A Trust nurse who deals with the struggles of autism at both home and work is hoping to help others with the condition, by taking part in the Great North Run.
Sarah Wright, a GP-aligned nurse from County Durham, will be running in aid of the National Autistic Society – a charity close to her heart.
“My family is currently navigating the journey of having our three-year-old daughter, Maeve, assessed for autism. It is a long, and difficult, pathway,” said Sarah.
“The National Autistic Society provides vital support and information for families like ourselves, which is why I thought it would be nice to support them through the run.”
Tough times while pregnant
Sarah, 37, had a difficult pregnancy with Maeve. She couldn’t eat, had problems with scans and, at one terrible point, was told the little girl had died in her womb.
Thankfully, this was not the case. Maeve was delivered safely by C-section and, after a night under observation due to her blood sugars, she was released home.
“It was a month or so later that we realised something was wrong. Maeve never seemed to cry, she didn’t respond to noises, and she never slept,” said Sarah.
“All her tests came back clear, including her hearing one. People thought I had anxiety around her health because of the difficult pregnancy, but I was eventually proved right.”
Early childhood medical problems
Maeve was two when further testing finally showed she had a hearing impairment – just as Sarah and her husband Dan had long believed.
As time passed, the toddler also started to “hit her head against walls, bite herself and show aggression” – all possible traits of the autism they suspected she had.
“Maeve was very good at masking, so her nursery didn’t see any problem at first – until a nursery teacher made a home visit and witnessed a meltdown,” said Sarah.
“A health visitor also saw her have a meltdown on a different occasion and, finally, people started to believe what we had been trying to tell them all along.”
Tackling challenges as a family
Maeve, now three, was identified as having traits of a neurodiversity disorder after “umpteen appointments” and is now on the waiting list for an autism assessment.
In the meantime, Sarah and Dan do their best to keep her safe and happy – and have just bought Maeve her 7th bed, in the hope it might encourage her to sleep more.
“It breaks my heart to see Maeve struggling so much,” said Sarah. “She’s my baby and I try to make things easier for her, but I can’t stop what she puts herself through.
“She can go days without sleeping, which has led to hallucinations, and we fear for her safety as she feels drawn to darting in front of cars. It’s awful to see her like this.
“Now OCD is taking over her life too, with adds another layer of worry, yet because she has an amazing vocabulary and is very vocal, people often miss her needs.”
Running to raise funds
Sarah and her family have received support from the National Autistic Society during their struggles to care for Maeve – and now she is hoping to pay back the favour.
This will the third time Sarah has run the Great North Run – but the first in aid of the National Autism Society – and she is hoping to raise as much as possible.
“Back in 2022 I decided to lose weight and get fit,” she said. “I started walking 10k steps a day but, after a while, I got bored and started the couch to 5k challenge.
“I lost 10 stone over a year through diet and exercise and, when I got the chance to run the GNR in 2023, I did it in aid of the British Heart Foundation.”
Looking to the future
Running proved a great way for Sarah to “briefly switch off from life” while training and, in 2024, she did the GNR again – despite dislocating her knee a week before.
“I crawled over the line crying in pain and ended up wearing slippers in surgery the next day. But I was determined to do it then, and I am this year too,” she said.
“I’m not the fittest this year, as I don’t have the time to go walking or running as much as I’d like, but my goal is three hours – and if I’m faster, then get in, great!
“My aim is to raise awareness of autism with the run. Our experience has profoundly impacted our lives, bringing both challenges and moments of growth.
“One of my future goals is to start a support group for parents with children with autism, because support is so important, and life can be very lonely.”
