When Judy Sharp was told by doctors that her three-year-old son Tim would be "unfeeling and incapable of love", she refused to accept those limitations.
asserted
she → tell → limitations
In the years after his autism diagnosis, Tim began using drawings to communicate with his mum, sharing his feelings, sense of humour and love for her.
asserted
Tim → use → her
When Tim was born in 1988, it was the best day of my life, my heart was ready to burst.
asserted
heart → bear → life
It was the same day the queen was opening the new Parliament House in Canberra, so I thought this is a very special day.
asserted
this → open → Canberra
It wasn't easy after he was born, the first thing I noticed was he didn't sleep.
asserted
he → bear → ?
As he got older, he had to keep moving, he couldn't stay in the same room as people, and he only ate a few foods.
asserted
he → get → foods
These were unusual things to me that I didn't understand.
asserted
I → understand → that
Tim almost looked like he was in pain, you could see the fear in his eyes.
uncertain
you → look → eyes
The most common thing that was said to me at the time was, "What's wrong with your son?"
asserted
What → say → son
The doctors kept saying, "wait till he's three, to see a specialist".
asserted
he → keep → specialist
So, the appointment was made for the day after his third birthday and that was the worst day ever.
asserted
that → make → birthday
Don't tell me that boy doesn't love me
Judy: They sent us to a doctor who was supposed to be the best specialist.
asserted
who → tell → doctor
He diagnosed Tim with autism and just wrote him off.
asserted
He → diagnose → him
He told me all the things that Tim would never do, that he would be unfeeling and incapable of love.
asserted
he → tell → love
I had a physical reaction, not only mental and emotional, but it was like someone was sucking the life out of me.
asserted
someone → have → me
The worst thing anyone can do is take away all your hope and that's what he did.
asserted
he → do → what
So, by the time I got out of that doctor's office and to the car, I was hysterical.
I'm putting Tim into his little car seat and he's patting me on the back and wiping away my tears.
asserted
he → get → tears
And I wanted to march back in there and say, "You tell me that boy doesn't love me."
asserted
boy → want → me
This was perfect love and I knew that little boy loved me.
asserted
boy → know → me
And I was going to keep on loving him no matter what anyway.
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The birth of Laser Beak Man
Judy:
asserted
Sign → go → Man
One of the things the specialist said to me was that Tim would not speak.
asserted
Tim → say → me
But when he was five, he started to draw.
asserted
he → start → ?
So, by accident, we started to draw to communicate between the two of us.
asserted
we → start → us
And it turned out that Tim had this natural ability for drawing, we thought, "he's got talent".
asserted
he → turn → talent
So, every day, the house was covered in pens, papers, I never put them away.
asserted
I → cover → them
Then he did start speaking.
asserted
he → start → ?
And when he was 11, he started walking around the house saying, "When I grew up, I'm going to be Laser Beak Man" — a superhero he had created.
asserted
he → walk → house
Tim injected his own personality and his own sense of humour into Laser Beak Man.
asserted
Tim → inject → Man
He's not a classic superhero; he's one defined by Tim in a different way and he's got a very unique way of looking at life.
asserted
he → define → life
And Laser Beak Man has taken us on a journey that no-one ever could have imagined; from New York, London, the Sydney Opera House, TV, theatre, movies, you name it.
uncertain
you → take → it
We've travelled the world with Laser Beak Man and met so many people and Tim's had so many opportunities and things that we never thought would have been possible in any way, shape or form.
asserted
we → travel → way
[Drawing] makes me happy and I relax doing it.
asserted
I → make → it
I can have fun with it.
asserted
I → have → it
I can use my big imagination.
[
asserted
I → use → imagination
I] made the Laser Beak Man theatre show come true and went to New York with it.
asserted
show → make → it
Love is everything, I feel it in everything
Tim: I love that Mum is a good friend and a good mother to me.
asserted
Mum → feel → me
She takes care of me.
asserted
She → take → me
She sits with me and we don't even talk sometimes, we like being together.
asserted
we → sit → me
She likes me just the way I am.
asserted
I → like → me
She makes me feel peaceful and special.
asserted
me → make → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia