it's a long shot, a hail Mary, but sometimes they work, and I'd rather try than always wonder 'what if' for the rest of my life. Aidan will always be worth it.