Uberheroes Vol 1: Koinoonoke

We understand the challenges young people face and
know it can be daunting to think about what you are going to do when you leave
school. Our team guides you through all of the options. Over the last 20 years we
have developed close links with special and mainstream schools to provide the
support and guidance that young people need to take the next step forward. We
work to ensure that our support is timely and relevant to each young person that
we support. Our Transitions Officers work to develop a personalised transitions
plan to clearly outline the ambitions and realistic goals for each young person.
Eoin’s Mum can’t speak highly enough of the
support that Eoin has received “I cannot praise
this organisation enough, Eoin discovered a
place where he truly felt he belonged; Stepping
Stones gave my son back his dignity and pride,
increased his self-belief and his self-worth”.
As I sit and reflect on all he has faced, what an
amazing young man I have, and what a privilege
it is to be his mother. What a gift and a joy he is
to me. I know in my heart that is he is an
amazing person who has so much to offer
society.
He really is a real life Uberhero to me”.
Transition Service supports school leavers to plan their
next move and make an informed choice about further
education, training and work.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this, our fifth issue. You can do
this by visiting us at .
www.uberheroes.co.uk
This comic is not intended as a substitute for medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly
consult their GP in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that
may require clinical diagnosis or medical attention.
Cover Illustration by Karl O'Rowe Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Cover design by Danny McLaughlin Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Comic editing by Danny McLaughlin & Dee Nixon Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Comic writing by Richard McDade Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Copyright © 2017 by Uberheroes® Owner Dee Nixon
All rights reserved. This comic or any portion thereof may
not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a comic review.
Printed in Northern Ireland. First Printing, June 2017
Hope 4 Life NI
BT3 Business Centre
Dargan Crescent
Duncrue Industrial Estate
Belfast BT3 9JP
www.Uberheroes.co.uk

Life
can break
a man...
...however.
Not Eoin!
we
should never
forget Eoin...
Forget?
How could
you forget
a character
like me?
And
if you read
on you’ll find
out why I’m so
unforgetable!
Go on,
turn the
page...

Eoin
seems to
have...
That was me...
3 years old, diagnosed
with Infantile Autism. My
name is Eoin, you see, I’m
Autistic. I am Autistic and
proud, I have Asperger’s
and DSD. Delayed social
development.
I didn’t
speak until I was 5,
my parents were stumped!
They took me to all kinds
of specialists, we even
went to England
many times...
I remember one lady even
thought I was deaf! It
wasn’t enough that I
couldn’t speak, she also
thought I couldn’t hear!
Strange I know,
but that’s the way
things go sometimes
apparently.
Let's
move on...

For a long time
all I had was my
own creations!
my own escape...
Eoin..?
...it was my own
world of heroes
to live in.
Blah Blah
Blah
At a special needs school Eoin
progressed well and the family
was advised to place Eoin in the
Learning support Unit at the
local primary school.
I was there from 5 until, well 5. I was pretty much put in a unit
because of my conditions. In fact here is a quote from my Autistic expert.
"He’ll never be able to read or write or do anything productive".
Hi, Son!
I’ll get to my
achievements later
but lets just say that
place stunk worse
than pigs dung!
C'mon,
let’s get out
of here
quick!!

Primary school was good for the
most part, I have many fond memories
in the playground, pretending to be
dragons and all sorts.
So Eoin, moved up a year to P6 because of his
abilities. he was isolated from his classmates.
He didn’t have the educational building blocks
to cope with the workload in P6.
Look
at Eoin!
He’s a
weirdo!
Things were ok, up until about
primary 4 and then it got a bit
shaken up. I didn’t know why!
As a result of this, he
became one of the weaker
students in his class.
And
that's all you
have to do!
You see I was moved up,
reasons that I still don’t
know for sure, but maybe it
was because of my higher
intelligence? maybe it was
my classroom assistant
SHAUNA? I don’t know. Lets
hope I didn’t miss out on
much, although I cant do
volumes so there’s that.
Lets keep on the subject
though shall we?
Ah I get
it now - that's
easy when you
know how!!
I had some
trouble with some
boyos, I don’t think they
meant any harm but my
lack of knowledge and
social skills,
they told me
stories and because
I was a gullible idiot I
would believe anything
and I couldn’t tell
truth from lies.
I am still
understanding
how banter works,
as I say the lines
are blurred.

Eoin progressed to
Secondary school...
Or as
I like to
call it...
Hell!
He was placed on the lower
2nd band. That’s where Eoin’s
troubles really began...
Year 8, here we go, strap yourself
in because you’re gonna be in for
a nice ride. I discovered I was not
in Primary school anymore...
Year 8 was not nice, I spent a lot
of time on my own, I’m a self
declared social reject and the
jokes they pulled on me were just
cruel. Like I was a moron. I was a
puppet for their amusement
I had to evolve quickly and
I am a slow grower so this
was bad news for me.
I was so desperate for
friendship that this was all
I had. And It gets worse...
Eoin’s parents had to request a separate room for
him to eat lunch as the canteen was a jungle. A
lawless wasteland. But a few still had it in for him...

They would kick his bag down
the corridor like a football.
They would flick his ears. Poke
his sides. Steal his pens and
pencils. Made fun of his name.
He wasn’t allowed to join in any of their social groups
or activities. He was accused of sniffing other people’s
hair and looking inside their ears. Eoin would cover one
of his eyes whenever he sat next to this person to avoid
further harassment. He was their entertainment.
Year 9 was even
worse, there
was an incident.
In order to
make myself
look bigger,
I told lies...
And
this is all
true?
I wanted to be this
tough guy. A sob story
that my parents abused
me and all that crap.
Yes...
Oh, Eoin.
Why? Why
would you
say that?
Mum told me how badly I had
hurt her. That was the worst
time and it physically hurt me.
I owe this woman everything.

Then year 10
is when...
...I went into
a deep
depression!
I was so easily agitated, in
my mind it was either you
were with me or against me.
They always seemed
against me... I felt
so alone!

...I was all
alone.
The only sport
the school did
was football...
You can
have Eoin on
your team!
You have him -
we'll play with
one man less...
we'll do better
that way!
...and nobody
ever wanted Eoin
on their team!
It was
hard on
Eoin...
...But it
got a lot
worse...

PE changing rooms with
no adult supervision was
absolutely criminal...
the other kids would take and use his deodorant,
make fun of his body image, and call him terrible names
like Turtuantula, Holocaust victim and Ozzy Autism!
I met quite a disturbing guy, I won't say
his name, I’ll use a fake one… lets call him
La’pone. No something different ...MJ!
MJ was very sick and twisted, he was
one of my classmates. He had made many
allegations that he was going to...
...find me, rape
me and burn my
house down.
Another guy,
he was top
dog...
He told me I was the runt of the
litter and he was the alpha male. He
was the strongest and I was nothing.
I felt Worthless because I wasn’t
like him. I would never catch up.
And that
was just
the boys...

Then there were the school queens...
Look at
Eoin!
Isn’t
he so
strange?
He is
disgusting!
...one of them was, in the words of my math teacher, “A loudmouth girl,
a loudmouth!” sHe was a shouter but i’ll move on. One was a blabber mouth,
one always had too much make-up and one of them, Kaitlyn, was the worst.
Lets just say that if you
looked at her the wrong way
she would rip you to shreds.
She said I was...
Eugh!
Eoin, you are
disgusting.
You’re
Filthy!
YOu’re
strange!
Out of my
way freak,
NOW!
I didn’t want to
get in her way!!
It was constant.
And it got so bad
I even considered
hanging myself by
a noose, I just
wanted it to stop...
Thankfully
my Mum dragged
me away because
because I talked
to her about it!
...if nothing will give
me peace, maybe death
will set me free?

Uberheroes HQ.
I'm really
worried!
Guys, we
need to come
together. There
is a problem!
look at this
young man. I have
had my eye on him for years,
it seems he has been
targeted by many dangerous
villains. You need to all
work together.
You will need
some specific skills.
Eoin is experiencing
discrimination because
he is different...
I'm
worried we
may be too
late...
...as
am I.
...as
am I!
Oni here
will help him
to see that being
different isn’t
wrong. It is just that
other people don’t,
won’t or can’t
accept it.
Just you
let us know
when we need
to leave. We’ll
be ready!

Eoin’s parents approached the
school a few times to ask them
to move Eoin into a higher band
because of his intelligence..
Eoin was sitting at the top of his
class in all subjects except math...
I'm
sorry,
but...
Well
done,
Eoin!
No! No
Way!!
...but because of his dyspraxia
the school refused.
They insisted he did learning for life
and work. I don’t understand why
when it is all about social interaction
and communication, which Eoin did
not have a very good grasp on.
As a result of all this, Eoin
downright refused to continue
on at school for his A-levels.
Eoin left school with 8 GCSE’s
which included his maths. What an
achievement for a young man who
has been through literal hell.
The school had done nothing and the worst was
yet to come as Eoin had Shauna at his back and the
school just saw everything as ‘boys being boys’.
but he's very
capable, and it's
not just boys
being boys!
tHERE’S
EOIN!
lET’S
KEEP AN EYE
on him!

Then there was college and it wasn’t
much better. I just didn’t feel welcome
and the guys who were going to give me
support, sorry for swearing but...
...they didn’t
give a rats ass
about me. The
staff just
didn’t really
care, they did
lickety-squat...
...all I got was an hour every Thursday
with a sweet old lady. The kids didn’t
really abuse me but they definitely
didn’t want to be around me.
Unlike school where Eoin was
swarmed like a pack of angry bees was
on him, this was the exact opposite.
Eoin was completely ostracized. The
staff had even nicknamed him...
there
he is... “The
lone wolf”!
His mental health took
a nosedive. He had no
self-esteem, no self
worth and he felt he had
no place in society.
I felt
like I could faze
through them, like
I was a ghost.
he was worse
than ever...
thats when...

Whats
going on?
YOU ARE
MINE!
How did
you grow so
big, Relicta?
aghh!
Don't
worry, Eoin!
we’re here to
help you!!
And
I’ve got your
back against
Sujeta,
Nadase!!
And
I’ll handle
her!!

It’s my
turn now
to control
you!
Take
that!
WE’LL
SEE!
You are
powerless here, he
sees the truth. He knows his
intelligence is his strength,
he is hopeful of the future.
He is resilient. You haven’t
broken him this far, you
won’t break him now!

I will
completely
remove ill
feelings...
I will
show you
the truth!!
Time
to finish
this.
Here - throw
this! This will
give us the time
we need!
THIS ISN’T
OVER!
What was
that? Who are
you guys?
Where am I ?
it is
for You!

You have been
under attack, we have
been sent to pull you
out of danger, To help
you see the truth.
Good. Being
different is what makes
us interesting. You are
you. Be proud of that.
What makes you unique is
where your strengths
are, treasure that.
With Diversity,
Truth, Strength,
Resilience,
Intelligence and
Hope...
You have
fought so well
this far, you will
get through this.
You need to be
resilient.
You don’t
understand, I am a
freak. I’m different
and i’ll never be
like them.
what now?!
I still have so
much life left,
surely it will only
get worse.
Not
with us!
...you will
beat this,
please
remember
that.
After this I decided to find
myself some work in a card shop,
or as I called it, Prison. I tried
making friends there but this one
guy just treated me like a Moron.
Then the boss, he followed me around
like a sad little puppy because he didn’t
think I could anything by myself without
proper assistance. Like I was going to
self-destruct. I may have Autism and
Aspergers but I’m far from stupid.
Things then started to look better
and I gota job in a charity shop
until they fired me for no reason,
I never got a full explanation but
from what I heard, it was because
I was uncharacteristically strange.

My teacher was
amazing, she was like a
zen master. She always
had a smile and was
never angry. We really
respected her because
she treated us like
actual people.
Eoin then progressed to a college
where he did drama, which he adored.
He was surrounded by misfits like
himself, again however since he
needed support the department
wouldn’t put him onto level 3.
I did have some trouble
with some of the other
boys, there was this
one guy, we just never
really got on but I
still respect him.
If you are
reading this now,
good luck buddy
I hope you are
well!
We went our
separate ways,
for the first time
I didn’t feel so
rejected.
he's very
much growing as a
person. He's moving
forward!
He is seeing
the truth, he
realises now his
differences are his
strengths!

Then Eoin discovered the joys of stepping stones. I cannot praise
this organisation enough. They gave Eoin back his dignity and his
pride in his self belief and worth. The staff took the time to
understand him, support him and accept him for who he is.
I want to blossom
and grow and these guys
help me do that. I am also
at a bookstore in Lisburn, I
move books around and help
customers. I really love putting
out the rubbish, I love
throwing boxes but that’s
another story.
Stepping Stones
is a great place, they
made me realise my
potential and gave me
proper friendship.
I didn’t feel
like I was a dummy
stuck in a unit or that I
would break on impact. I
have an actual team and
best friends like Harry
and Aaron.
Eoin, life has been a challenge for you. You have remarked on
the many instances where you wanted to give up, what would
you say to your younger self if you could go back in time?
If I could go back in time I would say…
Look, things
are gonna get better
trust me. I know it may
seem dark but things are
going to get better,
trust me.
Keep moving
forward I know it
may seem dark but
there is always
light.
Sometimes
hope was all
I had.

For the first
time I am at peace with
who I am and where I
am. The road ahead is
dark, I cant tell ahead
where I am going...
...and I do
feel a little
anxious about
that.
but hey!
To finish
i’ll say this
much...
...things may be
dark and bleak but you
have to hold on to as much
strength as you can. If you
let this win You’re not
gonna make it, but if you
stand your ground and
don’t move.
If you keep
moving forward
you will get to the
light. My day hasn’t
come yet...
but it’s
coming...
...The End?

Further information
Like the characters in the comic you may feel that these stories have connected with you, or
that the content of the stories has given you a lot to think about!
You might want to know more about what help is available, or maybe you’re concerned
about a friend and want to know what practical help you can offer. Alternatively you might
want to speak to your parents or guardians but you’re nervous about how they might react.
The Uberheroes comic is a great stepping-stone to start these conversations with an adult
you trust about your fears, worries or concerns.
Whatever the situation, listed below are some of the many resources available in
Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK :-
Support Services
Hope 4 Life NI – www.hope4lifeni.org.uk
Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes for Children, Young People and Adults
Uberheroes – www.uberheroes.co.uk
Ask an Uberhero a question is an online support service for you to connect
with one of our team if you are worried or concerned about anything; this is
a great way to ask our heroes for their advice and support.
Just go to www.uberheroes.co.uk
PIPS
For 1-2-1 Counselling Call 028 9080 5850
Helpline number call 0800 088 6042
Email: info@pipscharity.com
Call in for a chat – 281 Antrim Road,
Belfast, BT15 2HE
Childline
For 1-2-1 Counselling Call: 0800 1111
For info and advice go to:
www.childline.org.uk
Helpline Numbers
Child Abuse Investigation
Unit Emergency line
0845 600 8000 or 999
National Association for People
Abused in childhood National Support helpline:
0800 085 3330
Includes database with UK wide Support organisations.
NSPCC
24 hour Child Protection Helpline Call:
0808 800 5000
Samaritans
Samaritans helpline Call: 0845 790 9090
Helpline Email: jo@samaritans.org
Lifeline
Free Phone Lifeline: Call 0808 808 8000
Helpline Email: www.lifelinehelplineinfo.com
Talking to your friends, members of your family and teachers can help you start to better understand what you’re
going through; you may be surprised to find that others have had similar experiences and are willing to share
their experiences with you. Your friends or family may know of someone who they trust, who would be willing to
listen and offer you safe advice, having external support will help you to see you’re not alone in thinking or
feeling the way you do, it will also help rebuild your confidence, self-belief and self-worth, which is the first step
in healing and recovery.
Listed below are the names of the young people who worked so hard to create the new Uberhero and Villain for this
comic, to showcase what diversity means and what can hold us back from being able to show inclusion to others. They
are so proud of the treatment they have done to ensure they told Eoin’s story correctly for you to enjoy, learn and grow
to be more diverse in your thinking and behaviours… They are:-
Carter Bright / Bobbi McFerran / Louis Gibney / Marcus Toan / McKenzie Dougan / Stephen Coleman
Kai Gardner / Luighseach Farrelly / Jacqueline Hind / Norma Hind / Kiaden Bell / Rachel Barnes / Damhan Murphy
Cherelle Brownlee / Madison Corbett / Cameron Porter / Colise Morrow / Pearce Dillon / Meiagh McAleavey
Matthew Mulvena / Ellie-Mai Azzabi / Callum Park / Sophie Tanner / Carson Woodside / Trent Atkinson
Rece Park / Megan Flemming / Morgan Cole / Cory Smyth / Donal Farrelly / Annie O’Hare / Ellie Brady / Fiona Lee
Nathan Smyth / Alex Caves / Caitlin Dillon / Nadia McArdle / Elton Lopez / Cael Farrelly / Jack Burns
Caley Logue / Ethan Murphy / Kerri Dunlop / Tristan Nicholls / Ben McCutcheon / Robyn Gilliland / Aimee Toner
Cieran Corr / Darrah O’Neill / Paul Burns / Olivia Marcus / Katie Stewart / Elle Gibson / Molly Hinds
Sean King / Connolly King / Jack Woodside / Shana Reilly / Naomi McLaughlin / Aisleen Marcus / Jay Mulvena
John Paul Doyle / Anthony Doyle / Keelagh Hunter / Leah Robinson / Bradley McCallister
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