Story 5

Trevor Walstrom

Speech on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome by Sierra Asamoa-tutu

ARCC, Coon Rapids Campus, 3-21-11

           

Sierra Asamoa-tutu uses her abilities to teach others, and help prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a problem that affects many, but few care to talk about. This is exactly the goal she accomplished at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, the afternoon of Monday, March 21^st, 2011.

“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is completely preventable, but it starts with individual people making the right choice.” That is the motto of a young woman whose ambition is to help people, and prevent FAS at the source of the problem.

Asamoa-tutu works for the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS). MOFAS is a non-profit, state-funded agency that exists to “Raise awareness on FAS” according to Asamoa-tutu. MOFAS is the only state-funded agency of its kind. There is no federal agency like MOFAS.

Along with raising support on FAS, MOFAS also provides support to families affected by FAS. This includes knowledge and support for these families, such as providing information on treatment centers, and courses of action. The staff of MOFAS, which includes 13 paid staff members, five Family Resource Coordinators, and over 80 volunteers, aims to eliminate alcohol-related disabilities, and improve the quality of life for people living with a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome disorder.

Asamoa-tutu performs her duties by traveling across the state to high-schools, colleges, and universities, and giving speeches packed with information that is meant to help others understand exactly how common FAS disorders are. Among Asamoa-tutu’s speeches are facts and statistics that open her audience’s eyes and almost shock her listeners into paying attention. According to Asamoa-tutu, “90 percent of the time when a fetus is exposed to alcohol, the brain is affected.” This is a statistic which Asamoa-tutu uses multiple times throughout her speech to stress the importance of proper alcohol use. “Many times women will continue to use alcohol because they don’t know they are pregnant until the damage has already been done” explained Asamoa-tutu. “Its reasons like that that I do what I do” added Asamoa-tutu.

As Asamoa-tutu continued her speech, clicking through her PowerPoint, it was clear to see that her words did not fall upon deaf ears. “Drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects everyone” said Asamoa-tutu as members of the audience perked up at the thought of a problem actually affecting them. During her speech, Asamoa-tutu uses the entire room attempting to keep the attention of her audience, and it works. She provides a pamphlet with information regarding FAS, a sheet with many common myths about FAS, and a comprehensive PowerPoint that helps her get the message of MOFAS into the mind of her audience.

MOFAS was founded in 1998 by current organization president Susan Carlson. It is mainly run by a board-of-directors containing 22 members. Sierra Asamoa-tutu has been a part of the MOFAS cause for three years. Asamoa-tutu is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Global and Intercultural Studies. “I really love what I do. It is very rewarding to help people on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”