Jenny McCarthy has been a huge autism activist over the last several years since her son Evan was diagnosed. She also says he’s recovered from it [http://www.celebitchy.com/15953/jenny_mccarthy_says_her_son_has_recovered_from_autism/], thanks in part to the help of a wheat-and-dairy-free diet. Evan also suffers from seizures, which is what killed Jett Travolta two weeks ago. Many have said that Jett also had autism, but the Travolta family has never confirmed it. Jenny said her heart went out to them, and also defended their right not to talk publicly about their son’s medical issues.
~Jenny McCarthy knows the terror of nearly losing her autistic son, Evan, following a seizure. Evan was saved, while sadly, John Travolta’s son, Jett, died from his seizure, a death that hit Jenny close to home. “When I first heard the news about Jett, I slowly kind of sat down… because my heart went out to them – you know, such compassion and understanding for what they’ve gone through,” Jenny told Access.
A tragic common bond – Jenny’s 6-year-old autistic son Evan also suffers from seizures. “Last year, Evan had another seizure where he seized for seven hours on and off and we had to put him in a coma for four days so he wouldn’t go into cardiac arrest,” Jenny revealed. “So looking at Jett, I cried out of fear for my own son, and for, I can’t even tell you how many children, with autism.”
Though she is an outspoken autism activist, Jenny doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions about Jett. “I have no idea if Jett had autism,” she clarified. “I didn’t see, you know, enough footage, or ever meet Jett to give a diagnosis of my own.”
But if Jett had, in fact, been diagnosed as autistic, Jenny does not fault the Travoltas for keeping it quiet. “It’s very difficult to go places where everyone sees who you are and then their eyes immediately go to the child ‘cause they know what the diagnosis is and they stare at the child,” she said. “And no one ever wants that feeling, so they tend to keep it quiet…. They should have the right to keep whatever they want to themselves, and share what they want with the world,” she added.
[From Access Hollywood]
There has been a lot of finger pointing at the Travoltas for the way they handled Jett’s medical condition. They’ve said he suffered from Kawasaki disease. Ultimately Jenny is right – whatever he had, it’s the family’s right to keep it private. They didn’t owe the public a rundown of Jett’s health issues when he was alive, and they don’t owe us one now.
There is the whole issue of Scientology’s negative view of autistics, who they see as “degraded beings.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Travoltas shared that belief. There are many parts of my religion that I don’t believe, and from many reports John and Jett had an extremely close relationship. Jenny’s view is empathic and kind towards a family that must be going through tremendous grief right now.
Here’s Jenny launching the Suave beauty stimulus promotion in Times Square on Wednesday. Images thanks to WENN.
Celebs like her piss me off. She has an over-inflated view of herself. Just because she looked hot when she took off her clothes for playboy and looked hot while hosting a gameshow doesnt mean she knows what she is talking about when it comes to autism.
btw yes I know about her son, but the CNN interview where she was trying to talk down to a Dr really pissed me off.
-She didn’t have a chance to diagnose Jett for herself. She’s starting to toe the line of sounding like a total nut.
*start sarcasm ignition*
Yes, because a doctor ALWAYS knows more than a mother.
*ok, I’m done*
The above comments frustrate me terribly. As an Aunt to a child suffering from an illness that shares the same markers as Autism, I know of the heartbreak Jenny has gone through. There is so little actual diagnostic help…doctors just want to lump all children in to one catagory and call it a day…getting answers to any questions is nearly impossible. Add to it the complicated issue of immunizations, and Doctors not wanting to admit that their might be safety concerns…and you really feel so alone. Sometimes parents DO know better than doctors. Sometimes you have to listen to your gut and common sense. No matter what you think of her, Jenny has been an amazing role model for parents desperate to be heard…she’s given voice to people who would otherwise be lost in a sea of doctors and therapists….I think she is fabulous.
I have no problem with her dealing with her own son. That is not what I am commenting on. I am calling out her quote regarding Jett Travolta, not her own child.
I think it smacks of arrogance when she says that she never had a chance to diagnose him (Jett). I support her activism and the role model she has become. But statements like aren’t going to win her any fans. Obviously she has done a lot of to educate herself and others about Vaccine Injury. But her comment about video footage and diagnosing Jett really rubs me the wrong way.
And this is for my own education: Isn’t autism usually discovered when the children are relatively young? They behavior isn’t “normal” and parents take notice? I’m wondering because there are numerous videos of Jett being loving and social with family and friends when he was younger 7-8. He makes eye contact with the camera and smiles. Doesn’t autistic behavior usually set in earlier?
I am the mother of an austistic child.
Jenny McC has put her son in the firing line – the complete opposite of the Travolta’s condition.
All her detractors (and she has many) are going to be watching everything poor Evan does to see if he is really recovered as she claims (remember he is at an age where nearly ALL autistic children make good progess). Will he still be “recovered” at 10, 15 or 20?
IMO she is NOT a good role model for the parents of autistic children – only for those that want someone to blame for their child’s condition.
I would rather the money spent on bogus Autism Research by huge non profits with large overheads would be better spent providing services for families and particularly adults with autism – our children will all be there one day … although I doubt Jenny is concerned about Evan’s future as he has that $50million trust Jim C set up for him. That’s a lot of money for a little boy and his mother!
@ Kimble – that comes out as both unkind and petty. If Jim Carrey wants to put that kind of money in a trust for Evan and his Mum and he can afford it then who is anyone to judge about the amount or what Ms McCarthy does with it?
Kimble,
I so strongly disagree with what you said. She IS a good role model because she’s out there fighting every day to help children who suffer from this dibillitating illness. Ultimatly, I believe that most parents don’t want someone to blame…they want someone to listen. And help. They want people in their communities to stop labeling, and see a child…not an illness in front of them. Doctors are so afraid of what would happen if parents stopped giving their children shots, that they close their eyes and ears to true help and information that is available. When you know a child with these markers, it is extremely easy to spot other sufferers. I think this is what she meant by her comment relating to Jett. How can you be angry with a parent who did not give up on their child? Didn’t just sit back and say, “this is what life must be like”? And is trying to help others? You might not like everything she has to say, or how she says it…but at least SOMEONE is talking and being heard.
Jenny is a great advocate for her son, and she is a great mother for doing everything in her power to help him. HOWEVER, that being said, she has made some very irresponsible statements. If her son is indeed CURED, then she did not “cure his autism” as she stated. She instead cured his condition which was causing his autism-like symptoms.
I fully believe many allergies, neuro-issues, and other physiological conditions or intolerances CAN cause kids to exhibit autism like symptoms. And that is FANTASTIC if she discovered her child has intolerance to gluten/casein or some other mineral/nutrient imbalance. Fine, great, spread the word, and yes people SHOULD try to see if their child suffers from the same possible affliction. However, this is not the case for all of us, Jenny (myself included) – and you should be careful with statements such as you have made.
Kimble, I am sorry people are picking on you, especially as you actually have to deal with an autistic child and have to deal directly with this illness. Nobody can walk in your shoes and they shouldn’t be telling you what your attitude should be. Aside from finding cause and cure, you’re right, families have to live in the the here and now and need the services (which these days, thanks to the outgoing administration and the economy, are pretty thin).
Autism is sometimes referred to as autism spectrum disorder for a reason, because there are many manifestations of it. And it can be very hard to accurately diagnose a child who is not developing normally and has seizures. There are other, genetic disorders that could be causing a child’s problems. I think parents can be great advocates for their children and the diseases they face, but they do need to be careful about what they say on the soapbox!
As a person on the autism spectrum, I can tell you that those of you who are not, will never have a clue what it is like. It is NOT something that can be cured. It is a developmental disability, a difference in brain wiring, and it has been proven beyond a doubt that vaccines are not linked to autism. Yet people like Jenny continue to speak with no scientific understanding.
Her fifties conspiracy view of immunizations causing autism fills me with confidence in her medical skills- NOT.
I like Jenny McC and what she is doing to bring awareness… but this really irritates me.
She can’t diagnose shit. She’s not a doctor. She can know as much as she wants about autisim and what causes it and how to “cure” it, but she cannot diagnose this, or any other, medical condition.
That is really, really annoying me.
Kimble, I 100% agree with you. The issue is close to home for me too.
Thank you to those who understood where I was coming from.
I, too, am a loving caring mother and it is very difficult NOT to feel judged by Jenny McC’ and her sycophants.
She has found the “cure” and the rest of us are choosing not to provide it for our children? What a load of tosh!
My son’s future is my concern – I am a mature mother – If Jim Carey chooses to bestow his “hard earned money” on her and her son for their personal use – good luck to them both – my son (and most others) will not be so fortunate to have such a legacy for their future and will no doubt have to rely on severely underfunded public programs – this would be a great area for Jenny & Jim to work on in the future if they really care about those with autism!
whenever i see jenny all i can think of is when she was on that mtv show, farting, burping, sticking her fingers in her nose, screaming and shouting. klassy.
I think her “footage” and “diagnosis” quote was an unfortunate mis-wording. I’m willing to bet she has or will re-read it, realize how flippant it sounds, and immediately start banging her head against the wall in embarrassment.
However, her claims to have “cured” autism sound self-righteous, “GOOP”-ish (A new word for the popculture dictionary, anyone?) and downright antiquated and I can understand how those caring for autistic people would be offended and outraged by them.
I am autistic and I do want to have children sometime in my future. That means that I have done plenty of research about raising autistic children. I cannot stand Jenny McCarthy because she is simply using her son and people such as myself as a publicity tool. Lots of parents of autistic children feel the exact same way as I do: disgusted. During her interview on Larry King Live, she said that she had no idea if autistic adults exist (which they do because autism was first documented during the 1940s and may have been present for millinia) because she has not met any. Furthermore, people like her have turned autism awareness into immoral celebrity gossip. Whether her child is autistic or not, I don’t care. Hopefully, he is neurotypical so that she could be exposed as the attention-whore that she is. Every time that she gets an interview, she exaggerates and makes wild fabrications. There are some consistancies, but most of it is exaggerations and fabrications. For instance, on the Bonnie Hunt Show, she claimed that she sensed her son’s first seizure during a photo shoot and told the director that she had to see her son. She will sink to new lows for publicity.