Dream for Tomorrow
By Cathy Jameson
When I wrote this two years ago, the first sentence was, “Today autism affects 1 in 50...” Today’s updated version includes a different autism rate. As much as I’d hoped that, by today, the rate would’ve dropped. But it hasn’t. Something else that I’d also hoped was that, by today, groups like Autism Speaks would to do more than just promote awareness. But they haven’t. And, I’d hoped that all of the presidential candidates would want to prevent autism in the future. But they don’t appear to care to.
With the higher rate and with the continued lack of concern, today seems so dreary. Sometimes it truly is. I need to wash today’s dreariness away. I will be sure to do that tomorrow…
Today, autism affects 1 in 45. Odds are that more families will find themselves closer to an autism diagnosis today than yesterday. Today doesn’t sound too promising, does it?
Several times in his now famous speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the word today:
“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history…
…a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today…
…we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition…
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note …
…as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny…
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream today.”
I have a dream also. But my dream is for tomorrow.
As far as autism is concerned and how it affects my son, today breeds dread and frustration. It capitalizes on my fears. The worry I have about autism and for my son keeps a tight grip on me. It can strangulate my thoughts and shroud my thinking.
Afraid of what isn’t being done for Ronan and for a great many other children, today brings no solace, just anxiety. Looking outside of my own home, today doesn’t look so good in other places either. Newspaper headlines in America promote ineffective flu shots as our best defense against a temporary sickness. They sing praises for immature celebrities’ behavior while neglecting to address a growing national crisis. Headlines scream Look here! Look there! But just don’t look at autism. Look the other way instead.
How can they tell us to look away? Autism is a crisis that affects thousands. From one side of our country to the other, it’s crept into more communities than ever before. But today in the papers, and within the groups that should care about it, the autism epidemic goes unnoticed. So do the nightmares that come with it.
So, I’m not living for today. I’m not dreaming about it as Martin Luther King, Jr. did. Instead, my dream is for tomorrow.
When tomorrow comes, it means that today is over. It means that what my son faced because of today—overwhelming difficulties and unfortunate delays, will be but a memory.
Tomorrow can open doors that wouldn’t open today.
Tomorrow can bring change that so many of us need.
Tomorrow can be the day that makes all the difference in the world.
Tomorrow means that Ronan can try again.
It means that I can try again, too.
Will tomorrow in fact be better than today? There’s no guarantee. But from what I learned today, and how some of it wasn’t enough, I have another chance. I have the chance to rise up and greet tomorrow with a clearer head. I can greet tomorrow with more experience and more knowledge. I can greet it with strength and with confidence. I will do that because the dreams that I had for Ronan, for myself and for today were not fulfilled.
My dreams for today won’t matter anymore after today. They won’t matter because now, I plan on achieving the dreams I that have for tomorrow.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
Listen, folks, it's MUCH bigger than Hillary, or Trump, or whomever.
It's the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations). And they own EVERY politiican.
Check the site: http://www.cfr.org/interactives/GH_Vaccine_Map/index.html
Good luck.
Posted by: Joe | January 18, 2016 at 12:10 AM
My son, Conrad, was found dead in bed 21 years ago today. Five years later I setup a website in his memory, conradsimon.org, with my viewpoint on the brain damage that caused his difficulties with language development. He nearly died at birth. Resuscitation took too long. Shortly after he was diagnosed with autism, I read the article by WF Windle in the Scientific American on brain damage caused by asphyxia at birth.
Many people responded to my website asking how soon Conrad's umbilical cord was clamped. I had never thought to question protocols followed in obstetrics. Clamping the cord at birth was only natural, right? Wrong!!
I went to IMFAR 2002 in Orlando with Dr. Malcolm Morley, a poster presentation, and high hopes that clamping the umbilical cord could be stopped. Wrong!!! Now many years later this remains the accepted standard of care. The vaccine schedule should certainly be changed, but also all medical procedures employed in obstetrics and pediatrics should be examined for safety.
See Dr. Morley's website, autism-end-it-now.org.
Posted by: Patience (Eileen Nicole) Simon | January 17, 2016 at 06:41 PM
Barry, thanks for the link to the Autism Investment Conference. I noticed the conference will be here in Boston, so thought I might go and have a look.
Then I looked at the registration info. Yikes! The registration fee is $995. I guess that excludes little old me from attending this event, or participating in any discussions with participants.
Posted by: Patience (Eileen Nicole) Simon | January 17, 2016 at 06:27 PM
Autism Investment Conference? Are you kidding me?!
Who are these people? Ambulance chasers? Any corporation or business that cooperates in this "diverse opportunity landscape" should be very publicly identified on social media. Their CEO, CFO, Marketing head should hear from thoe who are, not just aware, but living with the consequences of this "opportunity."
Incredible! Like calling a conference to look at the investment opportunities in providing trains and ovens to the Nazis ...
Posted by: MamaBear | January 17, 2016 at 05:30 PM
With hundreds of Martin Luther King events across the nation tomorrow,
I would hope the “endless present problem” at the CDC with their Autism / MMR / black children / vaccine studies / are discussed after every march.
Should you have access to these groups, a few good links on the issue.
http://kellybroganmd.com/cdc-youre-fired-autism-coverup-exposed/
http://www.morganverkamp.com/august-27-2014-press-release-statement-of-william-w-thompson-ph-d-regarding-the-2004-article-examining-the-possibility-of-a-relationship-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism/
August 2014... Dr. Thompson has asked to be subpoenaed by Congress to
explain the misconduct of the CDC with Autism research. No action so far....
http://truthinmedia.com/reality-check-cdc-scientist-admits-data-of-vaccines-and-autism-was-trashed/
I would suppose these groups have their ways of providing information on the MMR vaccine issue.
Posted by: go Rand | January 17, 2016 at 02:51 PM
Barry,
Thanks for the link. Noticed front and center in the sponsors - Google (where Insel went after NIH/IAAC) and Microsoft.
At the top of the list of things that need to happen, is that, as Michael Moore pointed out a long time ago, we need to stop allowing people to profit off of sickness. The innovator's interests will always trump the interests of the afflicted. In this case, all the eggs are going into the how-can-we-profit-off-of-this-epidemic basket. The how-can-we-find-a-cure-basket is empty because there is no money (or not as much long-term for the investor) in a cure. They should all be ashamed of themselves, but incredibly, the error of their ways escapes their sick mentality. They somehow are able to tell themselves that what they're doing (for themselves) is all for the children.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/aic/sponsors-2015
Posted by: Linda1 | January 17, 2016 at 11:43 AM
I'm sorry. I know you can't lose faith, none of us can afford to stop fighting. It's the future of our country. On the prevention side if we assume vaccines are driving the epidemic numbers, I do think there is a small streak of light breaking through those dark clouds on the horizon. That small streak is growing public awareness by people who don't even know that Autism Speaks exists. I hear more talk of individual differences from doctors. Californians have lost their informed consent so it's enough to make you scream, but now if a mother has an autoimmune condition she can get a medical exemption (the medical exemption is getting broader). The CDC are shivering in their boots about the potential for criminal proceedings and they should be. Not that any day soon anything is going to happen, but my Congressman on the Reform Committee (who won't meet with me) is going after the CDC anyway for another violation. It's like the Congress can swoop down any old time they want to and so they now have that leverage on other slip ups and they are playing those cards. But I agree. time is of the essence and my hope is that streak of light means in 2016 the sun is going to break through. Fighting the good fight!
Posted by: kapoore | January 17, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Something else that I’d also hoped was that, by today, groups like Autism Speaks would to do more than just promote awareness.
**********
Ohhh, I'd say they're promoting a whole lot more than just awareness.
Here's a link to the webpage for this years " Autism Investment Conference"
https://www.autismspeaks.org/aic
So although the public is being told that autism has always just been there, AS is telling the business community that;
"..the epidemic-like rise in the prevalence of ASD over the past (20) years has created a demand for products and services to support the growing needs across the entire lifespan of individuals living with ASD…"
and
" … The goals of this two day meeting are to increase awareness and understanding of the diverse opportunity landscape for new business development among the investment community, and provide an event that helps connect developers with investors.. "
Disabled children being described as a 'diverse opportunity landscape'. It doesn't get much worse than that.
Posted by: Barry | January 17, 2016 at 09:52 AM