Jenny McCarthy is an idiot
Posted
October 1, 2008 at
5:23 pm by
Jessica
Since we look to Hollywood to shape our political views, why not our medical ones as well? Actresses Jenny McCarthy and Amanda Peet are having a bit of a spat over the subject of vaccinations. See, McCarthy, who thinks showing off your surgically enhanced tits makes you an expert in human anatomy, has been very vocal about the MMR vaccine being the cause of her son’s autism — a link that has not been scientifically proven — while Peet is champion of vaccinations, calling anti-vac parents “parasites” in a recent interview. But what really takes the cake is that McCarthy claims to know not only caused her son Evan’s autism, but says she has also found a “cure” for the disease as well. McCarthy has been giving her son vitamin B-12 shots, as well as keeping him on a strict diet, methods she says helped him “recover”. When asked about the science behind all these notions, she stated, “My science is Evan, and he’s at home. That’s my science.” To quote her famous live-in boyfriend, “Well, alrighty then!!”
McCarthy has been making the TV rounds for a while now, on such think tank shows like Larry King (who loves to give publicity to crackpot psychics) and Oprah Winfrey (recently known for her endorsement of the giant hoax The Secret) — basically anywhere that will let her share her “wisdom” unchallenged. Even though the general consensus amongst medical scientists around the world are that such claims remain unproven and possibly dangerous and nothing more than gossip/rumor, some parents look up to the protruding boobs of Jenny McCarthy and take in the information as if they were listening to somebody who actually knew what they were talking about and had some kind of medical or clinical expertise to back it up.
Honestly, if supplements were the cure for Autism, don’t you think that somebody other than Jenny McCarthy would have figured that out? Don’t you think that scientists and doctors would have latched onto such “cures” and capitalized on it?
Many forms of autism are still being diagnosed rather subjectively, so certain behaviors can foster such a diagnosis which can lead to nothing more than a label. A child labeled with austim might not truly have autism to begin with, but his/her behaviors cannot be explained under any other label. I know this firsthand. My son was diagnosed with Aspergers a year and half ago which is part of the autism spectrum, and just as soon as one of the top pediatric neurologists gave him the diagnosis, a year later, it was taken away. Turns out, he was given that diagnosis because they didn’t know how to label his developmental delays and wanted to give us a path to receive services. This neurologist, at a well known University, gave him an IQ test and said, “Well there you have it. His brain is over-developing in the areas of processing information and analyzing subjects and as a result, his emotional and physical development is lagging behind. Here’s a book. You’ll need this in order to navigate a school system that has very little to offer gifted children. Good luck… oh, and his development? Don’t worry about that. He’ll catch up. No need to schedule a follow up.”
Yes, I realize this is anecdotal, but no more so than the “expert” Playmate… but, my son really loves chocolate and eats more than he should. If I follow McCarthy’s logic, perhaps it’s chocolate that “cured” him! Await my appearance on Oprah next month.
Tags: aspergers, Autism, B-12 shots, celebrity fools, Celiac disease, cure for Autism, Jenny McCarthy, vitamins |
53 Responses to “Jenny McCarthy is an idiot”
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1. TheYoungMother
October 1, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
Honestly, you sound more like a jealous, disgruntled woman, than anything else. So what if she makes money off of her sex appeal? I’m just thankful she’s using her fame to bring attention to autism. She loves her child just like any of us mothers do, and while you may not agree with her, it seems to be working for her child. Hell if my son had autism and they told me that by doing back flips I would cure him, guess what? I would do it in a second to save my son. And you said Doctors would make money off of finding a cure? No they wouldn’t. Doctors and pharmecuetical companies make money by keeping people sick, not by curing them. In My Honest Opinion.
2. Prescott
October 1, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
Medical researchers — you know, the ones that would be the most likely to study a link between autism and diets — are very motivated to find cures for diseases. Not only does it get their names in lights in prominent medical journals (along with minor honors like Nobel prizes), but it goes a long way to getting those future big grant $$$. So there goes your conspiracy theory.
Hell if my son had autism and they told me that by doing back flips I would cure him, guess what? I would do it in a second to save my son.
Doesn’t it matter to you who the “they” in your statement are? It does to me. I would rather come to terms with reality than getting false hopes from snakeoil salesmen.
3. FindingHope
October 1, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
McCarthy believes their is a cure for her son - she is a mother that is living on hope. Yes being realistic is important, to ensure that as a mother your are providing adequate care for a child with autism or any other disability for that matter. Believing that something (anything that would not harm your child) will or can make him/her better is called hope. The world would be a better place if more people had hope. That would explain why her science is her son - she believes in him. By sharing in what she believes is inspiring other parents to find hope that is what should really matter.
Doctors are people - some are good and some are bad. So both theory’s are quite possible. Some will work to find a cure some will not.
As for ALL the comments on her sex appeal/playmate etc. That in no way is related to her son, his autism and the ‘cure’ she believes she has found (or whether or not the vac caused it). The author is showing ignorance and jealousy by bringing such items that have no relevance to the table.
ALL in my humble opinion.
4. TheYoungMother
October 1, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
Come to terms? meaning that if a doctor told you there was no way to save your child you would just leave it at that? I wouldn’t. I would keep searching for another answer, remedy, something. I wouldn’t just leave it at that. I would do everything in my will to try to help my child.
5. Jessica
October 1, 2008 @ 9:09 pm
She can believe whatever she wants. Just because she believes that she has a cure for autism doesn’t make it a fact. She has a right to her beliefs, it’s unfortunate that she’s touting herself as some sort of autistic expert on whatever talk show that will have her and taking advantage of parents who are in very vulnerable positions.
Accusing me of being jealous because I’m not buying that Jenny McCarthy is some sort of scientific genius with a cure for autism pretty much tells me that you’re her target audience.
6. TheYoungMother
October 1, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
My Comment @ 8:42 was directed at prescott.
Findinghope: I agree with you 100%. I know this is a very touchy subject, we all have different ways of helping our children. But with one thing in common. Most of us, have our children’s best interest at heart. I just wish we would be discussing how great it was that we have found a cure, not discussing whose the worse evil for helping our children the best we know how. I was scared to get my son his vaccinations. (Personally I felt that if it came down to it, I would rather have an autisic child I can possibly work with, than a child suffering from a painful disease. If worse came to worse) But I in NO way am judgemental for the parents that don’t. Its the most dificult decision I have had to make. I hope I don’t regret it. I’m just glad people have to courage to discuss other options. Not just staring into the black and white, but looking into the gray for hope.
7. TheYoungMother
October 1, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Jessica:
What do her boobs have anything to do with her speaking out on autism. NOTHING.
Just with your negative statements alone that you made about her being a playmate, shows your indifference with her for her sex appeal. You pointed it out in your article yourself. Jenny Mcarthy never said that we had to follow her regiment, all she said was that we should look into other options. She gave us examples of what she did. She showed us that there ARE other options available for us to look into. This article indeed is ignorant. Instead of applauding her for giving other mother’s the strength and courage to look into our choices, you bash her by saying “McCarthy, who thinks showing off your surgically enhanced tits makes you an expert in human anatomy.” She never said she was an expert. Like findinghope said, she’s showing us what a mother with hope can do. And I’m happy that she has found something that works for her child.
8. Prescott
October 1, 2008 @ 9:42 pm
“Come to terms? meaning that if a doctor told you there was no way to save your child you would just leave it at that? I wouldn’t.”
No, not *a doctor*, but if almost the *entire medical/scientific community* told me I would perhaps try to deal with it rationally and enjoy my family instead of chasing rainbows and following the nonsense spouted by a C-list celebrity with absolutely zero expertise on the subject.
“Hope” is when you have cancer and there’s a 52% chance that treatment will work. “False hope” is believing in something that has zero proven chance of working. If you can’t comprehend the devastating emotional effects of false hope and denial, well, any further conversation is pointless.
9. Prescott
October 1, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
She never said she was an expert.
Yet she’s on a national campaign encouraging parents to forgo vaccinations based on disproven studies. She’s had numerous doctors and neurologists tell her that perhaps her son was originally misdiagnosed (which — shockingly — actually happens, and which I’ve experienced first hand) but somehow *they* are all the ones in denial. She, in her own words, calls the vaccine industry a “profit engine then a means of prevention” which clearly displays her extreme lack of knowledge on the subject. Thimerosal has not been included in MMR since 2001, yet there’s been no decrease in autism diagnosis. Correlation does not equal causation.
I don’t care if she explicitly puts herself out there as an “expert” or not — in this Idiocracy people actually *listen* to her and treat her words as fact. She knows this, and is leveraging her celebrity to advance her cause. I don’t see how filling parents’ minds with inaccuracies does anybody any good whatsoever.
And I don’t know why you keep hammering the point home, but it’s fairly obvious that pointing out that McCarthy is known for posing nude and making TV shows with crude humor is merely to accentuate how far removed she is from any sort of expertise on the subject of pathology.
10. Debbie
October 1, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
Thank you, Jessica. Despite what some of your respondents said, Jenny McCarthy IS doing harm by making all of her unsupported claims. She has a ton of publicity because of her fame and unfortunately, many people will believe what she says merely because she’s famous and she has a son with autism. More and more credible, scientific studies are being published all the time showing that there is no link between vaccines and autism. These studies are being published in peer-reviewed journals, which are not often read by the general public. Some paranoid parents have already stopped vaccinating their children and we’re starting to see the comeback of diseases (e.g., measles) that are easily prevented by vaccines. The fact that the number of vaccines has increased so much over the past 30 years is because we can now prevent more diseases, thanks to scientific research. The correlated increase in the number of cases of autism is just that, a correlation. Ice cream sales and homicides both increase in the summer months, but that doesn’t mean that ice cream makes humans more violent. The *only way* to acquire solid evidence of a cause and effect relationship is through controlled, scientific experiments. Period.
– A research scientist in SC
11. a concerned parent
October 2, 2008 @ 2:29 am
I couldn’t agree more. Jenny McCarthy is an idiot. But she’s worse than that, she’s exploiting her son the way she used to make money exploiting her silicone implants, botox’d face and bleached hair.
12. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 9:28 am
Prescott: you said
“No, not *a doctor*, but if almost the *entire medical/scientific community* told me I would perhaps try to deal with it rationally and enjoy my family instead of chasing rainbows and following the nonsense spouted by a C-list celebrity with absolutely zero expertise on the subject”.
Trying to help your child when the majority is telling you there is no way to do it, doesn’t mean your being irrational. It means you care for your child enough to help him find another solution. And as for following “nonsense” by a c list celebrity… lol. There is a huge community of parents dealing with this differently, and not just because they are “following” her. but because they realize there may be other options aailable and they care enough to help their kids out. And somehow all these parents are all wrong? Who knows your their children more than their own parents? While I do understand the people in the medical community have more knowledge when it comes to disease, these doctors have no clue what its like to have a child with autism. And if these Parents are coming out of the woodwork, saying that these other remedies are actually working for their kids, I highly doubt every single one of them are wrong.
And as for the
“If you can’t comprehend the devastating emotional effects of false hope and denial, well, any further conversation is pointless.”
I personally would rather try and fail, than not try at all, and fail knowing I didn’t give it my all. Our children do deserve for us to take that extra step to help them.
13. Prescott
October 2, 2008 @ 9:41 am
“Our children do deserve for us to take that extra step to help them.”
You mean like giving them vaccines to protect them from awful, potentially fatal illnesses? I agree.
14. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 9:49 am
lol. I’m glad you do. Because I do as well. I never once said we should not give our children vaccinations. I just believe we shouldn’t judge mothers for doing what they feel is in the best interest of their children. ha.
15. Prescott
October 2, 2008 @ 10:01 am
I never once said we should not give our children vaccinations.
You didn’t, but the subject of this blog post does.
I just believe we shouldn’t judge mothers for doing what they feel is in the best interest of their children. ha.
Hypothetical: I’m a Christian Scientist. My child had a lung infection, easily treatable, but I had “hope” in God to heal him so I did not seek medical attention. Unfortunately, he died. Do you judge me? If so, why? I just did what I felt was the best for my child. And if you *do* condone such behavior, well that speaks volumes.
16. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 10:13 am
But see, now your crossing lines with medicine and religion. These parents aren’t looking for another solution because of a higher power that they believe in, they are looking for another solution because this solution that doctors have given them doesn’t seem to be working for their kids.
Honestly.
I think its a wonderful thing that anyone would come out and speak about autism and their own experiences. Even if its a woman who makes money off of her gorgeous body. She may not know a lot in the medical field, but she can relate to parents dealing with autism better than anyone who doesn’t know. Because frankly unless your living with it at home, we don’t know. She knows what its like having a little child with autism, feeling frustrated, and trying to help him the best she knows how. And you know what, if it works for her, I’m happy for her. As for you, If God Forbid our children be diagnosed with the same…. If you believe that just by listening to what the Doctors are telling you, and you feel thats the best you can do for your loved one. Then great for you. As parents we do as we see fits. I Personally wouldn’t just leave it at that. I would research it with whatever resources I had, and give it my all. But to each their own, there is no right answer to this. My only hope is that we find a cure.
17. Prescott
October 2, 2008 @ 10:25 am
You were the one that started talking about “hope”, not me. And encouraging parents to skip vaccinations because of a highly ignorant opinion is not “medicine”.
I don’t see how wishing that a wheat-free diet will cure autism is somehow more reasoned than thinking God will do it.
She may not know a lot in the medical field
Then she should shut up and stop giving other parents medical advice.
18. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Well then don’t listen to her sweetheart. No reason to get your panties in a twist.
We all take what we see fits. While I don’t condone skipping vaccinations, I’m not opposed. But if you don’t like it, then its simple, don’t listen to her. She can say whatever she wants. Freedom of Speech. And if you don’t agree, you have the freedom not to listen. Its just sad that people can’t look outside their comfort zone. Not everything is in black and white. There IS such thing as looking into the gray.
19. Marie
October 2, 2008 @ 11:49 am
@TheYoungMother - Thank you for sticking to your guns!
@Prescott who says “No, not *a doctor*, but if almost the *entire medical/scientific community* told me I would perhaps try to deal with it rationally and enjoy my family instead of chasing rainbows and following the nonsense spouted by a C-list celebrity with absolutely zero expertise on the subject.”
I’m sorry that you think/feel that way. Yes, I could care less about Jenny McCarthy’s “opinions” THOUGH I know at least 11 people (family and close friends) who chose to take a holistic approach and cured themselves… CURED! This includes – CANCER, MS, and so forth. Nothing is 100%. I’m a firm believer in science though if you are to throw human error and greed into the picture you have a large gray area. Of course they want to keep us sick otherwise how would they make “The Big Bucks”? If you choose to believe solely in the entire medical/scientific community you are just as doomed as the person who prays for a god to heal their loved ones.
@ Jessica – Doctors would NEVER capitalize on CURES! Illness keeps them in business. Why ruin the profits? Also, please do you research about vaccines before you write your posts. Do you know what they’ve been putting in vaccines? What they’ve been adding to it? I know many people who have never been vaccinated and are in PERFECT health and have HEALTHY immune systems. I also have a family member with autism so I felt the need to speak out. Why ever since he has been treated holistically he has improved ten fold? Do you have an answer? There may not be a cure per say but perhaps there are healthy ways to improve?
The medical system is flawed.
Here is a random link among many: http://www.naturalnews.com/023911.html
People are taking a stand all over the world!!
20. Jessica
October 2, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
So can I, and I did, because Jenny McCarthy is full of BS.
21. Jessica
October 2, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
Actually, that’s not how science works, LOL.
First of all, it’s impossible for me to believe you are a “firm believer” in science if you actually believe that vitamins and herbs can “CURE” cancer. There is absolutely no scientific basis that supports holistic remedies are curative for diseases like cancer or neurological disorders like autism etc.
See, in science, you have to have a lot more than Jenny McCarthy or even yourself and family and friends, claiming causation in order to prove it. It has to undergo rigorous studies that can be repeated by other scientists (peer reviewed) and offer statistically relevant results. Going on Larry King and claiming B-12 shots cure autism doesn’t make it true or even ethical.
22. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
Thats fine that you think that. But what do her big boobs and beautiful body have to do with this article? Other than the fact of your own personal issues with her…
It has nothing to do with her stance on Autsim. At least the last time I checked…
The only bs I see here is the fact that people are criticizing her for speaking out on something that actually worked for her son! and thats great. What more could we wish for than to hear that someone’s baby is doing better?? Regardless of who she is, I would wish no less on anyone. While I don’t agree with everything she has done, I do think its wonderful that she has opened the parents eyes that not everything is set in stone. There are other options. And when you have a sick baby at home, having those options are sure a hell of a lot more comforting then feeling your at a dead end.
23. Marie
October 2, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
Oh, Jessica and Prescott are married eh? It all makes perfect sense. Two people with tunnel vision slamming their heads into a brick wall every chance they can get. Fun times!
Perhaps I should say I am a firm believer in science that is not manipulated. Scientists study nature and find cures all the time. Perhaps I should say that I believe in Scientists that don’t LIE. (Or maybe I could say keep there findings on the “hush-hush”? Ex. Lung cancer connection to smoking back in the day? Hello?)
Can you honestly tell me there aren’t a ridiculous amount of doctors out there that don’t lie in order to get paid? Get real! I guess you are going to tell me that you’re flawless as well? HAHA as flawless as the American medical system and as solid as the dollar and well… just about everything else eh?
You said – “There is absolutely no scientific basis that supports holistic remedies are curative for diseases like cancer or neurological disorders like autism etc.”
Oh yeah!? Go tell that to my grandfather who should have died 20 years ago! He is living proof!!
Yes you are entitled to say whatever you please, free speech -yadda yadda- but, in my oh-so-humble opinion, you are the one who is full of BS. I’m bored – and I’m out. Peace.
24. Prescott
October 2, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Oh yeah!? Go tell that to my grandfather who should have died 20 years ago! He is living proof!!
Anecdotal evidence is not “proof” — would have thought you would know that being such a fan of “non-manipulated science”.
Can you honestly tell me there aren’t a ridiculous amount of doctors out there that don’t lie in order to get paid? Get real!
I would think the burden of proof would fall on you with that statement, no? You’re living in a world of conspiracy theories and I’m the one slamming my head against the wall?
That evil, evil medical establishment who without you would have the life expectancy of less than half what you do now. What awful people.
25. Marie
October 2, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
“That evil, evil medical establishment who without you would have the life expectancy of less than half what you do now. What awful people.”
HAHAHA
A quote from one of MANY websites, books, facts, etc:
“The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is nearly 800,000 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5″
Link: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/aug2006_report_death_01.htm
Ex. I’ve learned in college through books, travel, and FACTS and so on… that for thousands of years the chinese lived long and healthy lives through HERBS and natural remedies while the rest of the world was lucky to reach 30-50 if that. Read up on it! Oh but they knew nothing!? Right. Is there an end to this tunnel?
26. Prescott
October 2, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
Are you implying that those deaths were on purpose? And that they would have been otherwise prevented if those people just took a bunch of herbs instead? (Nice unbiased source you linked to there)
Here’s my own link for your reading pleasure: http://www.ncahf.org/
for thousands of years the chinese lived long and healthy lives through HERBS and natural remedies while the rest of the world was lucky to reach 30-50 if that
Now you’re starting to sound like a Kevin Trudeau infomercial. I thought you were “out”?
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-over-human-history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longevity_myths
27. Marie
October 2, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Also it’s about prevention! If people were eating healthy and were well informed of a multitude of things, we wouldn’t need the doctor’s much at all…. Oh but how would they get paid????? Oh my! Oh and you’re bringing up the words “conspiracy theories”? You are a COMEDIC genius!!!!!
28. StaceyS_MOD
October 2, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
I personally loved this article!
Celebrities have got to know that people listen to what they say simply because they are celebrities! They don’t have to have any “facts” backing their story they just have to talk about it in a public forum & instantly there are a bunch of followers (er um people) who magically believe what they say because of who they are, not so much because of what they know. Because of this I think it should be their responsibility to think twice about what they say before they say it regardless if you’re trying to promote a book, movie, television show, clothing line, etc. or not.
This to me is not so much different that that whole episode with Tom Cruise belaboring his point about his opinions of psychiatrists & anti-depressants etc. Claiming his beliefs to be “fact” is irresponsible.
If Jenny had said this worked for my son, MAYBE it could help your child as well…. but I in no way shape or form encourage you to go out & try this without seeking the advise of a medical professional. That would have been a little more appropriate.
As far as the comments on her body….I think the point (the one I got anyway) was to try & make the reader see that this person has made a living & a name for herself off of her body, her slap stick comedy, & her dumb blonde routine. To turn around and all of a sudden come off like Jenny McCartney MD seems a bit preposterous.
I’m truly glad Ms. McCartney feels like she has found a “cure” for her child….but it would be negligent of anyone to go around publicly stating they should follow some holistic prescription rather then seeking the advice of a medical professional.
29. StaceyS_MOD
October 2, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
*Please note it should have been McCarthy NOT McCartney*
30. Jessica
October 2, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Well, Marie’s “evidence” is from a site that is selling some herbal voo-doo remedy that promises long life. LOL. It also says that their claims are not “FDA approved and that the product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”, along with a bunch of other disclaimers.
Clearly, it’s futile to debate with Marie who appears to lack a basic understanding of the scientific method.
31. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
Marie:
I agree with you 100%. Prescott was comparing Religion to a wheat free diet lol. I mean come on, If anyone thinks that ALL Doctors are there to help, and that the ALL the Medical companies are there to keep people healthy are just living in a box. It has nothing to do with conspiracy theories lol. It has do with the facts. The more people sick, the more money doctors make. Plain and simple.
32. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
Jessica, you do realize that all herbal supplements have that written on there right? lol.
33. Chag
October 2, 2008 @ 8:51 pm
What is not mentioned in this article and lots of other press regarding Jenny McCarthy and her son is that he received intensive ABA therapy as well. Headlines scream, “The Diet That Cured My Son,” but that was simply not all that was in play here. The simple fact is that most people cannot afford the ABA therapy that contributed to her son’s improvement. They can, however, afford the special diets and supplements. And that’s what gets the press.
My son has autism. We have had him on the gf/cf diet for six months. And while we did not see the MIRACULOUS RECOVERY others claim while on the diet, out son’s concentration improved greatly and his skin rashes cleared up almost immediately.
We have recently begun giving our son supplements. Through blood tests, we discovered that he was severely deficient in a certain mineral. We started giving him this mineral a month ago. He has gone from a child who rarely spoke to one that now says two to three words a day. He is also doing much, much better at school/therapy. Now this could all be one big coincidence, but we don’t think so.
Some children with autism have immunological and gastrointestinal problems. I feel that the special diets and supplements help these children become more “healthy” and that makes any therapies the child is receiving more beneficial and worthwhile.
So do I think a gf/cf diet and supplements “cure” Autism? No. But I do believe they make the child healthier which, in turn, makes any therapies more valuable.
34. TheYoungMother
October 2, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Thank you for bringing this up. I’m glad to hear a parent who is actually going through this, be able to give honest input. Its nice to hear that I’m not the only “crazy” parent for believing there may be other remedies to help the situtaion. It boggles me that after hearing stories like this people are still ignorant enough to judge parents for loooking into other options to help their children. Good For you.
35. GrandmafrmKs.
October 3, 2008 @ 1:30 am
Dang Jessica, you are gonna be on Oprah next month???????? I wanna go, You are so lucky, LOL
Have a good one !
36. Mary Beth
October 3, 2008 @ 9:56 am
I was one of those moms that got her children vaccinated and my youngest son still got whooping cough in the 4th grade. He basically missed about a month of school because he could not stop coughing. Literally coughed until he threw up. He was misdiagnosed at first with walking pneumonia but when he didn’t respond to meds, they knew it was whooping cough. The doctor said it is a lousy vaccine and it only lasts about 10 years and my son was 10 years old. I believe they are giving a booster shot for it now but it made me realize that these vaccinations are not the end all for diseases and illnesses. My son was a healthy athletic and smart kid and to see him brought down by something he had been vaccinated was hard to watch. It took him a few months to recover and then he went through asthmatic symptoms for about a year before he was totally restored to health.
So his vaccination didn’t do much to protect him and I wonder how the others rate as well.
37. Jessica
October 3, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Yeah, especially the Polio vaccine. That vaccine is totally worthless.
(Oh, the days of Polio, those were good times. Good times.)
38. Jessica
October 3, 2008 @ 11:00 am
Yes, but I’d just like to point out dietary improvements can benefit any child. All children can benefit from better/proper nutrition and certain supplements.
I would also like to point out, that if a child is allergic to wheat, and they exhibit certain behaviors as a result, of course they’re going to benefit drastically from eliminating the allergen, but allergies are not the same thing as autism, although they often mimic autistic behaviors. Sometimes these are comorbid issues and other times it’s the cause of the behavior to begin with. And, not all ADD or austistic children have food allergies or sensitivies, so these diets aren’t necessarily a panacea.
39. Cin
October 3, 2008 @ 10:48 pm
Well funny that I just got here and this is the first post I read, since I just got done watching my DVR of Ellen with Jenny McCarthy! I thought she was great in the interview and now I’m all questioning my judgment!
She made a point to say she is not against vaccinations but she thinks it is time to re-evaluate the ingredients. She also clarified that it is not possible to be “cured” of autism, only for degrees of recovery. I am becoming more and more involved in the benefits of diet and was all drinking her kool aid, but I am disappointed to hear that she left out the part about the expensive therapy.
How’d I do?
40. Ben Dover
October 14, 2008 @ 9:28 am
Jenny McCarthy is one dumbest bimbos in hollywood or anywhere else for that matter. She is a helicopter mother living with another freak, Jim Carrey, as it that will help her situation.
41. Jennifer
October 19, 2008 @ 6:56 pm
Actually, everything McCarthy is speaking about is widely known and used by many doctors. She is the only celebrity who has had the guts to come forward. But, I guess she can’t know anything because she has fake breasts? Isn’t that a bit sexist? Anyway, I digress..
I have heard so many anecdotal reports talking about the methods that McCarthy uses with her son as I have a daughter on the spectrum. It’s very convenient to decide that if a child recovers then they can’t have had TRUE autism in the first place… convenient.
The patients always know and test the latest treatments… working or not because they are the ones who really need it and aren’t in it for profit or fame. They want to help their children.
I’m sorry you are having such an issue with boobs. I hope you get help with that.
42. Amanda
November 21, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
What I am wondering is if any of these kids were ever diagnosed with Celiac Disease?? I read McCarthy’s book, Louder Than Words, Evan began to have symptoms at the time his intestines would have started to have damage from CD. He also recieved his MMR around this time.
Celiacs can have seizures! Celiacs no matter what age, can start to have emotional, personality, and cognitive changes. McCarthy herself claims an Irish/German heritage, the largest amount of diagnosed Celiacs in the world is Belfast according to research from Columbia University.
I am a grown adult with Celiac and I get that dazed feeling when I eat anything with gluten, my speech even slurs! Not all Celiacs are people with horrendous diarrhea. Since being diagnosed and having damage, I take a vitamin B12 supplement and prenatal vitamins (high Folate) because Celiacs are low on B12 and Folate which are needed for neurologic function.
My only complaint on McCarthy is that she needs to really back her experiences up with some scientific basis a little more. I think she is on the right track but I think the reason everything worked so well for her is that she was actually dealing with something a little different than what she thought. She keeps calling his condition “leaky gut” what does that mean?? I would buy it that her son was born with the genes for an autoimmune disorder that might have been triggered by the vaccines but that will not happen to all kids. Celiac can be triggered by so many things, you just have to have the gene.
I just don’t think she had the knowledge base in her book for what she wanted to say.
I think she puts it well at the end of her book by saying her book is not about science but about her faith and determination do help Evan.
Parents should hold onto that.
I don’t want to get on my Celiac Soapbox but I think she really needs to figure out what that “leaky gut” diagnosis really is. If these kids have Celiac she needs to be thinking about that. Not all autistic kids are gluten/casein intolerant or Celiacs. We may never know if Evan has Celiac’s because if I was her I wouldn’t put him back on that diet just to prove a point.
Sorry for the long comment but I feel like doctors don’t listen to patients, are not willing to think outside of the box..It’s a simple blood test for antibodies!
I am a nurse and the doctors I work with will not even think about taking a simple blood test for patients who are frustrated and the docs can’t figure out what is wrong with them.
A Celiac Panel after solid foods are introduced when a child starts acting different or part of a Autism work up could be a big help. More than likely, the child is going to have blood drawn anyway.
As far as the sex symbol thing, yeah, she is one but that does not take away from her being a passionate caring mother. She is a human being; not perfect. I commend her for being so vulnerable to put herself out there like this. I hope that she increases her knowledge base so that she can have something more analytical and scientific back her up.
Consider this though, some of the biggest discoveries in science started out with instincts…it has to start somewhere.
43. Formerly known as
November 21, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
I think autism has a genetic link and has nothing to do with vaccines. I think people who do not vaccinate their children are doing the rest of the population a huge diservice. Polio is almost totally eradicated in the US due to vaccines.
Yes you do need boosters for some vaccines. You can get the disease again if the vaccines wear off. I work in the health field I can not tell you how many pushy moms I have met who try to get their childrens vaccines early because they do not want to bring their children back at their scheduled time. Vaccines need to be given as scheduled to be effective.
Stop blaming autism on vaccines.
44. ambull
November 21, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
i don’t really have an opinion on this subject at this time, but i’m laughing my BUTT off at the BEN DOVER poster name….so highschool and sooo funny!!!
jessica, can i change my name to Eileen Dover?
45. DesertMommy
January 2, 2009 @ 4:16 am
When you’re a parent that’s good enough “science”. You do what works. She doesn’t have to wait for a double blind study to help her little one. Your tone is so sarcastic and hateful on this blog. Surprising its so popular, Oprah and all that. Most moms I know are so kind and uplifting of each other. You reply with such venom. Relax and let Jenny McCarthy be. She loves her son like you love your little ones.
46. claire louise
April 1, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
I could not agree more. My son has Aspergers. I know he will never be cured then again do I want him to be ? He is who he is and I LOVE HIM FOR THIS. Jenny McCarthy go away.
47. Mac
June 10, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
I know I’m late coming to this, but to ‘the young mother’ (which–I’m just sayin’–probably shows your level of intellect and education, since polls show that the majority of educated people have fewer children and wait until a later age to do so), YOU’RE the one who keeps bringing up Jenny’s ‘big boobs and beautiful body’, NOT Jessica (who brought it up once).
48. Mac
June 10, 2009 @ 8:25 pm
Oh and regarding the people who think the fact that their grandfather or some other large number of people (and 11 people out of the SIX BILLION here on earth sure is a big number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) who were ‘cured’ by holistic means, explain to me why Daniel Hauser (son of Colleen Hauser, who recently had to be ordered by a court to get REAL medical treatment for her son’s CURABLE disease b/c she was too busy calling her son a ’shaman’ and giving him holistic ‘medicine’ and ‘treatments’) got much worse as his disease progressed. Is Ms. Hauser’s holistic approach not the right one, sort of like the whole ‘my God is better than your God’ argument?
49. TheYoungMother
June 10, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
Mac:
LOL! That’s your argument? Way to go on showing YOUR intellect buddy. I respect everyone’s point of view. But *trying* to put me down because of my opinion on this article (not to mention your ridiculous comment on my screen name lol) really shows YOUR true colors. Gosh, At least bring a valid argument or statement to the table , not just some unfounded comment about a screen name! And at least the opposing views here have some valid statements. I’d rather be a young mother and stick to what I believe in, than be older, and come up with a stupid comment like that. Good Job…
50. HothCold
July 27, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
I’ve loved Jenny McCarthy since I was 17 yrs old. I’m actually somewhat jealous of Jim Carrey, & I think she still looks gorgeous.
I had a series of her posters, some of the Playboy magazines in which she was featured, I bought a surfing compilation album just because she was affilated with the CD, and sat through SCREAM 3 because she had a minor part in that film. After her dreadful NBC sitcom JENNY was cancelled, her popularity began to dwindle, and I moved on.
Years later, I learned she had written some books; one detailing her pregnancy, & the other discussing how she copes with the challenges of raising an autistic child.
After reading both, my first thought honestly was “That’s what you get for posing nude”. My second thought was “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Practically, every second word was either f***, c***s*****, or m*****f*****. My third thought was “So this is your career now, huh? You’re exploiting your sons’ condition and posing as an expert on autism”.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, (and I realize I completely missed the point of your blog), but I don’t think it’s fair to call Jenny an idiot. She’s a better mom than some of the others who appear in the tabloids or certain hit TLC shows. I also think that she’s simply living by the mantra “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”.
If I admire Jenny for only one thing, it’d be her unmatched beauty.
51. MotherOfThree
September 26, 2009 @ 5:35 am
I admire Jenny for trying to find a cure for her son’s autism.
Early 2007 I had a seizure and hit my head.
Immediately after that I’d have these dizzy spells accompanied by headaches that would last anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes! They were horrible and affected my ability to function normally. If I was out doing something and I had a spell I had to stop what I was doing immediately and couldn’t continue on until the spell was over. I went to doctor after doctor and had test upon test done and nothing was found! Finally in January 2009 I was diagnosed with what they like to call “Trama Headaches”. They were described to me as my brain constantly reliving the fall I had during the seizure many years back! Bad news is they said there wasn’t a cure and I’d probably experience them off and on for the rest of my life.
I’m pregnant with my 3rd child and with this pregnancy have had tons of back pain. My OB suggested I go to a chiropractor and get an adjustment cause she felt my spine was all messed up due to my previous 2 pregnancies. I went hoping to get my back straightened out but got much much more! During the examination the doctor pressed down on my head putting pressure on my neck. Immediately I went into one of my “Trama Headaches” only my ear was hurting so bad and was ringing. I let him know what was going on and low and behold my neck is all messed up! My nerves haven’t been working right because of it! After 3 appointments not only was my back in great shape but my “Trama Headaches” were completely gone!
Moral of this story is: Doctors are wrong a lot. They are “practicing” physicians and they don’t always get it right! If Jenny thinks there may be a cure out there for her son then she should try to find it! Who knows he may not even be autistic as all!
52. dominowrecker
December 5, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
“Moral of this story is: Doctors are wrong a lot. They are “practicing” physicians and they don’t always get it right! If Jenny thinks there may be a cure out there for her son then she should try to find it! Who knows he may not even be autistic as all!”
Wow…Of course doctors are not right a 100% as the human body is VERY difficult to understand. But they still know an infinite amount more about vaccines/medicine/biology than JM.
If she was quietly looking for alternative ways to care for her son that would be one thing, but she is on TV and all over the press acting like an expert (and she is getting way more coverage than people who DO know about the subject might I add). That is what makes her so dangerous. It really is sad that we live in a age when people will listen to an ex-model with no medical/science education of any kind, over real doctors/scientists. That thought keeps me up at night.
Trust me on this. When this idiot gets older and she needs real medical advice…she will be going to the very same doctors who she feels she knows more than.
53. Pammieautiemom
December 15, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Jenny McCarthy and the NEW age INFILTRATION OF AUTISM COMMUNITY:
Where does Mccarthy get her inspiration and core belief system that influences her book writings and claims of curing her autistic child?
She gets them through people like: Esther Hicks an American inspirational speaker and best-selling author. Ester and husband Jerry Hicks, present workshops on the Law of Attraction and appeared in the first release of the film The Secret The Hickses’ books, including the best-selling series The Law of Attraction, are — according to Esther Hicks — Channelled from a group of non-physical entities called Abraham (Hicks describes what she is doing as tapping into “infinite intelligence. Jenny also prays to the dead, as seen in her book, “mother warriors.” Likewise, she thinks if your child isn’t cured of autism, then you must not want to ‘be left alone in autism” Yes, apparently, according to mccarthy, if you are a parent dealing with autism it’s because you aren’t following what she–the moral new age superior thinker, thinks is the holier than thou morally intellectually superior way to heal autism. Unreal. This chick needs her ass kicked big time from parents who actually have truly autistic kids. It seems like those who follow or are duped by McCarthy are compromised individuals who themselves have some new age belief …a bunch of glazed eyed new age gluten free will cure the world let’s go organic and stop global warming hippies as in Jenny Mccarthy’s indigo mom belief…who they are better than everyone else..Oh PLEASE…Lord have mercy…may God open the eyes and knock some sense into the heads of all who advocate the Jenny Mccarthy lies. McCarthy’s son was NEVER autistic. He isn’t autistic. You idiots at Dutton need a reality check.