Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism against All Odds

The foreword, by Dr. Jay Gordon, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at UCLA Medical Center, grounds the book in medical facts--for example, that the CDC-recommended "birth dose" of Hepatitis B vaccine contains 10 times the amount of aluminum acknowledged as toxic by the EPA. Dr. Gordon states unequivocally, "Vaccines can cause autism. Diet and supplements and other alternatives to doing nothing can lead to recovery from autism. Period."The first ten chapters, from the portion of the book entitled "The Time Is Now," describe Jenny's involvement in the autism-recovery movement, from the time when her son Evan was diagnosed to her current public appearances and her efforts to get the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics to create and support a safer vaccine schedule, and to support efforts by Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) doctors to heal children who have been diagnosed with autism. In addition to catching up the readers who haven't read Louder Than Words, Ms. McCarthy's previous book, this first section gives readers an insight into Ms. McCarthy's motivations in writing this new book. Primarily, she wants to share the stories of parents who have healed their children's autism--as the subtitle says, "against all odds"--so that other parents of children who have been diagnosed can find inspiration and take the important step of finding a DAN! doctor to begin treating their children. She also wants to give these women a public forum--to let them have their moment, as she did at the Green Our Vaccines rally in DC in June--to let them tell the stories that have consumed their lives since their children's diagnoses. I couldn't stop thinking what a tremendous burden it must be for Ms. McCarthy--who could have quietly continued her career as a comedian, actress, and model instead of speaking out for vaccine safety and autism treatment protocols--to be the mouthpiece for all autism-recovery families. She tells us that she is frequently stopped in airports and other public places by mothers who are working on healing their children, and the emotional toll of these conversations--and the neverending battle with the CDC and the AAP, which continue to recommend an unsafe and untested vaccine schedule--must be nearly overwhelming. Thus, one other motivation for writing the book must have been to unburden Ms. McCarthy from some of the stories that she has been carrying around in her head and her heart for so long. I hope it works. She is a tireless advocate for children and families, and the world needs her to keep up her strength.The second portion of the book contains stories from "mother warriors" (and one father warrior) who have healed their children, to varying degrees, from the myriad of health issues involved in autism. Ms. McCarthy intersperses her own thoughts with the narratives of these parents, recalling moments along her journey with Evan and offering her views on issues raised by the parents. The stories are inspirational and heartbreaking, but mostly, they are hopeful. They show that recovery is possible, and they highlight the importance of spreading the word about DAN! treatment protocols. The content of the stories is enough to keep you reading, but there are also some remarkable turns of phrase that will bring tears to your eyes and a tightness to your chest. I offer one example: Coral Bergmann, who is healing her son Branson, and says, "Although I am a single parent, I am not alone. I have had a chance to be reacquainted with God. Not the God you meet in your Sunday best in church, but the God you meet on your kitchen floor at three in the morning."The book concludes with a directory of DAN! doctors and information on Generation Rescue, a parent-founded and parent-funded autism advocacy group.

After I saw Jenny McCarthy on Oprah, talking about her son Evan, and allthat they had been through, I felt compelled to get her first book, and this one too. I do not have a child with autism, but know others who do. I'm also drawn to books (stories) about healing, especially after the medical establishmenttells you there's little to no hope. It's so empowering and hopeful to be reminded that there are lots of avenues for healing and wholeness, and many others who have been down roads similar to the ones you are going down.Avenues that bring results for one family, may not work for another family. But how will you know unless you give it a shot? Or unless you even have access to info./ideas like those presented in this book. I'd rather have options than a dead end and lost hope.In McCarthy's first book, she tells, with utter honesty and raw emotion,about her son Evan's diagnosis of autism and her subsequent journeyto help heal him. There were parts that left me weeping. And also parts that had my heart jumping for joy for Evan, and for her.Her love for her son is so strong and enduring. I admire her for her strength, for searching for the truth, honoring her intuition, and for the courage it takes to question the status quo, to find novel solutions and paths.In this book, Mother Warriors, we get the privilege of reading aboutother moms (and dads, too) who have relentlessly worked to educatethemselves about autism and apply various healing modalities to helptheir children. It is inspiring to read about all that these familiesgo through and all that is possible when it comes to healing & autism.Lots of great information and resources for anyone who has (or knows) a child with autism, but also for health in general.These stories, again, left me in awe of the parents who stopped at nothing to get to the bottom of their child's suffering and work, with many successes, at freeing them and relieving them from some heartbreaking symptoms/ailments/behavior. As with her first book, there were parts that left my mouth gaping wide in admiration and amazement of what these children (and their families) endured-- but also in awe of what they accomplished by thinking and looking "outside the box." And there were also tears. Such touching stories.Overall, I think McCarthy's books give HOPE to families of children withautism, and to all of us. They also reminded me of all that I have to be grateful for and what blessings my children are to me. I take less for granted now.Oh, and one more note. Initially I was a bit unsure of whether or not I wanted to read a book by Jenny McCarthy. Images of her posing for Playboy, etc. came to mind. She's also very upfront and yes, sometimes uses a little profanity.Well, it turns out those judments were not helpful or necessary. Actually, I like how down-to-earth she is, the way she says it like it is, and shares the good, bad, and ugly. All of it. She's an open book and it's refreshing for someone to be REAL. No pretenses. She writes from her heart and also has a good sense of humor.I highly recommend Mother Warriors, and her preceding one about her son,Evan. I have read the latter two times now, and plan to read Mother Warriors again, too.

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