By Zack Gonzales

The rumor mill goes round and round - autism is just being diagnosed more; recovery isn't real; nothing but quack treatments; Jenny McCarthy's son never had autism. It's exhausting. Autism is an epidemic. Recovery IS real. There's nothing quack about the treatments for it, other than the people spreading the rumor. And Jenny McCarthy's son WAS diagnosed with autism. She herself has even come out and shot down the rumor with an official statement through Generation Rescue.

I don't understand why there has to be constant negative media about the REAL HOPE that dedicated activists and organizations are trying to provide for people with autism? It's simply ignorance. If you want to be miserable in your life, go be miserable, but don't take hope away from a family in need. Sometimes, hope is all we got! 

As a sibling of a boy with autism, I know what it's like to have hope and I know what it's like to not have hope. And guess what? I'm choosing to go with the hope. And despite what anybody says, autism is treatable. I have seen my brother on biomed improve. And I have seen my brother regress when it was taken away. 

I, myself, have received a lot of shit from trolls online about my brother and about myself. I don't care. I stand by what I say and I support the people that continue to get the message across. I will also do everything in my power to make sure my brother gets to live the best life he possibly can. And no greasy, mid-aged man with a keyboard that has nothing better to do than trash a message of hope is going to stop me. 

Don't get caught up in the senseless nonsense that floats around the internet. Educate yourself and make informed decisions. Does that mean listen to me and everything I say? No. It means READ and pay attention to what you're reading. Get the facts, not the troll Facebook comments. And from there, listen to your gut. And don't lose hope. Without it, what do you have? 

Tweet me @JustPlainZack - let's keep each other motivated. Let's keep the media bullies down. 

Zack