Mighty Member since September 2019
Christina Maulsby is a mother turned advocate after a traumatic brain injury forever changed the life of her 5 month son, Quentin. Quentin was a victim of child abuse and shaken baby syndrome by the hands of a daycare provider. Quentin began to show signs of autism when he was 2 years old and remains non verbal due to his brain injury. Her second son Urijah was diagnosed with autism just before his second birthday. Her advocacy began as she sought out resources to a rural community with limited services. She was instrumental in the opening of the Children’s Autism Center in 2013 in Clear Lake, IA. Since this time she has devoted her life to caring for her sons, supporting other children and families and fighting for the addition of support services and therapies in the North Iowa healthcare community. In 2017, motherhood again took a different path when her youngest son Urijah became extremely aggressive and started exhibiting Self-Injurious Behaviors (SIB) up to 400 times a day. SIB can included; head-banging, hitting, hand-biting or scratching up to and including the actual drawing of blood. After a two failed inpatient stays and one failed intensive outpatient treatment; the most, unimaginable and painful decision had to be made. Urijah was placed in a prestigious institute 3 hours by plane from their home, where he would remain in an intensive inpatient unit for five months. An overwhelming decision that was experienced with both gratitude and deep sadness. Maulsby has also made it her mission to be a voice. Her purpose is to raise awareness about autism, aggression & self-injury, create acceptance, advocate for the underserved and promote action. She speaks for others who simply can’t. “Being an advocate mother isn’t easy, there are days when it’s hard to keep going but you must. Even though her dream of motherhood is much different than she had originally planned “The dream is not dead…it’s just different!” Christina lives in Clear Lake, IA with her husband Grant, their daughter Kaylee, and sons Quentin and Urijah.