Autism “Awareness” and NOT born with It. Now What?
By Cathy Jameson
I used to love the month of April. Spring. Flowers. Sunshine. Warmth. My birthday. Yes, April was always a fun time for me. Now, I really can’t wait for it to be over. This autism “awareness” that takes over, the blue lights, the ridiculous studies that happened to be reported saying not to worry folks, autism is yet again just Mom (or Dad’s) fault. I’m done with April. I’m done with “awareness”.
What’s a girl to do though? Give up? Give in? Walk away? Scream? Two days linger in the month that now seems to take the longest to end. I have two days left to avoid the blue light special some big org wants to shine in my eyes. I won’t take autism awareness sitting down. No, I won’t. And, no I didn’t. I am ready to usher it right out the front door because May is around the corner. And, you know what that means? Well, actually it means nothing. I’m sure it’ll be back to the regularly scheduled autism hum drum diagnosis that just happens to happen, and I’m just one of those anti-vax nutcases.
I hate to be so negative, especially on a Sunday, but no day is a good day for just awareness. I had my own little agenda to really step up the “awareness” efforts within my circle of friends and family. I decided to have my own “NOT born with it” campaign after watching a video of children who were also NOT born with it. It’s a beautiful tribute to hundreds of children. In my campaign I needed to show more than just one photo of my kid. My idea was to share pictures of Ronan from birth to now -- cheery, happy, chubby, absolutely adorable baby pictures. Over the month the theme of the picture changed to the progression of parts of Ronan’s life that have him look like a lifeless, distant, sensory-affected, neurologically challenged, dependent child. Because on some days, he is exactly that.
Why do this? To torture myself with the reminders with what I had, what could have been or what should have been?? No. I did it for one reason: because Ronan was NOT born with it. And to show people the progression to regression. And because I know people know. And I know they don’t want to admit they know some of it happened because of vaccines. And because I don’t want what happened to my kid to happen to theirs.
Check out that smile, eye contact and total cuteness.
NOT born with it.
One of my favorites.
NOT born with it.
Making smiley smiles and babbly babbles.
NOT born with it.
I love this picture . Look at the happy.
Look at it.
NOT born with it. ♥
Mommy’s got her Revolution on for you!
NOT born with it.
Simply beautiful!
NOT born with it.
Ronan with his favorite ♥ Aunt ♥
NOT born with it.
Ttub-a-lub photo of Ronan – so happy!
NOT born with it.
Ronan Baby Bear Cub Jameson
NOT born with it.
Exploring. Playing. Making contact.
NOT born with it.
Being a ham for the camera.
NOT born with it.
Cute bath time Buddy.
NOT born with it.
So dang cute, and interactive, and babbling and playing
and so NOT born with it.
(P.S. That's a wig we put on Ronan...silly little boy)
And, so it begins…
The brightness in the eyes dim. The sensory issues creep in.
The 'What the what?!' thoughts...
NOT born with it. Something else started it...
...and with the something that caused it...came the sensory
issues...which Ronan battles to this day.
NOT born with it.
Cute kid. Cute picture, right? Well that cute kid couldn't walk. He couldn't walk until he was almost 30 months old. That's kinda old in baby years. We questioned why he couldn't walk at 13 months. We asked again at 15 months. And 18 months. And 20 months. And finally at 22 months someone helped. You wonder why I'm so anal about telling people to educate before they vaccinate and long before walking into a "well-baby" visit. Sometimes Mom and Dad just know. They know something is wrong before anyone else. NOT born with it.
As Little Buddy soars faster with his developmental skills (http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/04/fool-me-once.html , that's Ronan’s little brother at the top of the slide) Ronan stagnates. That far away look in Ronan's eyes? It's more like a dimmer switch slowly taking away skill after skill after skill. We will not quit giving him everything we possibly can now so he can work toward independence, a chance to grow and always a hope to return to typical. NOT born with it.
That stare. Those eyes. The distance from developmentally capable to severe expressive speech disorder, auditory and tactile defensiveness, global developmental delays and more. Ronan is worth every effort we can muster and every ounce of love we send his way. NOT born with it.
Post-op. After chasing the right diagnosis for three year, because we knew it was not born with It - and because one doctor should have listened and done a simple blood test but refused, because we had to ask repeatedly for the next doctors to please address what the first one should have known - we are finally heard. Mito disease is now added to the list of Ronan's other diagnoses. Mito...devastating, debilitating, potentially life-threatening with no cure...disease. NOT born with it.
Sleep. Oh, sleep. Ronan has had some serious sleep issues. He'd wake up in the middle of the night and kick his crib headboard for up to two hours. He'd fall back asleep for an hour or two and then kick the headboard again. All the while he'd laugh manically. NO way is that normal. NO way. But, "he'd grow out of it" was what we were told. It had to be something else. I turned into an investigative scientist and discovered milk and dairy were one of the culprit. Ronan was drinking a lot of milk. A LOT. When he started to hurl the milk, spewing it after every bottle....Digestive enzymes and an elimination diet were the start of the biomed journey. I'll never forget that connection and the feeling of exhilaration that I could help make things better for my son. Sleep is still not a guarantee. But, better digestive health, lots of therapy and encouragement with tons of extra hugs and love remind Ronan that we will do this together. NOT born with it.
Low tone. You can see it in Ronan's face. He is happy at this moment...he figured out how to scoot on the skate board. He looked up when I said, "Hey, Ronan! Smile!" Add low tone to the other issues: developmental, fine motor and gross motor delays, sensory processing disorder, severe expressive speech delay, apraxia, dysphagia, exotropia, autistic-like behaviors, seizures, mitochondrial disease....we're rolling in more diagnoses than ever. NOT born with it.
Ronan. Beautiful boy. Beautiful soul. You are a hero, an inspiration, a wonderful child. We still have a long road ahead of us. Give me hope and energy to continue to go forward today and always. I love you so much. xoxo, Mommy. NOT born with it.
I had some amazing comments and thoughtful messages with each photo I posted. I know Ronan’s photos made a difference and for that I am grateful. I can shout to the rooftops all day long, “Hey! Ronan had a reaction to his vaccines. Let me tell you all about it.” But some people still don’t get it or don’t appreciate the seriousness of it. Being able to say, “Look! LOOK at what happened to my son!” with a picture was louder than anything I have ever said before.
Two more days of April. Two more days of getting through “awareness” by telling what I know, showing what I saw and begging others to please do the same. Two days before we can say goodbye to April and flip that calendar page over.
Thank goodness this month is almost over. I’m tired of it. Every day I feel like I could quit working so hard on telling Ronan’s story. Or, that I could slow down some of my efforts. Or that I would stop writing so much. Some days I want to just walk away from the work and emotions. But, you know I can’t do that and won’t do that.
After the blue lights are turned off and people move onto a new charity of the month, autism is still here. Awareness didn’t make it go away or make it get any better. Children are still affected by it, debilitated by it and suffering from it. No, now’s not the time to quit. Now’s the time to roll up my sleeves, get back in the game and do more than what others promised they said they’d do.
I won’t quit because every day I get the chance to say one more thing. I get the chance to speak up and talk about Ronan, and autism, and vaccines, and that the epidemic that is growing right in front of our eyes is still growing. To have that chance, that voice and that hope…just like I won’t quit on Ronan, I won’t quit sharing what I know either.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
Success;
I spent a lot of time over at Joe's Kawasikis foundation but they finally banned me. Even put a cookie on me.
I was mad about it.
Then hurt about it.
Then confused about it, Ohhhh really?
Now I am just glad I don't have to deal with the mean spirited bunch anymore.
---But I never waste an opportunity to say my peace - never have.
Posted by: Benedetta | May 04, 2012 at 08:16 PM
Benedetta,
I used to be here more often. Lately, I've been using Facebook to network faster and (hopefully) reach more new parents and parents-to-be. I think there are so many places to tell the story now (the same story with variations), and so many doing it, that we've gone off where we need to!
Seems like just in the last 5 years or so there's a huge wave of parents just refusing the vaccine "programme." Good for them--it will give their children a fighting chance.
Posted by: Success for the next generation | May 04, 2012 at 06:00 PM
The Pharmaceutical-Industrial Complex doesn't care one bit about your children; it cares about power, domination, control, and profits.
This is the non-conspiratorial assessment.
The conspiratorial assessment is that the Complex just wants you and your children to die.
This will continue either way until we either wake up or go to sleep in the ground
Posted by: Corporal Hicks | May 04, 2012 at 02:38 PM
Sarah L'Heureux
you know and you don't have to try to convince anyone.
You tell them what happened. It won't change anything, but - it will make you feel better.
I believe you.
I am also so very sorry.
Posted by: Benedetta | May 01, 2012 at 09:38 PM
My boy has the regressive type of autism. Now 12 yrs. old, he was (in 1999) a robustly thriving infant...I HAVE THE PICTURES TO PROVE IT. He hit all the toddler milestones in a timely fashion...I HAVE THE VIDEOS TO PROVE IT. He began speaking simple words at 16 months ("Hi, Daddy!")...I HAVE THE CASSETTES TO PROVE IT. He was smiling and loving and snuggly until his MMR in 2001...I HAVE THE VACCINE RECORD TO PROVE IT. And then autism arrived and he was forever changed, but nobody will buy his story even though I have all the PROOF.
Posted by: Sarah L'Heureux | May 01, 2012 at 08:42 PM
Yet again, tears ... but indomitable, enthusiastic never-surrender joy!
Posted by: MamaBear | May 01, 2012 at 01:46 PM
I am tearing up looking at those photos of your son. To this day, I cannot look at my son's baby photos without crying. I have put them away because it is so painful. My son was NOT born with autism, and I still have a white hot rage over this happening to him. It DIDN'T have to happen. They KNEW and they did NOTHING to save our children. What infuriates me even more is that they keep on gleefully injuring and even KILLING our kids! I hope we live long enough to see them brought to justice! They should be tried for crimes against humanity!
Posted by: Rachel | April 30, 2012 at 05:31 PM
Autism Grandma;
i guess we do only have a limited time upon this earth to tell our stories and protest. But I am glad to hear from you. There are lots that use to post and now don't as much and I miss them.
Posted by: Benedetta | April 30, 2012 at 04:05 PM
As I learn more it is more evident to me that our children are suffering a major chronic bacterial infection (Lyme and/or others) that has devastating consequences (This is of course as a result of injuring the immune system). Please invite you to google "treating autism with antibiotics" as a sample.
Posted by: Daphnia Cannon | April 30, 2012 at 01:18 PM
Dear Cathy,
Your writing is such an inspiration for all of us who know for a certainty that our autistic children were NOT BORN WITH IT. Any so many of us know for a certainty that the vaccines caused our children to regress into "autism". If I had the energy and time I would make a website called "NOT BORN WITH IT" for everyone to post before and after photos of their children who were NOT BORN WITH IT.
Your story is so well written that even without the photos the message is clear, but the pictures are telling the story all by themselves. My computer is loaded with thousands of photos of my grandson with so many just like Ronan, that sad blank look, "not all there" and "lost in space". (I actually named some of my grandson's photos with these phrases.) Of course I only send out the "Happy Expression" faces of him, which in the beginning would take 50 snapshots and alot of tricks to get just one little smile, but as he progressed with his many therapies over the last five years, now I can actually get a smile sometimes on the first shot.... a MIRACLE....but I still feel very sad when I look at his previous photos, which your photos of Ronan are bringing back distressed memories of my grandson's prior daily miseries.
Your article and pictures of your beautiful son have given me a different perspective on what kind of photos I should have sent out to everyone....in order to make the point that my grandson was NOT BORN THIS WAY. We try so hard to get people to "see the light" about the vaccine injuries, but so often they just ignore us so maybe the pictures are the answer....
I can't stay up late anymore reading Age of Autism every night like I used to be able to, and haven't posted like I used to, but I am so glad that I read your story today. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE....
Posted by: AutismGrandma | April 30, 2012 at 12:38 PM
Research must be taken our of the hands of CDC. We must have a search for the top notch scientist & researchers we cab get, It should be a controlled group & all other researchers must get out of the picture. Anyone can get grant money for rsearch!! Now research has splintered into too many veins & scattered & no once has accomplished anything!!! To just find out that rats can be given autism???? Years & years have gone by now since research first began. How do we have a hearing with congresional politicians?? I truly believe this must happen before we can move forward. I'm sick of awareness month too. Go for "NOT BORN WITH IT", for all year long. Not just a month. It is a 24 hr. 7 days a week for our children & parents!!! www.seanashleyhouse.org Sean is my grandwon. He is now 32. Research began way before that!!! Soooo sick of hearing autism awareness.
Posted by: Gretchen Wilson | April 30, 2012 at 09:20 AM
Thanks cathy that was a great slide show.
We do need a campaign like Act Up and I think NOT BORN WITH IT! is a great start.
My son is 26 and he sure as hell wasn't born with it. His Dad and I weren't the only one who watched his developmental slide so did my Mom. It sickens me to think of the tens of thousands of kids who are going to be sliding down this very slippery slope, some who'll never be able to climb back up.
Posted by: Jan Randall | April 30, 2012 at 07:20 AM
To explain the NOT BORN WITH IT point, I explain to others that Autism is NOT "quirky Bill Gatesian kid."
Autism is Baby Alzheimer's. You watch your brilliant, amazing baby start to slip away, lose physical control, lose toilet training, lose language, struggle to find words . . . zone out. He stops sleeping, he starts wandering. It's a 36 hour day. . .
Anyone who has watched an older loved one slip into Alzhimer's gets it. . . . Thank God autism can be reversible for some children.
Posted by: Carolyn KylesMom | April 30, 2012 at 03:38 AM
Cathy, your pictures of Ronan are worth 22,000 words.
Abel, autism is not a "developmental process." Regressive autism is a loss of development. Loss of skills. Loss of language. Loss of basic survival abilities. Nothing is gained. Unlike puberty - a process which 100% of the population goes through (unless a disease state interferes with this process) and which results in one having the ability to reproduce , regressive autism is experienced by a fraction of the population and results in loss of the most basic survival skills. If autism showed up in the era of early man, it would have been eliminated long ago by natural selection. You have heard of evolution, haven't you?
Posted by: Madvocate | April 29, 2012 at 11:21 PM
I always tell new parents, that they better be careful if their child displays any signs of introversion as a baby. These children "are" the canaries in the coal mine. They are actually born more sensitive than the average child. Some so-called expert may decide your child is showing signs of autism, when your child is actually just showing signs of introversion, a normal personality trait.
Your introverted child may be more vulnerably sensitive to environmental injuries because of an innate, biological difference in the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of the brain, which is different than that of the brains of extroverted children. When that introverted child is damaged from repeat vaccinations, they will tell you, that your child always displayed signs of developing autism and that vaccinations had nothing to do with it, but what actually happened is that child went from being a normal, introverted baby, to a child with vaccine-induced autism, or brain injury.
Is Your Child Introverted? A Quiz
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/introverted-child.shtml
Posted by: Rachael | April 29, 2012 at 09:38 PM
Abel and one more thing, autism is definitely not like puberty you jerk.
Posted by: Jen | April 29, 2012 at 07:50 PM
Abel, nice try, I think was "Josephius" who tried to initiate the autism is an "unfolding of genetically determined developmental processes" junk. It's not like Rett's syndrome or schizophrenia.
Not Born With It. I love it because it makes people think. It's a great idea, Barry.
Posted by: Jen | April 29, 2012 at 07:45 PM
Abel just buys into the media, and for some reason we need to prove the truth, while no one ever had to prove the lies. I have one unvaccinated child that has never had any of the issues of his five siblings, not in emotional, behavioral or physical health. It was by design that he was unharmed, I chose that path for him.
Posted by: barbaraj | April 29, 2012 at 06:24 PM
I think "Not Born With It" should be our new slogan! Look, I was one of those parents who always said, "In the Autism Parade, I'm not riding in the 'vaccines caused my son's autism' float, but I am definitely walking beside it."
Well, that was because we didn't have him, vaccinate him, and lose him immediately. His was a very slow regression that we caught when he was 2 1/2. Well, after reading story after story of parents who gave shots at 15 months and THEN at 18 MONTHS...that's when it started for them...I realized that's our story!!!
I have jumped on that vaccine float faster than you can blink. We stopped vaccinating our baby girl (she's 17 months now), she never got her MMRs and will never get anything else.
Our son has been GFCF, filling up with supplements every day and therapies, plus a whole lotta prayer to our great God and he is doing amazing!!!
What I can beg everyone to do is journal. JOURNAL!!! I decided before my son was born to write him his life's journey--well, guess what? Evidence ON PAPER that we had him and then lost him!! My journal has proved invaluable in this matter!
Posted by: antoinette f. | April 29, 2012 at 05:51 PM
Our story is the same, except for walking.. My son walked on time, but sat down and scooted over little cracks in the sidewalk. Thanks for a great story. Now my daughter in law is due in November, trying to find a pediatrician and hospital that will not force the Hep B vax on the little one! She is having a hard time. Where she delivered her first born child, her baby was held hostage until she allowed him to get the Hep B shot. At 4 he still has sleep issues. Here locally, a hospital administrator had a midwife attend the delivery at home, but then had the mom and "distressed" baby sent to the hospital where they tried to give Vitamin K shot. The admin-dad would not even allow that, bringing his own liquid version from home. WHAT DOES HE KNOW and WHAT is he HIDING? CPS was called on them.
Posted by: Enlightened | April 29, 2012 at 05:40 PM
Abel.
Developmental changes are in your DNA.
Puberty is with you at birth.
But Autism? Prove it.
Posted by: Patricia | April 29, 2012 at 05:27 PM
For Barry, and anyone else looking for political action: The Canary Party, groups of vaccine-injured kids (try Facebook), networking on Parents of Unvaccinated Children. The Refusers. Googling and Facebook make this so easy. Just buzz around online until you find your niche.
The surprised look when vaccines are mentioned to new parents or parents-to-be has indeed given way--at least 50% of the time--to a nod of recognition and assurances that the parents are "looking into it."
One thing I've learned: For me, anyway, *don't* waste time on any of the vax pushers, just try to reach younger people (anyone under the age of 30 or so), because they have either experienced it directly, seen it in a sibling or cousin, or known a classmate--likely one who may have "just disappeared" midway through one of their school years.
Posted by: Terri Lewis | April 29, 2012 at 04:20 PM
My kid just changed in attitude, made significant changes in development, and developed hair in places where no hair had been before. It's called "puberty."
Not born with it.
Gentically-determined developmental processes happen continually in the lives of our children.
Posted by: Abel | April 29, 2012 at 03:31 PM
Barry,
Have you seen the projects from this billboard campaign? http://vaxtruth.org/ It went from brainstorming to reality in a very short amount of time.
Your idea is definitely a possibility if someone can spearhead the efforts.
Cat
Posted by: Cat Jameson | April 29, 2012 at 02:38 PM
T Y, these pictures are a powerful witness.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | April 29, 2012 at 01:44 PM
Cathy:
Thank you for the correction and my sincere apologies to the NAMES project foundation.
Posted by: Christine Thompson | April 29, 2012 at 01:28 PM
Beautiful photo story...as they say, a picture tells a thousand words.
Posted by: michelle | April 29, 2012 at 01:17 PM
Thank you for this post Cathy. My sons experience was pretty similar to Ronan's, and I know how hard it must have been to relive the emotions as you put this piece together.
But I am glad you persevered, because Ronan’s story needs to be told. Just like all of our stories, from which the public is intentionally being shielded.
I noticed that you picked up on the phrase NOT BORN THIS WAY. And I’m not really surprised, because that phrase has been repeating in my mind ever since I first saw it. Natalie's compassion was incredibly heart warming, but she showed remarkable wisdom by weaving her Anthony's story around the theme of NOT BORN THIS WAY.
Most people in this world ARE good, and I believe Natalie's compassion could be aroused in many, if they only understood what autism really is. While most appear dispassionate, I believe what REALLY lacking is a realistic exposure to the truth.
And it’s not their fault. You gotta trust someone, and organizations like the CDC and the AMA are logical choices. Unfortunately (... as WE all know), these organizations are RESPONSIBLE for the autism epidemic. And they’ll continue to lie at every turn to keep the public in the dark ... and their asses out jail!
This epidemic HAS to be stopped, but it will never happen as long as its left in the hands of ruthless drug companies, and all their media minions who are equally as rotten.
The solution has to come from an awakened public, whose eyes have been opened to our children's reality.We have to get our message to the public, in a way that can circumvent a censoring media, but at the same in a way that will allow them to arrive at the truth on their own.
I believe that NOT BORN THIS WAY is an incredibly simple, yet very powerful phrase, which has the power to awaken a hood winked public.
This is just a thought, but I think the first part of an awareness strategy is to create a web site called NOT BORN THIS WAY. It would contain little more than personal stories of children like ours, who’s autism was caused by their vaccines. Parents would be invited to submit before and after pictures, with a brief description of why they believe vaccines caused their child’s autism.
I think the next step would be to erect large billboards on heavily traveled thoroughfares in major urban outlets. These billboards would be simple, and contain just 3 three things:
1. The phrase NOT BORN THIS WAY
2. A widely recognized autism symbol ( .. autism awareness ribbon, autism puzzle piece, etc)
3.A link to the website called NOT BORN THIS WAY.
It would surely take a lot of effort to coordinate, but I think it might just be a way to quickly lead the public to the truth.
Any thoughts??
Posted by: Barry | April 29, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Thanks Cathy for posting this. Although it can never undo what was done, take heart that others are listening. When I come across expectant parents, I ask them to do their research before the vaccines and not make the same mistake we did in doing it afterwards. Over the past several years the response has changed, from awkward surprise at the mention of the subject to assurances that have heard about the risks and are looking into it. Of course, that is why the vaccine purveyors are freaking out, demanding an end to exemptions, pediatricians "firing" patients (as if someone you hire can fire you), and ad hominem attacks on anyone that suggests vaccines might not be safe. We've gone from being dismissed as the lunatic fringe to being a real threat to their bottom line. That is progress.
Although it can't undo the past, our stories help protect other kids. As for those that caused this, I take comfort in knowing they will be ultimately punished.
Posted by: Jeff C | April 29, 2012 at 12:21 PM
I have those same pictures, the eye contact with Grandma at his Christening, the happy ball rolling, trying to blow bubbles through the wand, the bright, bright face with eyes lit up with full animation and joy, then the sick eyes, the loss of spark, yes, and I would wager we all have them. When my sis showed her doctor hers, and she did, the baby at the pool, splashing his brothers, laughing ,playing then the dull later pics showing the face of a very ill child ,yet a child with no disease, a child carrying the look of a child with ILLNESS, he didn't have an answer. That was twenty years ago, there continues to be no answer. However, my nephew has always been my inspiration, and at his age 21 he is not cured, yet he has come so far as to enjoy his job, enjoy his cousins, and at times fits in so well that we forget. He smiles, and while the light left his eyes when he was approaching two and never came back, he has come so so far.
My sis has no magic, was it "tincture" of time? Was it starting b12 shots and such at his age two? Was it stopping vaccines? At his age 18 he lost a tremendous amount of weight, and "woke up" that year as a more energetic willing to participate person. Later that year he explained to an eye doctor the strange workings of his vision, not knowing they were not normal, just offering full explanation. He can not focus direct on, he has no memory of ever being able to do so, in the presence of light images from peripheral vision mix and distort central vision causing a flood of images that confuse him and scared him his whole life. So a kind of blindness? While he no longer bangs his head at the sounds of group talking, he no longer screams or growls when someone talks to him, he has to work to zero in on the sounds aimed toward him. He wasn't aspergers he was considered mr for a long time, he is not, then pddnos, then profound autism. The years of medication likely took their toll , it was that year at 18 when he refused all medication and has had none since, and he had a literal smorgasbord of drugs during his young years, none of which helped. He likes to play basketball, he enjoys going to the mall with his cousin, he loves music!! He's so much better that his options are opening for education and a good life. This was a screaming, bolting, self injurous, growling child that the doctors suggested be institutionalized! I enjoy him so much,he's such a success!
Now, small things encourage me, I hugged and kissed my son, born 2000, and afterwards we laughed and laughed. He hasn't hugged me since he was a toddler and recoiled for years, but I saw the opening as I noticed he was stepping into my space more and more over the last few months and the time was right. What hurt his body so much when he was little that he refused to be hugged, I will never know, but it's over, that pain is over. Yes I have the pictures, the onset of the pain, the disturbances with eyes and ears that caused him to react in meltdowns. I know I am blessed and we can not compare one to another. I can say, he's not my pressing issue now, my issue now is trying to keep my little asthmatic from dying, it's the cause.Yes, whatever they did to vaccines after 2004 has brought on a new ,perhaps more deadly epidemic, one where kids carry epi pens and inhalers to school each day. For my 2000 guy, I bought him a puppy, he's always wanted a puppy, and that puppy brings him pure joy that can be seen in his face. I know he's going to be okay and he has a friend, the friend is much like him, they do playdates, one will be downstairs playing with the xbox, the other will be reading a book, but they "got together" in their way. They never share food in each others houses, which still confuses me, they both bag the things they like and are not likely to share or want to. I have faith they will be fine. Certainly in this world, where all of the 2000 boys seem a little different to me they won't have as much trouble being accepted. Would I want him different? YES! Why would I want my child to have a disability ,of course I pray that some of the issues go away, and each year they do! We have not had a bolt, or a meltdown this year!
I agree with Patricia, you show the truth well, I wish it were in print with pictures for everyone to see and a copy to all pediatricians that just don't see the progression that follows vaccines in so many of our kids.
Posted by: barbaraj | April 29, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Hang in there. My son was not born with it either.... and he is no longer locked inside himself, either! He is almost 16 and while he will NEVER be just like he was when he was born... the vacancy is gone and my son is back!
Hang in there!
Posted by: Elisabeth | April 29, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Once upon a time (before dirty vaccines became the norm) kids did OUTGROW phases of oddness, lack of coordination, and other such anomalies. By telling these stories you have communicated a lot, by writing your essays you have made more people aware, and so keep it up. Truth will find its way through the cover-ups. I wish, though, it would hurry up so that good science can replace bad bringing a cure for Ronan.
Posted by: Kapoore | April 29, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Thank you for your blog "Not Born with it" - we live in the same reality zone - but I have given up trying to explain this particular subject to our clueless world - keep up the good fight! My son is now ten and our family has disintegrated.
May God bless us all.
Posted by: Dad of autistic son | April 29, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Cathy wrote:
"I have always admired the Act Up campaign of the 80's & 90's. In particular, The Quilt."
"The Quilt" is NOT a project of ACT-UP. They are two very different organizations. The Quilt is run by the NAMES Project Foundation.
Posted by: GKGK | April 29, 2012 at 10:26 AM
It breaks my heart to hear all of you wonderful courageous mothers with autistic children telling your own stories.
Cathy your writing is so moving it just begs to be put into book form and entitled "Not Born With It" which says it all. And the photos are such a moving and eloquent addition to your thoughts and feelings. What a beautiful child he is.
Please consider this suggestion in all seriousness. Yours is such an important tale.
Posted by: Patricia | April 29, 2012 at 08:21 AM
Cathy:
I've mentioned this before in another post and thought I would bring it up again. Yes, I can be just as repetitive as my children suffering with autism.
I have always admired the Act Up campaign of the 80's & 90's. In particular, The Quilt. I'll never forget my pilgrimage to this devastatingly beautiful call to action.
I wish I had paid more attention in home economics because I'm a disaster with needle and thread. However, it seems to me to be an ideal way to do something proactive with all those stupid puzzle pieces used to represent the public awareness campaign concerning autism. We could even leave some blank pieces for those who will (unfortunately) be joining our swelling ranks. Any thoughts? anyone?
Your beautiful photos of Ronan illustrate the tale of autism all to well - the good and the sad, as I like to say.
Posted by: Christine Thompson | April 29, 2012 at 07:29 AM