Jenny McCarthy remembers hearing the news three years ago that her son Evan, now 5, was autistic.The actress opened up about her experience with autism and helping Evan recover on today's Oprah Winfrey show.
It started for McCarthy the day Evan suffered his first seizure (which doctors blamed on a fever). Three weeks later came another seizure and his heart stopped while visiting her in-laws.
When the paramedics arrived, she told them about Evan's heart had stopped. "They looked at me like I was crazy. I don't know why," she said. They ultimately discovered she was right and they administered CPR.
"Why, God? Why me ... Why? Why? Why?" McCarthy recalled thinking at the time before an amazing feeling of calm came over her. "Everything's going to come out okay."
A diagnosis took time because was nearby and the family needed to drive back to Los Angeles. A drive that involved several more seizures for Evan. Once arriving at the hospital, Evan was initially diagnosed as having had epilepsy.
Not satisfied with the diagnosis, McCarthy followed her "mommy instinct" and sought out another opinion. Finally, a neurologist broke the news, "'I'm sorry, but your son has autism.' My mommy instinct said, 'This man is right.' I didn't want to believe him ... but ... this man is right. I felt like death."
Not one to give up easily, McCarthy, sprung into action. She immediately researched autism on the Internet and found alternative methods to help Evan. First she changed his diet and put him on a wheat-free, dairy-free and artificial-additive-free diet to detox his system. She also followed method of play therapy to help Evan interact with her and the world around him.
McCarthy chronicles her experiences in her new book, Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
Source: Oprah
More people need to get involved with autism. It is great she can afford to get the help she needs for her child, but like me and many others who have no health insurance and no money to spare for the therapy that insurance companies won't cover, it leaves a bleak outlook for the rest of the autistic children, unless you are rich your child cannot get the help they need. Its a shame and breaks my heart on a daily basis that I cannot do what needs to be done for my child. She is not on the bad end of the spectrum and I feel she could be relatively cured if I was in a different position. It's time to get the insurance companies and medicaid involved to give these children and their families hope.
ReplyDeleteIn Canada, the province I live has universal health care and it has taken us nearly 3 years to have him "diagnosed" with autism. My child is now 9 and we are having to play catch up with him and his other symptoms that unfortunately are the result of such a long and slow process. I feel your frustration Gloria, it is hard to watch our children struggle with their outside world with very little support from governments and insurance companies. The only thing thats free for us is the sessions with the doctor. Due to my income which is lower middle class I am still expected to pay the majority of his prescriptions and other dietary needs when these become necessary. Good luck to you and your family.
ReplyDelete