Jim Carrey: "Autism Made Me a Man"

News from Health Lover, Ilena Rosenthal:
http://ilenarose.blogspot.com

Kim Stagliano
Posted June 15, 2008 |

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-st..._b_107100.html

On June 4th, I (and about 8000 close autism friends) attended Jenny
McCarthy and Jim Carrey's "Green Our Vaccines" rally in Washington,
DC. After marching a mile and a half in the nuclear, DC sun, we
arrived on the lawn in front of the Capitol building for two hours of
inspirational speeches by doctors, parents, advocates (like Robert F.
Kennedy, Jr.) Jenny and her devoted beau, Jim Carrey.

Jim's speech included one line that has resonated with me. No, not "We
are here! We are here!", although there were plenty of Horton Hears a
Who-related chants at the rally. As he talked about the many rings of
fire Jenny went through to help her son Evan, who was diagnosed with
both autism and a seizure disorder, he said (I'm paraphrasing, I was
too star struck to remember the exact words), "Autism made me a man."
He made it clear that loving Jenny and Evan had changed him for the
better. Wow. Break out the hankies people. He stopped me cold on a
very hot day.

Autism snaps the backbone of many families. Or it turns a spine to
steel, able to bend but never to break. On this Father's Day, I'd like
to salute all of the fathers of kids with autism. Whether your child
is a toddler, or approaching AARP membership, you deserve a salute. So
here I go:

This post is for the dads who've stuck by their kids. To the single
dads, who work overtime for their children. To the grandfathers who
donate their time and money and knowledge and love to help their
grandchildren. (Like my own wonderful Dad.) To the men who've learned
now to make killer GFCF smoothies and who are willing to wake up at
1:00am to administer MB12 shots when Mom can't bear to do it. To the
men who hold onto their child during a meltdown -- while Mom grabs the
activated charcoal.

To the men who miss T-ball and soccer practices, instead going to
speech therapy and social skills groups. To the men who can read an
IEP as well as the baseball stats. To the men who will never give up
believing that one day, their sons and daughters will greet them with
words and a smile. To the men who spend more time laminating PECS than
working on their pecs. To the men who find a new job, in a faraway
state, to ensure better services for their children. To the men who
are still saving for their child's college tuition, even while they
scrimp and save to pay for ABA therapy and OT equipment in the
basement. To the men who gave up careers to devote their days to their
child's better health and functioning. To the men who stand by their
wives and girlfriends and partners with strength, loyalty and the
shelter of open arms. To the men who are planning for their daughters'
weddings, not their group homes.

Happy Father's Day to all of you. And most especially, to the man in
my own house who has stood by me and our daughters every day for over
sixteen years; my husband Mark. You were a young man when I married
you. You are a man among men now. Thank you. And I love you. Happy
Father's Day.