About: My name is Joel Sheagren. I have a son, Sam who was assessed a few years ago with ARND, a diagnosis under the FASD umbrella. Professionally I’ve been a commercial photographer/filmmaker my entire life serving the advertising agencies and their Fortune 1000 clients—producing outdoor advertising campaigns on location here in the US and internationally. I’ve managed millions of dollars for advertising campaigns like Red Wing Shoes, Skidoo, and Marvin Windows. In 2015, I directed and produced a documentary that ran on the Hulu network, called Cracked Ice.

It seemed like I was catapulted into the FASD community after Sam’s diagnosis—in a good way. Sam was a surprise adoption (not seeking adoption nor on a list) when someone we just met asked if we would like to adopt. We said yes without hesitation and less than 3 months later, we brought Sam, now only two days old, home from the hospital.

Because this issue has so little awareness (by the general public and by professionals) it only made sense to leverage my newfound passion to help my son and my life-long skillset of production, to tell a story the world a story they desperately need to hear.

I feel like this is the most important mission in my life and I’m excited to be a part of the FASD community to help sound the alarm about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. I invite you to get involved as a volunteer or contribute financially to play your part in helping make a difference for the sake of our amazing children and the communities we live in.