WE ROAR Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 74
L LaShawn Fairley ADHD Cutie
Featured Rebel
With A Cause
Co-Author
Hi, I am L. LaShawn, "the ADHD Cutie," and
a single, black mother sharing an ADHD
diagnosis with my young adult man-child. It
is a REAL, daily, ongoing struggle, even for
black people...YES, it is true!
My son was diagnosed with ADHD way back
in first grade. I discovered my ADHD at age
50 (my son was a Freshman in high school
by then) while helping my son. I was
diagnosed so much later because I didn't
understand that ADHD is highly hereditary
and that I had to work on my issues before I
could help my son with his.
It was such a HUGE relief to know that I was
not stupid, lazy, a non-critical thinker, etc.,
that I had been hearing ever since my whole
world blew up in 1984. I suddenly and
traumatically lost my foster Mom to a
massive heart attack right at the beginning of
my Senior year of high school. She was
EVERYTHING to me, and when I lost her, I
also lost all feelings of being unconditionally
loved, protected, supported and genuinely
cared for by anyone else in my life.....until my
son was born.
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