About the rffada

The rffada was established by the Russell Family after Elizabeth Russell was unable to identify any FASD specific resources and services for her son Seth in Australia. As the birth mother of two sons with FASD, Elizabeth has intimate understanding of this condition at its most fundamental level. She has learned that two parents cannot manage this condition alone no matter how loving and caring they are. She also learned that interrogating every state and federal government department, every community organisation and every disability service in Australia for services specific to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome resulted in finding...... only one un-funded, community organisation run by one dedicated individual, Sue Miers. The organisation is the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Related Disorders. Elizabeth had been prepared to travel anywhere in Australia to find help for Seth and Mick and instead ended up flying to the Yukon in Canada. A little town called Whitehorse with a population of 22,000 held the secrets that would eventually lead to a diagnosis and an appreciation of the condition that almost every country in the world understands better than Australia.

Elizabeth has written three books, two of which have been published and are available on www.elizabethrussell.com.au. They are entitled Alcohol and Pregnancy - A Mother's Responsible Disturbance and Alcohol and Pregnancy - No Blame No Shame. The third will be published in 2008. Strategies for Australian Government Employment Specialists, her third book was written for people who work in the employment services industry. It is also a book that parents of affected individuals of working age must read. Independence for affected people will be difficult in the best of circumstances and employment can be the conduit to achieving some level of self-reliance and to gain the confidence, respect and dignity that many affected people have yet to experience.

The Russell family consists of Elizabeth and Don and their two children Mick and Seth and wonderful daughter-in-law, Hayley; Don's mother Sonny and father Donald along with extended family members; Dianne and John, Nigel and Sue, Kevin and Lana, Natasha and Barry, Russel and Samantha, Anthony and Michelle, Anita, Jennifer, Portia, Daniel, Jake, Summer, Luke, Millie, Megan and Talisha.

Mick is currently living a normal life after having almost all of the symptoms of full Fetal Alcohol Syndrome when he was a baby and toddler. He is able to hold down a job, live independently and save money. He has reported to her that he has never experienced depression and does not have substance abuse issues nor has he ever been in trouble with the police. He is of small stature and has temporal lobe epilepsy, two 'markers' of alcohol exposure.

Seth on the other hand had none of the symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as a baby and toddler and yet has a significant disability, is on the Disability Support Pension and is unable to hold down a job without very high support. He recently married Hayley who he met four years ago at a party. Hayley is a very happy addition to the Russell Family. She has a kind and caring heart and a wonderful ability to work with Seth to help him through some of his more difficult times. Even with her support, Seth still needs continual care, is often suicidal and is currently on antipsychotic medication which helps keep his mood stable. Even with all the issues that both boys have had to contend with they have been passionate about helping their mother in conjunction with the rffada partners, NOFASARD fulfil the objectives of the rffada. Seth and Hayley will both join her in Melbourne for the upcoming media campaign in early December 2007.

After Elizabeth accessed existing services to help with Seth's independence, she decided to honour her boys and her family who have helped her through so many difficult times by establishing an organisation which would provide support, education and training, funding and services for affected people, carers, and birth mothers and fathers.

The rffada is now an incorporated health promotion charity with tax concession status and partners with the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Related Disorders in their quest for Australian services for the 200,000 affected people and their carers and parents in Australia.

rffada membership includes Dr John Whitehall, Director of Neonatology at the Townsville Hospital who has been outspoken on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder for many years; Gary Johnson the General Manager of ITEC Employment; Dr Janet Hammill from the Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth and the School of Health Science, Curtin University of Technology, Vicki Russell from Drug Education Network in Tasmania and Sue and Tony Miers from NOFASARD.