Autism Speaks

I'll go ahead and say it: I'm a huge Jenny McCarthy fan. Have been since Blind Date and the Jenny McCarthy Show. I always found her funny in a way that most women are afraid to be and respected her for that. So while I was in line at the Wal-Mart checkout counter, I happened to see her picture on the cover of a magazine, and realized that I hadn't heard anything about her in a few years. The cover was about Jenny and her son, Evan, who was recently diagnosed with autism. My heart reached out to this mom, who I had so adored over the years, and I took the opportunity to look a little further into her story. Here's a great one I found when she did a segment on the Oprah Winfrey Show:

Jenny's Story

I found her cause to be immensely inspiring and the story moving. I suggest everyone read it, whether you are directly affected by autism or not. As a person who has had limited experience with the condition, I was amazed at some of the things that these mothers go through to open up their children. From changes in diet to conditional learning, it was amazing what some of these women, and in some cases men, would go through to help their child in any way possible. The most inspiring part of the story, however, was the progress that could be made in these difficult years. Although an immensely difficult journey, autism has not stopped Jenny from working to make her son into the most capable person he can be, and her advocacy on the subject, working with HEAL, has allowed so many more people to raise awareness for this disease.