Maggie May is an Irish FASD self-advocate, mentor, speaker, systems-change advocate, and citizen researcher whose work focuses on reducing stigma and helping people with FASD discover and use their own voices. Born in Ireland, Maggie entered care shortly after birth and was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome while growing up in foster care. Public accounts indicate that although the diagnosis occurred in childhood, she did not fully learn what it meant for her until she was older.
Understanding FASD gradually gave Maggie a framework for understanding herself. Rather than building her advocacy around blame, she has spoken publicly about approaching prenatal alcohol exposure, her birth mother’s circumstances, and her own experiences with compassion. That perspective has become an important part of her efforts to challenge the stigma surrounding both people living with FASD and their families.
Maggie has developed from a young person sharing her personal story into an internationally recognized advocate. She presents to health, education, professional, and community audiences, mentors young people with FASD internationally, and moderates online communities for teens and adults living with FASD. She also serves on the advisory board of FASD Ireland.
As a member of the International Adult Leadership Cooperative of FASD Changemakers, Maggie contributes to research and systems change as an expert through living experience. She has served as an advisor to the University of Rochester on the development of health technology for adults with FASD and is one of the authors of the Changemakers’ third Lay of the Land survey examining the funded services and informal supports used by adults with FASD.
Maggie’s advocacy centers on a straightforward principle: people with FASD should be supported to understand themselves, speak for themselves, find purpose, and define success on their own terms.