The Magic of Flying Fox: A Parent’s Perspective

Jess and Karson Stimson speak simultaneously to the magic of Flying Fox, and the everyday impacts this has their son, Remy.

Remy is our 17-year-old son who is intellectually disabled and has complex autism.

He will never have the privilege of living independently and will require full-time support in every personal and social part of his life. He does not have sophisticated language or speech to tell us how he feels, so we rely on his facial expressions, his sounds and his physicality to show us.

Over the past 11 years, Flying Fox has managed to carve out a way of impacting lives — and our family happens to be one of the lucky recipients of this impact. They manage to create normal, everyday social moments that kids like Remy would otherwise not get the chance to experience. But it’s the way these programs are delivered that makes them extraordinary — with calmness, creativity, and an unshakable belief that “anything is possible”.

In these spaces, our kids are not just included - they are understood. And because of that, a silent trust and mutual respect grows between the buddies and the participants — a bond that transforms a fun day out into a life-changing connection.

Remy eats sausages.

That might not sound like a big deal to most of you. But for someone whose diet for over 14 years was limited to things that looked, smelt, and tasted exactly like a schnitzel… this is monumental. After returning from a camp with Flying Fox a few years ago, one of his buddies happened to casually mention that Remy ate sausages for dinner. We were in shock. 

While on camp, he felt safe enough, supported enough, and confident enough to try something new. And that little act of trying something new opened the door to many more moments of stepping outside a very small bubble and continually being pushed to expand his world. And now, for us, family BBQs no longer involve a frypan and oil.

Flying Fox sees no limitations. They have created spaces and programs that are about acceptance and have been designed for everyone to thrive. They support and celebrate people with disability — not with pity, not from a distance, but with genuine connection and care. They see the person before the diagnosis, the potential before the barriers, and in doing that, they help kids like Remy shine in ways we never thought possible.

Remy is on Instagram.

Again, maybe not groundbreaking for most 17-year-olds. But Remy’s account — Dudez Reviewz — was started by his care team who wanted to share Remy’s success with others. While out learning basic life skills like paying for something using his own credit card, waiting for food, not taking food from someone else’s plate or simply sitting in a cafe, his support team — made up of Flying Fox buddies and alumni — took the opportunity to create content that inspires and educates others. He now has over 300 followers, and one of his reviews has had over 16,000 views. But it's more than that, it’s a celebration. Of his personality. His progress. And his place in our community.

Flying Fox’s impact goes far deeper than a camp or a program. It flows into a workforce of support workers, teachers, allied health professionals and advocates. These are essential services for our family. It has created — and must continue to create — custodians of change.They see ability, potential, possibility, and humanity. Flying Fox buddies and alumni are Remy’s social network, his peers, his mates, his greatest supporters and cheer squad. In our world, they are living legends. They are family.

Remy goes to the gym.

On Saturday mornings, Remy works out with friends as part of the Hangouts program and then they go out for hot chocolate. That might sound like a normal teenage weekend ritual. And it is. But for Remy, it is also a perfectly designed moment that builds physical strength, social skills, and independence.

His workout crew at Flying Fox Hangouts know how to support him while also pushing him to learn new skills and try new things. He’s not just doing “exercise gym,” as he calls it — he’s making friends, learning routines, and building confidence for life outside of Saturday mornings.

We cannot talk about Flying Fox’s impact without also acknowledging what it’s given our 11-year-old daughter, Sunshine. She not only attended a camp for siblings of Flying Fox participants, but she counts down the years until she herself can become a buddy.

She has grown up in a family where difference is the norm, but what’s truly remarkable is how she and her friends embrace it with joy, not judgment.

This is the ripple effect. Flying Fox is empowering a generation who will one day be the ones looking after our son — a generation that sees no barrier in disability. They are creating a movement of changemakers who are breaking down stereotypes and building a community where everyone belongs. They’ve found a way to give our children with disability the same social connections and rites of passage as their peers, while giving youth WITHOUT disability the skills, empathy, and leadership to change the world for the better.

So while Flying Fox continues to lead with big ideas, visionary programs, and bold change — Jess and I want to thank you all for supporting the very real, the very joyful outcomes that happen to ours and other Flying Fox families, one sausage, one sit up, and one schnitzel at a time.

We are endlessly grateful — and so is Remy.