Cheryl Dedman never expected to go from being a mother working towards obtaining the best support for her child to being a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia.
But that’s precisely what happened.
“When I received an email to say I’d been nominated, I thought it was a hoax, and I was about to delete it,” she said.
“I got goosebumps... I feel excited, humbled, and grateful for this opportunity to spread the word more.
“I want the whole community, the whole Goulburn Valley, to know what FASD is.”
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a medical condition that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth.
It is often misdiagnosed as ADHD or autism due to shared symptoms like difficulty processing information, memory issues, and limited social and emotional understanding.
Ms Dedman’s passion for the cause stems from her personal experience.
“It dates back to my youngest son, who lives with FASD,” she said.
“We had a really difficult journey; we didn’t get a diagnosis – because it’s very difficult to diagnose – until he was about 13.
“It was hard, really hard. And it still is, but we can manage things better because we know what we’re dealing with.”
As the chair of NOFASD Australia, Ms Dedman works to raise awareness about FASD within her community of Tatura and beyond.
She wants to spark conversations with people to help them better understand the condition and work towards removing the stigma associated with women who may have drunk alcohol during pregnancy.
Her ultimate goal is to make things easier for other families affected by FASD.
“When we got the diagnosis, one of the things I was really passionate about was that other people didn’t have to go through that really difficult time where you felt so alone and judged,” she said.
“There’s no blame or shame... It wasn’t all that long ago that the guidelines actually said it was okay to have one or two drinks a week while pregnant.
“We still have health professionals who say it’s okay, even with all the information and research we have now.”
Ms Dedman says that once “the FASD bug has bitten you”, and the work to help those impacted started, there’s no turning back, as people begin to spread the word themselves.
“It only takes one person to be an advocate, and for that person to go to their organisation and say, ‘I really think we need to learn about this’,” she said.
Leading the way for this ripple effect to begin, Ms Dedman’s OAM recognises her outstanding service to community health.
She advocates for FASD Awareness Day in Australia, as well as mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic beverages sold in Australia and New Zealand, in partnership with the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education in 2020.
However, her advocacy work is not as a sole voice; NOFASD has staff from across Australia who have helped countless people like Ms Dedman herself.
“I would really like to thank NOFASD because they threw me a lifeline when we were in crisis, and the support I’ve received from them has been incredible,” Ms Dedman said.
“I’d also like to encourage everyone to learn more about FASD, have a look around the website, and reach out to us if you or someone you know needs help.”
For more information about FASD, visit https://www.nofasd.org.au/ or contact the organisation on 1800 860 613.