For Sefora Tabone, whose son, Diego, has autism, learning to deal with the life changes her son’s diagnosis brought about has been a constant struggle and challenge.

In a candid post on Facebook, shared to her blog yesterday called I am Diego, which documents her son’s journey, to mark World Autism Day, Sefora explained how three years ago, she and her husband Godwin received a diagnosis “that shook us to our core.”

Dealing with Diego’s diagnosis placed a strain on her marriage. “Autism consumed all my strength, all my time, and all my energy. I felt alone. We felt alone.”

“It took us a lot of hard work to get back what autism has stolen from us,” she recounts. “It took us a lot of tears and sleepless nights to work things up. Autism is like the major share holder in a company, it always has the last say in every decision we take.”

Sefora adds how the struggles they face as a family don’t only relate to dealing with society. “Autism is also the heart wrenching pain only a parent can understand. A pain that no one can see, but it is always there all along.”

On the occasion of a world day dedicated to Autism and everyone on the spectrum, Sefora appealed for everyone to understand and accept all the differences autism brings along. “Once you embrace it with arms wide open, autism is a beautiful and unique aspect in children like Diego and adults on the spectrum.”