GIVERS
JEWEL tones Erin O’Loughlin, above, was inspired to start 3 Irish Jewels Farm after her son Marcus, also above, was diagnosed with austim at age 3.
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Local parent organizes programs for students with autism
B
eing a parent can be tough. Erin O’Loughlin found being a parent of a school-aged child with autism really tough, with practically no support options for her son Marcus when he wasn’t in class. So she created her own. Her nonprofit, 3 Irish Jewels Farm, provides after-school programs and track-out and summer camps for Wake County children
and teens on the autism spectrum. O’Loughlin founded 3 Irish Jewels Farm in 2012, named for her three children, who she and her Irish husband refer to as their “jewels.” One of those jewels, Marcus, was diagnosed with autism at age 3; and 1 in 58 people are diagnosed with autism in North Carolina, which is higher than the national average. O’Loughlin was struck by that fact, and by the expe-
All photos courtesy 3 Irish Jewels Farm
by ADDIE LADNER
