A MOTHER'S SEARCH FOR HOPE

When Jenny Culver Hill’s son, Walter Ben, was diagnosed with autism, her search for answers was tirelessly echoed by the phrase, “There’s nothing we can do for your son.”

Since autism isn’t specific to any one family, let alone one culture, Culver Hill decided that help shouldn’t be either.

In 1998, she created Angel's Purse, an organization that provides practical assistance for families battling autism, particularly those who cannot afford the care and resources.

Based in her Nogales, Ariz. home, Angel’s Purse provides translations of autism information and resources into Spanish, a lending library of books and videos on autism and personal development, nutritional supplements and the Sensory Learning Program.

These nutritional supplements are provided at no cost. For the first five years, Culver Hill purchased all of the supplements, until manufacturers like Kirkman Laboratories and Nordic Naturals began donating supplements, she said.

“I’ve had kids who have turned around completely to the point where the doctor says, ‘Oh, I must’ve made a mistake, this child does not have autism,’” said Culver Hill, director of Angel’s Purse. “That’s pretty exciting. I’m a volunteer but the payoff is when the kids get better.”

The Sensory Learning Program is a 12-day intervention that “re-wires the hard drive” through a combination of motion, light and sound therapies, Culver Hill said. This program typically costs $2,600 but she offers it in her home free of charge.

“Imagine a big traffic jam and a detour because the new neuropathways that are formed are like detours around big traffic jams in their brain,” she said.

Angel’s Purse also hosts conferences every other year and has hosted two international conferences on Autism in Spanish.

Artwork by Walter Ben Hill. Cruella De Vil's car (top), The Little Engine that Could (Middle), and a tractor from Thomas the Tank Engine.

Culver Hill’s dedication to this cause has not gone unnoticed.

Ten years ago she discovered a group across the border called, “Venciendo al Autismo” or Defeat Autism. The group was created three years ago and is comprised of parents who have utilized the services of Angel's Purse since its creation.

Aside from the support of her family and a recently-hired assistant, Culver Hill manages Angel’s Purse on her own.

The organization operates entirely through donations but has been awarded grants from the Santa Cruz Community Foundation and has received $500 from the Nogales Masonic Lodge No. 11 for the past three years.

Culver Hill plans to focus on writing her book, “Wally B. Well,” about her experiences as a mother with an autistic child.

Culver Hill ignored the doctors’ hopeless prognosis for her son and created Angel’s Purse to find the answers that families on both sides of the border were searching for.

“I think there’s a social stigma about autism no matter where you live. I think parents are becoming more assertive in advocating for their kids because there’s a big problem that’s not being addressed,” Culver Hill said.