Matthew: The Place of Faith in the Life of a Family With an Autistic Child by Fr. Louis Fowoyo is a non-fictional, faith-centred book about Matthew, who suffers form autism. His inspiring story embodies hope in the face of hardship.
Matthew was born one month premature. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. He was non-verbal, with severe sensory and behavioural problems. Even with a whole team of specialists trying to help him, nothing seemed to be working and I was at my wits end.
A friend of mine recommended that I take him to a naturopath doctor, who told us Matthew had severe allergies to gluten, dairy, and a few others confirmed by blood work.
The doctor recommended a strict diet and supplements. He told us it would take a year to clean him out.
Astonishingly, when the year finished, Matthew began to talk. He had fewer behavioural problems, but still had a ways to go.
Matthew is now 20 years old, finishing grade 12 by home schooling.
He still needs care in areas, but he’s a loving, bright man with a great sense of humour. We all love him very much.
I recommend to others prayer, love, patience, naturopathic help, and diet.
Praise for Matthew: The Place of Faith in the Life of a Family With an Autistic Child by Fr. Louis Fowoyo:
“Nobody who picks up this little book and starts reading it will regret having done so.
The pastoral approach taken by Fr. Fowoyo at the urging of Matthew’s parents in preparing this book is refreshing and filled with hope. It is both intensely personal and at the same time universal in scope. It grounds solutions in actual experiences, which are within the reach of any committed parent.
Though not a textbook on autism, it does provide the most important technical insights for the help of the average parent or caregiver. It allows for persons experiencing autism to be understood for who they are and to be appreciated and loved as precious children of God.
In a marvelous climax to the book, Fr. Fowoyo holds up the example of three saints whose “personality disorders” became the engine of their exceptional holiness. This is a wonderful incentive for weary parents to persevere in their costly love for their child in the face of overwhelming challenges.”
- Joseph Jacobson, Retired Chancellor, Archdiocese of Ground-McLennan
