21/01/2026
A message from Riley's mom:
Hi All,
My name is Aston and Iâm Rileyâs mom.
Sharing in this experience and journey has given Warren and me an understanding and awareness that we were not even aware existed before that doctorâs office. Before I embarked on this journey myself, I did not fully understand ADHD, ASD, and the spectrum as a whole. Only recently has the mainstream started to discuss these topics more openly, along with mental health awareness campaigns. Not only did I not fully understand, but I realized in hindsight that the majority of the people my son came into contact with on a daily basis also did not understand. Comments were made that he is just ânaughty,â that he is âdelayed,â or people were not able to understand him when he engaged with them, requiring a parent to translate. Sadly, most people do not understand. He is not any naughtier than any other boy, but he is different. He thinks differently, sees the world differently, and in the most amazingly beautiful way.
Sitting in that office and being told that my perfect little boy is âbelow average,â that he has âmissed milestones,â and is âbehind the other children in his age group according to developmentâ broke my heart and left me with a sense of complete and utter hopelessness. My âaverageâ parental worries of the future immediately changed to âWill people always make fun of him and think he is weird?â, âWill he make friends?â, âWill he find a partner one day?â, âWill it always be so difficult for him to interact with people?â, âHow much more will he be bullied now because people donât always understand that thereâs nothing wrong with being different?â.
We took each day one at a time, working through multiple doctors, specialists, therapies, medications, techniques, and different levels of the spectrum, somehow trying to keep our sanity in the midst of it all. Realizing that in South Africa, ADHD is not considered a chronic condition and thus is not covered by your PMBs, with the majority of the costs incurred coming out of your daily savings benefit if covered by the medical aid at all. This left the yearly savings depleted in a fraction of the time, and then we had to incur these additional costs out of pocket while still paying the monthly medical aid bills. I felt like I was being hit from all angles and could not find one second of rest. It was honestly one of the most difficult times of my life. All you want to do is protect your child; youâre his parent, itâs your job, but how do you protect your child from this? There is not much support for children, siblings, families, and parents going through this in our country. It is an extremely grueling, exhausting, and taxing journey to embark on without additional support, not to mention the exorbitant costs incurred just in gaining a diagnosis and understanding of your childâs condition alone. By the grace of God, we were able to make ends meet and get Riley the care he needed, but what about other families in a country with an unemployment rate as high as it is? How helpless and hopeless do those parents feel when they simply cannot afford the medical care, therapy, or medication as their priority is not starving?
Thus, the Riley Roo Foundation was conceived! An organization dedicated to assisting children and families in need and to unite people from all walks of life going through this or involved in special needs causes, banding together to support, assist, and validate one another.
