David Vandenbrink seems like a normal, bright, articulate 21-year-old man. There is little to suggest, on the surface, that while in his mother’s womb he suffered permanent brain damage. David suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS, a condition that went undiagnosed for the first eighteen years of his life, causing confusion, anger, and pain for him and his adoptive family. The damage from FAS can be subtle or severe, resulting in a wide range of symptoms from slowed growth or disfigurement to behavioral problems including impulsiveness and aggression, and the inability to grasp the consequences of one’s actions. This program provides a unique personal look at what it’s like to grow up and live with the effects of FAS, through the words and experiences of a victim and his family. (45 minutes)