☀️ Kenzo
Hi! I'm Kenzo. This is how my adventure started — and how Daddy and Mama figured out that my brain is extra special.
Before we knew
☀️ Kenzo
I was really little. Mama and Daddy noticed I was different from other kids. I used to say some words, but then they started to go away. I liked playing by myself with my favorite things — lining them up, spinning them, looking at them really close. Daddy says I was curious about everything, but in my own way.
Other people kept telling them, "He'll catch up, don't worry!" But Mama and Daddy had a feeling. They say their tummies told them to pay attention. I'm glad they listened.
💗 Mama
It starts with small things you almost talk yourself out of noticing. He would line up his toys in perfect rows and cry if we moved them. I kept telling myself every child develops differently. But something in me knew.
I remember watching other children his age at birthday parties, chattering and playing together, and feeling something I didn't have a name for yet. I want other mamas reading this to know: that instinct you're trying to silence? Listen to it. It's not panic. It's love doing its job.
When we found out
☀️ Kenzo
Mama and Daddy took me to a lot of doctors. We went to so many offices! They watched me play and asked Mama and Daddy lots of questions. Then one day, a doctor said I have something called ASD — Autism Spectrum Disorder. That is a really long name!
Mama and Daddy looked worried at first. They were quiet in the car on the way home. But now they say the diagnosis wasn't a bad thing. It just means my brain is special — and knowing that helped them figure out the best ways to help me.
💙 Daddy
A diagnosis is not something to be scared of. I know it feels that way in the moment — the doctor's room, the formal language, the weight of a label you didn't choose for your child. But a diagnosis is actually the start of understanding. The sooner you know, the sooner you can act. And the right support early on can make a world of difference.
If your gut is telling you something, listen to it. I almost didn't. I'm so glad we did.
My helpers — and two long years
☀️ Kenzo
I go to therapy a lot! I have a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and a physical therapist. They're really nice. We play games and practice talking and doing things with my hands and my body. It's hard sometimes but I try really really hard.
💗 Mama
For two years, we were faithful. Every session, every appointment, every early morning drive. We celebrated every small win — a new sound, a moment of eye contact, a gesture. And Kenzo did work so hard. That part was never in question.
But his words were still having trouble coming out. Progress felt slower than we expected. I started wondering if we were missing something. Maybe the missing piece wasn't about effort — maybe it was medical.
💙 Daddy
That question sent me down a long research rabbit hole. Late nights, PubMed, medical journals, parent forums. I was looking for something the standard approach hadn't caught. And eventually, I found it — a condition called Cerebral Folate Deficiency and a blood test called FRAA testing. I also found research pointing to mitochondrial dysfunction as an overlooked factor in a significant number of children with ASD.
We also discovered the Organic Acids Test — a urine-based metabolic panel that can reveal how the body's cells are actually functioning at the energy level. Those two discoveries changed everything. You can read all about them in the chapters ahead.
Why we made this website
💙 Daddy
I spent so many nights reading — studies written for scientists, not parents. And I kept noticing the same gap: there was almost nothing written for Filipino families like ours. The information existed, but it was scattered, hard to find, expensive to access, and nearly impossible to act on here in the Philippines.
So we built this. One place, organized like a story, for the next mama or daddy who shouldn't have to start from zero.
💗 Mama
I want this website to feel like getting coffee with a friend who has already walked this road — one who will tell you the truth, share what actually helped, and remind you that you are not alone. That's what I wish I'd had in those early days. That's what we're trying to be for you.
We are still on this adventure together, every single day. And we are sharing every part of it.