Autism Hunger Strike Has Ended

Autism hunger striker Stefan Marinoiu ended his two week hunger strike yesterday. Stefan's efforts brought much attention to the cause of autistic persons and their families in Canada and impressed upon public decision makers in Ottawa and Toronto the seriousness of the Autism Crisis in Ontario and Canada.

It is a relief to me, and I am sure to his family and many friends and admirers, that Stefan has decided to end this stage of his autism advocacy and move ahead with other efforts. The determination that Stefan has demonstrated with his 11 day mid-winter Autism Trek from Toronto to Ottawa and his two week Autism Hunger Strike will come in handy in the continuing effort to obtain proper autism treatment, education and residential care in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada.

autism

Autism Trek Update

In Blizzards no match for man on 450K walk for autism the Ottawa Citizen interviews Stefan Marinoiu, updates his gutsy mid winter trek to Ottawa to plead with federal politicians for a national autism strategy and describes some of the dangers he is facing on his trek:

"The Ontario Provincial Police, who stopped him the first night for walking illegally on the highway, have kept an eye out for him, picking him up several times and driving him into the nearest community. "They told me I was gonna freeze to death," he said. "It has been so cold you feel like you are going to die the next second but I take the next step. I am walking for all the tens of thousands who are like my son. No matter what, I am going to accomplish this.""

autism

MY DAD IS WALKING TO OTTAWA TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM! Facebook Group

Right now a dedicated Dad, Stephan Marinoiu, in a real display of courage is walking from Toronto to Ottawa to raise awareness for autism. His daughter Lia has started a Facebook Group called MY DAD IS WALKING TO OTTAWA TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8363327485

For those of you who are not from Canada, or have never visited that area of Ontario during the winter, what Stephan Marinoiu is doing takes real courage and dedication. Visit Lia's Facebook group to see pictures, read updates and show your support for Stephan Marinoiu's autism trek.

autism

Senator Jim Munson Supports Stephan Marinoiu Autism Trek

News Release

SENATOR JIM MUNSON SUPPORTS STEFAN MARINOIU IN HIS WALK FOR AUTISM

Thursday, February 7, 2008

OTTAWA, February 7, 2008 – The Honourable Jim Munson (Ottawa – Rideau Canal) extends his support to Stefan Marinoiu who has embarked on a mission to walk from Toronto to Ottawa to increase awareness about autism and the need for increased funding for its treatment. Mr. Marinoiu is the father of a son with autism. The Senator has contacted Mr. Marinoiu’s family and will continue to closely follow his progress.

On the morning of Thursday, January 31, 2008, Mr. Marinoiu left his Toronto home and started walking to Ottawa. His initiative was not carefully planned nor was it in any way publicized – it even caught his wife and older daughter by surprise. Rather, it was the result of the accumulation of frustrations and the feeling of desperation shared by many parents of autistic children. It has now been a week since Mr. Marinoiu’s departure and he has already arrived in Kingston.

Senator Munson wishes Mr. Marinoiu the best of luck with the rest of his journey and assures him that he will be there to welcome him upon his arrival in Ottawa.

Senator Munson launched the Senate Inquiry into the treatment of autism in Canada. This resulted in the publication of the report of the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled Pay Now or Pay Later. Follow this link to view the report:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/soci-e/rep-e/repfinmar07-e.htm

- 30 -

For more information, please contact: The Honourable Jim Munson Senator (Ottawa – Rideau Canal) Tel: (613) 947-2504 or Lia Marinoiu (Daughter of Mr. Marinoiu) Scarborough ON (416)-412-7656

autism

Autism Trek

Stefan Marinoiu is walking 452 kilometres from Toronto to Ottawa to raise autism awareness in Canada. Specifically he plans to speak with the federal government about increasing funding to support families like his who are dealing with autism and to fund more autism research. Mr. Marinoiu's trek is motivated by autism reality, the reality of raising a 15 year old autistic boy:

Marinoiu has a 15-year-old son who was diagnosed with autism when he was a child.

Marinoiu and his wife have struggled to provide proper support while their son's condition has deteriorated with age. He has now become aggressive, a common symptom in autistic children, and Marinoiu is afraid the Children's Aid Society may take him away, fearing he could hurt their younger six-year-old child.

"His autism has progressed to the point that communication is a struggle," Marinoiu said. "We just do not have the money to provide proper care for him."

- The Belleveille Intelligencer

Rhetoric about finding the joy in your child's autism does not help families like the Marinoiu's. Real solutions to difficult and at times heart wrenching challenges are needed. Hopefully the federal government will give Mr. Marinoiu an audience in which they listen to his concerns and come up with ways it can help families like the Marinoiu's. Not every autistic person makes submissions to the Supreme Court of Canada or the Canadian Senate. Some face much more serious challenges and require much more help to live a decent life in this country. Hopefully Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Health Minister Tony Clement will listen to this dedicated Dad who has put it on the line to trek from Toronto to Ottawa in the cold Canadian winter.

autism