Page 27 - February 2020

L to R, Robyn Knox & Amanda Davidson. Fellow WE Toasted member
Robyn Knox attended The Moth event to support Amanda.

a child with special needs. She had struggled to been contacted by OHSU to tell her story of
adjust when her second son neither looked nor caregiving to their medical staff. As a Moth
behaved like his older sibling. At nine months champion she also earned the right to compete
he wasn’t crawling. Later he still wasn’t talking. in its GrandSLAM event with other winning

His teacher said he wasn’t developing socially. storytellers later this year in Portland. For that
A specialist finally diagnosed him with autism. she must create a new speech on a theme to be
To Amanda, it meant, “I had to open up my announced and will work with a producer from
expectations.” The Moth to hone it. No doubt she will put her

She says, “I love my son, and yet his love Toastmasters training to good use once again.
hurts sometimes.” On the plus side, “I get a kid Erik Bergman, DTM, is VP of PR and
who doesn’t lie, ever. I have a kid who is not Treasurer of WE Toasted Toastmasters in
materialistic. My son’s name is Cadel and his Lake Oswego and an Associate Producer at TV

name means ‘the spirit of the battle.’ He is my Toastmasters in Beaverton.
battle.”
Winning the StorySLAM has brought
Amanda new speaking opportunities. She has

VOICES! | FEBRUARY 2020 27