This is my son Jay. Jay is four years old. He’s very handsome and good-natured. He’s also autistic. He can’t talk, he doesn’t know how to wave goodbye or point, and he pays no attention to the comings and goings of his parents or his little sister. Autism is a brutal disease, and it costs a ton of money to treat and manage (in general it is incurable). Even if you don’t know anybody with an autistic family member, you can be sure that working to prevent and cure it is a wise investment.
My writing here doesn’t generally get very personal, but I am making a direct appeal today. Later next month (September 20th), there will be a fund-raising walk here in Boston to support autism research. All proceeds will go to the National Alliance for Autism Research. If you are within the sound of my voice, please consider sending me a check for Jay’s team. If you’re thinking “well, maybe, but I don’t know how much to give” then do this: make a $20 check out to NAAR and mail it to
Jay’s Team
11 Belknap Terrace
Watertown, MA 02472
I will thank you on behalf of Jay and his whole family.
(If you want to know a little more about Jay, you might want to read this essay that I wrote soon after his diagnosis two years ago)
Rambles Blog at Star Chamber 
You can also donate through NAAR’s site and name Jay’s Team while doing so. This was the easiest option for me. Thanks for the moving essay.
Thanks so much, Tim, both for the donation and for pointing out this convenient way to contribute. The page http://www.naar.org/walk/donate.htm has a number of ways to contribute, and one of these options ( http://www.naar.org/walk/donate_online.htm ) lets you make a donation right away with a credit card.