First, the good. McCarthy is a model for parents in her determination not to give up. When she felt like the doctors were off in their assessment, ignoring signs she was seeing, or brushing aside her complaints, she pressed on, finding other doctors and doing research on her own. As doctors have told my wife, they may be the medical experts, but she is the expert on her child. Parents and doctors have to work together to find answers.
Jenny McCarthy with her clothes on. |
For all the good sense and inspiration, McCarthy still comes across as a spoiled Hollywood bimbo. She whines that people think celebrities don't have struggles in life. Has she seen supermarket tabloids lately? They have struggles and make sure their publicist tells us all about it! Then she talks about dropping $5000 for a heart monitor to use at home, setting up an elaborate video monitoring system, which includes a 40" TV by her bed, for watching her son, and waving her credit card around to charter a $7000 one-way plane trip to go home when her son was having a seizure. She lists all the expenses for therapy and medical care, and bemoans the fact that she has to flash her cleavage for a photo shoot to pay the bills. Give me a break. Then after her husband moves out and she's back on the dating scene, this almost-40-year-old mom starts pining over some guy she meets, sounding like a teenager. She can't wait for her son to get over the flu so she can go make out on the couch with dream boy. By the way, several times she refers to her nanny. Sorry, Jenny, many of us can relate to what you're going through with your son, but most of us don't have the resources you take for granted.
I also felt a little sorry for her mixed-up religious attitude. Raised a Catholic, she is constantly praying to God for help, as well as a few prayers to Mary and Michael, the archangel (or maybe it was another angel). But when things get really bad, she has some Indian shamans do some kind of chanting, and invites Mormon missionaries to pray for his healing. She also refers to Tarot cards for guidance. I don't know, it sounds like she might need her priest to come over and give her a refresher course!
So there's good her and bad here. If she reaches some of her fans with a message of hope for their children with autism, more power to her. But there are much, much better resources out there for parents.
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