Charlotte Eades-Willis demonstrates that conditions such as asperger’s are not a barrier to a successful life.
She was diagnosed as “high functioning autistic with asperger’s” at aged 11 and her mum Suzanne told she would achieve nothing.
In fact, Charlotte has done well academically, gaining eight GCSEs and nearing completion of an honours degree in lens based media.
She has also secured a future for herself on the family’s Sutton St Edmund smallholding and, in time, will hopefully be able to make money from her photography.
Charlotte is able to cover the costs of running the smallholding by selling fertile turkey eggs to people all over the country and her male Mangalitza rare breed pig goes to stud.
The family – including Charlotte’s sister Emily, who is at university – eat their own poultry and pigs. They make their own sausages and burgers and have a smoker in the garden to smoke their own meat.
Charlotte, who does carriage driving at home, shares her passion for rare breeds on the websites she has created – www.mangalitzarus.co.uk and www.greatbritishturkeys.co.uk