Juneau-born teenager Morgan Fawcett couldn’t concentrate in school, grew tired quickly and suffered from such severe short-term memory loss he often needed to be watched.

But things turned around for the 15-year-old, now living with surrogate “grandparents” in Powers, Ore., when he learned earlier this year he had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Relieved to finally have a diagnosis, Fawcett started One Heart Creations, a non-profit that raises awareness of FASD and money to share his true passion: the Native American flute.

Fawcett has shown a stunning natural ability on the instrument since picking it up two years ago and has been invited to perform around the country. It also helped him focus well enough to raise his grade-point average from 1.57 to 3.29.

Earlier this month, Fawcett returned to his native Juneau, Alaska for a week and coinciding with International FASD Awareness Day on Sept. 9.

“This all started with me coming home after school saying, ‘Well I want to do this,’” Fawcett says. “I didn’t expect my grandparents to do anything. I expected them to say ‘Yeah, OK,’ and then it would blow over and I’d forget.

“Now I have a nonprofit,” he says. “I get to go to Alaska and spend a week up there. And different people across the United States want me to talk.”

Bells across the country rang at 9:09 a.m. Sept. 9, to mark FASD Day and symbolize the ninth months of pregnancy.

Fawcett attended services that morning at Northern Light Church, played a few songs and talked about the syndrome. Later, he joined the SEARHC Wellness Walk across the Douglas Bridge. At 1:30 p.m., he continued to the Tlingit and Haida Community Center for a potlatch to honor elders.

He was also reunited with dozens of family members.

Fawcett was accompanied by Arvel Bird, one of the best-known contemporary Native American violinists in the world. Bird has released 10 CDs in the last five years. Four of them have been nominated for Native American Music Awards and Indian Summer Music Awards. Bird has toured with Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell, Tom T. Hall and others.

The two met at the Zion Canyon Art and Flute Festival in Zion, Utah., where Fawcett volunteered to serve as an assistant during one of Bird’s workshops. They’ll played a concert on September 15 at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium.

Fawcett brought along flutes on his trip, donated by flute makers and musicians across the country. They’ll be donated to kids with special needs and children who have shown musical acuity.

Fawcett was 11⁄2 years old when he left Juneau the first time. He returned from age 7 to 14, before moving to Oregon.


Fawcett recently recorded his first CD, “Ancestral Memories.

Source: Juneau Empire