Houston-native to hand-out free electronic locks to families of autistic children
HOUSTON - The weekend drowning death a 5-year-old autistic child in Cypress is the third such case in recent months.
A former Houston woman, who grew up in the city's Fifth Ward, but now lives in Minnesota with her three autistic children, is coming home in hopes of preventing more tragedy.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 5-year-old autistic child found dead in Harris County retention pond
Sheletta Brundidge is a passionate advocate for autistic children and their families, "I'm just a mom with a mouth, on a mission to keep children with autism from dying."
The Houston headlines that reported three such children drowning in Richmond, Fulshear, and Cypress since August, mirror similar stories all across the country. They are testament to the life and death challenges of caring for a child on the spectrum who often cannot control their curiosities and impulses.
"We are all, all of us who have children with autism who are non-verbal, who wander away, are one moment away from a missing-person report," says Brundidge.
Faced with her own challenges at home, she discovered an electronic door lock, that operated from the inside, that was successful in keeping her own children from slipping away.
Now, Brundidge buys them with her own money and donations, and gives them away to other autistic families, including a recent summer giveaway in Houston.
The journey, challenge and struggle, she says, are collective.
"I could get my kids all the therapy, put the locks in my house, and brag about how awesome it is that my kids are safe every night. But how's that going to help that mother who is working all day to keep her child safe and doesn't have the $37 to buy a lock?"
On Saturday, September 28, from 10 a.m. to noon, Brundidge will partner with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office to hand out 100 electronic locks to families of autistic children who are looking for solutions to help keep those kids from wandering off into danger.