Online memorial to Katie McCarron
Over at Autism Hub today, over 20 autism blogs are paying tribute to 3-year-old Katie McCarron, murdered by her doctor mom a week ago Saturday.
Here's a sample:
"Dear Katie," writes A. M. Baggs on the ballastexistenz blog, "You don’t know me. You will never know me. You were murdered when you were three years old."
But we have something in common: We are both autistic. Both of us have brains that work differently than usual, perceive and respond to the world differently than usual. I wish I could have known you. I bet you were a beautiful and interesting child. . .I can remember being your age. I remember colors, smells, sounds, and the way the world seemed like a neverending kaleidoscope of experiences, many of which I didn’t understand the way typical people understand things, until later. But I was there, I was experiencing them, in my way, just as I bet you were. . . . ( Read more. )
"I am positively revolted when I read quotes that would imply any degree of understanding or hint at condoning the taking of my granddaughter's life," Michael McCarron of Indianapolis, Katie McCarron's grandfather, told Peoria Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano, calling it "a very straight-forward murder case.
"This was not about autism. This was not about a lack of support," he said.
Society has sunk deeper in its crater of horror when a mother can terminate the life of her very own child. The little girl with autism who had a plastic garbage bag snuff out her life and the 19 year old boy who had parents who locked him in an apartment and then set it on fire makes me shed tears. Why can't people's differences be celebrated? When my four year old grandson has a melt down, my daughter is verbally mocked by the oh so perfct parents with their oh so perfect kids. The Autism Society actually has cards for parents to pass out explaining autism to the bombastic public with their cruel stares. I wonder some times how my Mom dealt with the busy bodies that proclaimed that she was being punished by God by having a disabled daughter that didn't look like the other kids. I knew my Mom loved me. My husband, daughter, and I love our Mattie. How can someone snuff out a human life just because they are a little different? These murdering mothers and fathers are simply monsters!
Posted by: Valerie Brew-Parrish | May 26, 2006 10:51 PM
I am shocked and dismayed that a mother would purposely murder her child. My child has autism. And while he flaps and laughs and sings and learns about his world I find myself thinking how lucky I am to have such a loving son who always makes me laugh and feel alive.
Yes, he is autisic, and at times it hard to reason with him.I want to pull my hair out! We get through it. All kids disabled and non-disabled drive their parents nuts. We as parents drove our parents nuts. It seems like a rite of passage. Part of growing up is learning.
Where would I be if my grandparents had murdered
my parents.That's right folks both of my parents are disabled. When will these parents finally learn to accept us as we are instead of the cure the cure the cure?
I realize that it is not always easy sailing when you have a child with autism. I would tend to believe as I have already said that any parent would have these days. I know I was difficult at times growing up.
There is no such thing as a mercy killing, only murder.
Every person everywhere has the right to live, to be included and to be loved!
I truely do not understand how a parent can stand there and murder their precious child,a part of them,the future.What has this world come to?
Posted by: Tara Parrish | June 2, 2006 01:47 PM
It's three times harder to raise my 4 year old with Down Syndrome, but it's also three times as rewarding. Each accomplishment is so much more significant, as it is so hard-won. I would not change Christina if I could, she has made me a better person, and shown me the face of Christ.
Posted by: leticia | July 27, 2006 11:52 AM