“I am the daughter you always wanted" - Siri

“I am the daughter you always wanted," said Siri, my non-speaking autistic daughter, using her letter board. This statement took me by surprise, as Siri expressed a desire for more of my time. My year of practicing with her letter board revealed a deeper meaning behind her words.

Siri, our first-born, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. I sensed something was different about her long before that diagnosis. Back then, they waited until children turned 3 to provide a diagnosis.

I always dreamed of having a daughter who was smart, strong, and brilliant. As a physician myself, and with my wife coming from high-achieving families, we expected our daughter to follow in our footsteps. The diagnosis was a significant blow to our carefully planned life. When the specialist at UCSF confirmed my fears, I felt as if my life force had been drained. My mind went blank, as if someone had pulled the fuse.

Like many parents, we searched intensely for answers. Living in an area rich in medical science, we still found the answers scarce. My wife took the lead in our explorations while I focused on supporting our family as a single earner.

After many trials and tribulations, we are here now. This summer, Siri is taking Physics at college and will join us at the Sirica Center office daily. She will sit in on meetings with development teams and planning sessions, offering her input. As the inspiration behind Sirica Therapeutics, her presence is essential. It seems Siri is becoming the daughter I always wanted!

People often discuss work-life balance and finding a mission in life. For me, work, life, and mission have blended perfectly in what I am doing now. The Sirica Center is the culmination of years of effort to build a therapeutic system aimed at improving the quality of life for families affected by autism.

We invite you to join us for the Grand Opening celebration of the Sirica Center on June 25th in Burlingame, CA. https://www.siricatx.com/siricacenter

#Autism #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismParents #AutismCommunity #Neurodiversity #SpecialNeedsParenting #AutismFamily #SpecialNeedsFamilies #InclusiveEducation #PediatricTherapy #ChildDevelopment #HealthcareInnovation #BayAreaFamilies #BayAreaCommunity #BurlingameCA #SiricaCenter