Macon Mom Raises Autism Awareness By Designing Claxton Bracelet

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Spivey family knows the ups and downs of autism firsthand because their teenage son was diagnosed with the disorder when he was just 3-years-old.

Now at 13-years-old Claxton Spivey is a typical teenage boy who loves movies, the outdoors, and all things that go fast.

“He loves to swim, loves to jump on the trampoline, he loves to ride on the golf cart,” said Claxton’s mother Sara.

There is also something else you will notice about him.

“He’s non verbal for the most part, he can communicate a little bit,” said Sara.

Just before his 4th birthday, Claxton’s parents Mark and Sara noticed he was losing his speech, then his behavior changed.

Sara said, “Every transition became very difficult for him, getting into the tub, getting out of the tub, getting into the car, out of the car…”

Doctors diagnosed Claxton with autism and Mark and Sara’s lives changed, drastically.

“It’s not what we planned from the beginning, but we’re okay with that,” said Mark.

Mark and Sara quickly learned to redirect. A new path led Sara to turn a hobby into a foundation for something greater.

“I’ve made jewelry for years and I did want to raise awareness for autism,” said Sara.

She used her talents to create the Claxton autism bracelet and donated all proceeds to Central Georgia Autism.

“The puzzle piece is a symbol for autism, they’re trying to find the missing piece, blue is the autism color,” said Sara as she described the bracelet.

It is a labor of love, named after her son, to educate others.

“These children are sweet, precious children and we can learn a lot from them,” added Sara.

The greatest gift Sara and Mark could offer to Claxton, is one he already has.

“I just want him to live a happy life,” Sara said.

The bracelets cost $15 and 100% of the proceeds are given to Central Georgia Autism. Last April, Sara raised $1000 from sales of the Claxton bracelet and a donation from Highland Hills Church.

You can connect with Sara by searching Sara Spivey Designs on Facebook or email her at saraspivey@cox.net to purchase a bracelet for autism awareness.