Puzzle Pieces

After a slight pause, her eyes wavered as she shifted in her seat. It was the first time I had ever seen Fiona Shea look uneasy. “My brother has severe autism, which is probably the most interesting thing about me,” she says. All it took was fifteen minutes to learn that it’s not.

Fiona is a 22 year old French Studies major, with an unwavering love for SZA and the determination to make others happy. “She’s truly a one of a kind person,” her friend Bergen explained gleefully.

Fiona’s from West Hartford Connecticut, a large town about two hours away from both Boston and New York. Close enough to visit her family when she’d like, but far enough to gain independence. She talks about her town with excitement. Each description bounces off the other. “There’s not much to do in Hartford,” she says, “but I’m obsessed with where I’m from, everyone has a sense of pride about our town.”

It’s one of those places that people don’t tend to leave. With a proud smile she adds that her mother was raised in the house next door. From the look in her eye, you can tell that home is special. According to Fiona, Hartford is known for its acceptance and inclusivity. She makes sure to point out that it has some of the best programs for kids with special needs. It was the perfect place for her and her brother Jeremy to grow up side by side, with the support of their community.  

“He’s famous in our town,” she says, “everyone knows my brother.” The two are almost irish twins, only 14 months apart; but at 22 years old Jeremy towers over her. He’s 6 feet tall while Fiona stands a foot below him - the pair is hard to miss.

Growing up, Jeremy and Fiona never went to the same school, but their family found different ways to raise the two together. One of which was through hiking. It was something they could do consistently as a group. A time to connect without the constraints of a screen.

Fiona’s mother Rosanne fondly recalls her daughter being, “the best sister to her brother.” In her family Fiona is warmley labeled as a protective sibling, oftentimes accompanying her brother to therapy as a preschooler. In doing so Fiona was able to learn the ins and outs of his behavioral sessions. Despite her young age, she quickly learned when to intervene during a session; Boldy stepping in with advice on how the therapists should interact with him. As Fiona’s mom recalls, what she suggested always worked.

Their relationship is a little different nowadays. “He mostly non-verbal,” she says. The thought slips out quickly before adding, “I can understand what he’s saying but no one else can outside of my family.” After aging out of the school system, Jeremy moved into a group home near the Shea residence. Around the same time, Fiona moved to New York for school. They’re 103.6 miles apart to be exact, but she always has a bit of him with her.  During her freshman year of college she got a small puzzle piece tattoo (for Autism awareness) to make sure of it.

If you ask her to tell you about her childhood, she will tell you about Jeremy. If you ask her for a favorite memory, stories of her family and friends spill out. If you ask her what she’s passionate about, she can’t help but mention the fight for awareness. But if you ask her to explain her favorite thing about herself, she can’t help but pause.

Despite her hesitancy towards self praise, Fiona’s commitment to her loved ones is easily the most interesting thing about her. If you blink you might miss it, but the flash of a grin when she speaks about her family and friends says it all.