*sighs*

Not another child who by age 2.5 was “gone” due to autism. I would bet the farm the last thing Emma did before she noticed what happened with her son was she had taken him for his latest round of immunization shots.

The governments and medical communities need to wake up. All those immunizations and “all-in-one” shots are wrecking havoc on children’s bodies that can’t handle the constrant influx of foreign viruses and bacteria all in the name of preventing things. Plus the schedule the shots are at is crazy. All that stuff by 15 months?

Look at your own immunization records, especially if you were born before 1980. Then compare with the immunization records of a baby born in 2006. Scary, eh?

I wish people would not always come to the conculsion that when a child is acting up in public that he/she is a bad child or is acting that way because of bad parenting. Yes I understand that someone paid a lot of money for the tickets BUT a small child or a young teen who is not acting according to your standards could actually have a learning disability or autism touretts AND just because these children have that, does not mean they can’t enjoy a play, movie or some sort of entertainment too! I feel sorry that she had to defend her child in a way that also made her feel guilty.

I am British and I remember this family from when Emma and James were married (she was more famous than him probably, mainly for her modelling) and then when Harrison was born. I always got good vibes from them, like they were friendly and down to earth, despite their celebrity status. Now Harrison has been diagnosed with autism, I have developed a whole new level of respect for them. I am the aunt of a beautiful six-year-old boy who is autistic, and while I have never lived with my nephew, I do see him three to four time a week, and to that end, I can completely empathise with the struggles Emma has described. It is devastating, not only to recieve that diagnosis of a child you worship, but to see the lack of understanding of people who make not even the slightest attempt to ‘get’ what autism means. I can’t count the amount of times my sister has been scolded by busybody’s in the street who think that her son should not be in a pushchair (which we have to use in ‘behavioural emergencies’), or who come up to her and tell her that he should be talking properly by now. Even when she explains (although she should not have to) the reasons for his difficulties, people don’t always apologise and I do believe that some of that comes out of ignorance.

Having said that, it is wonderful and heartwarming to hear of stories like this (it reminds me very much of Jenny McCarthy), where parents have fought like crazy to give their little ones the best they possibly can. I probably haven’t articulated myself very well her, but as you can tell, this is a subject that is close to my heart. Thank you, Emma, for bringing publicity like this, it helps people like my sister feel that they are not alone.

I wish Harrison and his family all the very best, and hope that he, and other beautiful kids like him, have a future that is filled with promise and understanding.

Phoebe. xx.