Harper Kallie came into the world in the summer of 2020, right in the middle of a pandemic. She is bubbly, bossy, silly, and so full of life that you cannot help but fall in love with her the moment she walks into a room. She is obsessed with bubbles, school buses, and any playground she can find. Autism is part of her story, but it is far from all of it.

  When Harper was around two, I noticed she wouldn't turn when we called her name. She lined her toys up in perfect rows. She communicated through gestures instead of words. She walked on her tiptoes and loved anything that spun. I knew something was different I just needed someone to listen. After her diagnosis, another autism parent gave me the best advice I ever received: love your child beyond any diagnosis and prepare to grieve the life you imagined so you can be fully present for the life you actually have. That changed everything for me.

  The sunglasses came from a mama trying to protect her baby. When we went out in public, people were drawn to Harper, but she wouldn't make eye contact, and I saw the confusion on their faces. So, I put sunglasses on her, partly for fashion and partly to give the world something else to focus on. That moment became a book. That book became a community. And that community became Harper Kallie's Club not a business plan, but a love letter to every family navigating this road without enough mirrors, resources, or voices that look and sound like ours. You found your people.