Jacquelyn’s Story: Caterpillar to Butterfly

Take a few minutes to read this letter from Bradley Lum President & Chief Operating Officer, Special Olympics International

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Jaquelyn Mason-Special Olympics

Dear Friend of Special Olympics, Jacquelyn Mason Slideshow
I want to share an amazing story with you about the power of Special Olympics to change lives. It’s about a 21-year-old Special Olympics athlete named Jacquelyn Mason.
In elementary school, Jacquelyn was known as “slow.” But as a preteen she was finally diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
Family friend Mary Jane Welton explains, “FAS results when an expectant mom drinks alcohol during her pregnancy. It causes brain damage to the developing fetus. Jacquelyn has cognitive impairment, a very short attention span and lots of memory problems. It really impacts every part of her life.”
Mary Jane remembers when they first met: “She was 12 years old, too shy to speak and kept her eyes looking down at the ground. She could barely balance on a bike. Then she started with Special Olympics. She began to blossom.”
Her first sport was skiing and she loved it. At first, she needed extra encouragement but she practiced and practiced. Skiing was followed by golf. Then she began to make friends as her confidence started to grow.
Mary Jane says, “It’s just amazing that Special Olympics has given her this opportunity to flourish. With each success, her self-esteem and self-confidence increase. Now, she goes to school, works and competes in two sports. The change is dazzling. It’s really a caterpillar turned into a butterfly.”
See Jacquelyn in action in this photo slideshow.
Jacquelyn is one of nearly 3.5 million athletes around the world who are learning and growing from the life-changing power of Special Olympics sports training and competitions.
Thank you for being part of the Special Olympics family. Special Olympics couldn’t accomplish nearly as much without the valuable support and involvement of people like you!
Brady Lum
J. Brady Lum
President & Chief Operating Officer, Special Olympics International
P.S. Please help us with a gift today so more athletes like Jacquelyn have a chance to compete and train.
Thank you.
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