CNN Heroes

John Travolta's son died of a seizure in January 2009 at the age of 16

Brittany Kaplan
CNN

John Travolta is being forced to reveal personal details about the day his son died—and admitting for the first time that Jett suffered from autism.

Tarino Lightbourne and former Bahamian Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater are accused of trying to extort $25 million from Travolta. It is alleged that the two conspired to extort money in return for not making documents pertaining to Jett’s treatment public.

John and his wife Kelly Preston walked into the Bahamian courtroom together before Travolta took the stand for the prosecution.

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David Kirby
AgeofAutism.com

It looks like the CDC may have missed a memo to itself on vaccine safety.

One very contentious issue in the vaccine-autism debate has been whether a certain subset of genetically susceptible children is unequipped to handle the early and intensive US immunization schedule – including kids like Hannah Poling, who developed autism after receiving nine vaccines at once.

The theory is that some people with abnormal immune or metabolic systems might become overtaxed by the fever, inflammation and/or other stresses sometimes caused by multiple vaccines.

Many doctors and scientists scoff at the notion that someone could be injured by getting too many shots at once. They say that people of all ages, including babies, can handle multiple exposures at any given moment.

Click here to read more

Watch Michael Savage on Larry King Live

Dr. Charles Sophy
Medical Director, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
(the nation's largest foster care operation)

Uneducated opinions such as Mr. Savage's are truly reprehensible. There is NOTHING fraudulent about Autism! It is a real medical condition. It is like saying there's no such thing as a broken leg.
It's not that there are necessarily more autistic people in the world now, but parents and medical experts in the U.S. today are more aware of and more apt to explore "unusual" behaviors or developmental delays in babies and toddlers.

Moreover, there is no medicine for autism. So overmedicating or over prescribing for autism is not a possibility. Many people with autism, however, do have co-morbid disorders i.e. depression, anxiety, mood disorders etc. which sometimes do require and respond very well to medication.

Most importantly, early intervention for autism is key. Any developmental delays or unusual behaviors should be explored early on by an expert. In this way, a mild developmental delay (not on the autistic spectrum) can be helped along, and a true case of autism will have the best chance for an optimum outcome.

Sanjay Gupta
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

Last week, I sat down with Dr. Bernadine Healy at CNN’s Women’s Health Summit in New York City. She is a remarkable person who has been the “first” at many things, including the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health. We talked about many things, including the persistent brain fog patients and their doctors have when it comes to heart disease and women. Everyone should know that heart disease is the biggest killer of women; in fact heart disease kills ten times as many women as breast cancer.

What I wanted to blog about today, though, is her response to a question I asked about autism. She had written a column about the topic in U.S. News and World Report and told me she believes the link between vaccines and autism is “biologically plausible.” Of course, that spurred several more questions from me (click here to watch).

Healy went on to say that many in the scientific world have been quick to dismiss the concerns of parents and have not conducted the necessary studies of causation to definitively rule out a vaccine/autism link. Healy’s comments have become a lightning rod in the medical community – with an infectious disease expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics calling CNN twice yesterday to express concern parents will misconstrue Healy’s comments and stop get their kids vaccinated – and that vaccines save lives.

Read full story

Today is the first World Autism Awareness Day as designated by the United Nations.  First off, let me say that at CNN we have been preparing for this day for months, and have covered autism stories for years. Since I have been at CNN, I have been covering autism and I have committed myself to this area of reporting and investigation. If you ask most medical reporters, they will tell you the autism beat is sort of the third rail of journalism. It is so rife with controversy and passionate people on different sides of the issue. If you do stories on this topic, you will get criticized. Period.

Still, perhaps because I am a neurosurgeon, I have been fascinated with the new brain imaging that allows us to peer deep inside the brain of a child or adult with autism and see the changes that may explain the mysterious symptoms. I will continue covering these stories. Maybe it is because I am a relatively new parent of two gorgeous little girls who jumps for joy every time they pass a milestone and grows a little concerned if they seem to be a little behind compared with their friends. Maybe it is because families from all over the world have sent their stories to me about their own family members with autism...

I have spent a lot of time as a doctor and a journalist with children that have autism. I have walked into those meetings with an open mind devoid of any preconceived notions about what type of person I was likely to meet and what may have caused his or her autism in the first place. As an individual, I find myself less dogmatic and more willing to listen to all sides. I have taken the time to read in detail the 16 best epidemiological studies that exist, as well as the more limited toxicity studies. I have researched studies from as far away as Portugal looking at the incidence of mitochondrial disease and its possible association with autism. I am a better journalist because of it and a better doctor as well.

Truth of the matter, autism is a spectrum. It is hard to say for sure that someone has “serious” autism or “mild” autism. And, I hate those scales anyway. Truth is, I am not sure my daughter smiled socially at 3 months or she was just happy that I fed her. I am also not sure that her first word came right on schedule. I thought she said “daddy,” my wife said it was “cat.” We don’t even have a cat. Every parent has likely thought about these same things at one point or another.

As a journalist, especially one with my medical background, I feel responsible to keep the attention focused on this topic. I am delighted that CNN is presenting a worldwide investigation today. Besides the medical aspects, we will discuss the financial, the emotional (did you know the divorce rate has been estimated at 80 percent among parents of children with autism?) and the cultural aspects of autism as you see stories from South Africa, Qatar and many other countries. It is called Autism: Unraveling the Mystery, and I know we won’t answer all the questions, but we will make a dogged effort to get at some of the answers - again, with an open mind and with the single purpose of finding the truth.

We would like your help.

Post a note here with your thoughts about how CNN should continue the worldwide investigation.

- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

Comments to the 360° blog are moderated. What does that mean?

When you hear the word “autistic” what kind of image pops into your head? Most of you probably think of a young child, out of control, lashing out, screaming.

Well, I can’t wait to introduce you to a little boy that will shatter all those stereotypes. His name is Dylan Jackaway. He’s five and a half years old and he knocked my socks off from the moment I met him. He has piercing blue eyes that are full of passion and dark hair.

When I arrived at the apartment he shares with his mom, Gwenyth Jackaway, he greeted me immediately and invited me to sit down at his computer with him. I couldn’t resist.

He quickly informed me he was “downloading widgets.” He proceeded to download widgets for about the next 30 minutes while I watched and interviewed his mother. During the brief time I sat with him at the computer, he reached out his hand and put it on my face to draw me in to the computer. I was shocked. My own nephews don’t even show such affection toward me. His mother explained with autistic children, the social boundaries aren’t as clear.

When mom’s interview was done, Dylan took me by the hand, walked me down the hall and into his bedroom. That’s where I made my first mistake. I stepped on his thermometer he’d built on the floor. A giant paper thermometer with markers running down the middle and temperatures along the side. He let me know what temperature it was today before we moved on to the giant subway map hanging over his bed.

He’s practically memorized the entire New York City subway grid, so I asked him how I’d get from his apartment back to my office. In seconds, he mapped out the most efficient group with hardly a glance at the map. He even told me about a tunnel I wasn’t aware of! Remember, he’s just 5 ½!!

I wish you could see his room in person. There are rainbows on the walls, and calendars with numbers everywhere, even the Fibonaci code is on display. That’s a really complicated math sequence that I had to ask Dylan to explain. Dylan prefers to read books about the human body instead of children’s books (he lectured my producer about tibias and femurs before I arrived) and he does two hand composition on the piano. His mom says he reads and writes music. Impressive!

There are some struggles too. I watched as his mom tried to coax him away from the computer to get to his afterschool program. He didn’t want to leave his widgets. Gwenyth, his mom, said that’s one of the challenges with kids who are autistic. It’s very difficult to get them to change direction and move them to a new activity because they are so focused.

Eventually, Dylan gave in and got ready to go. But as we were all leaving there was one more distraction. Dylan insisted I hear one of “favorite songs.” I was expecting something from “The Wiggles” or to something like my little niece and nephews listen. Instead, much to my surprise, Dylan instructed his mother to put on “disc 3, track 6” and I watched in amazement as a huge grin appeared on his face and an Italian Operata began to play. He told me, “I love Italian music.”

Dylan may not be what’s considered “normal” in this world, a term his mother dislikes, but he is so special in so many ways. I can’t wait for you to meet him.

We’re sharing Dylan’s story because his mother used an anonymous donor’s sperm to get pregnant, and that donor may have been carrying a gene that causes autism. FULL STORY ON CNN.COM

Turns out 3 children from that same donor are autistic, and one is showing signs of autism. It’s a fascinating story about how this happened and how these families are getting through it. Don’t miss it!

- Randi Kaye, 360° Correspondent

Program note: Watch Randi's report tonight on 360° at 10p ET

Comments to the 360° blog are moderated. What does that mean?

While growing up in the Middle East, I rarely saw people with disabilities. Not that they didn’t exist, but society’s judgmental and sometime harsh gaze forced most disabled people to be isolated. To this day, physical and mental disabilities are viewed as stigmas in the Arab world. Their guardians keep them hidden from view out of fear of being rejected or ridiculed.

On April 2, 2008 as the UN officially marked the first World Autism Awareness Day, I was pleasantly surprised to see parts of the Arab world pause and try to understand what Autism is, how to diagnose it and how to help those who suffer from the disorder.

The Dubai-based channel, Al-Arabiya, led the coverage with its anchor revealing a little bit of shock the staggering numbers: "One  in 160 children are diagnosed with Autism in Saudi Arabia alone," she said. Al-Arabiya featured reports on autism centers around the Middle East and young lives affected by the disorder. A reporter said, "Young Rashed and his family know the challenges all too well. So many children miss the chance at a better life because they get the wrong diagnosis which leads them to isolation and a condemned life as misfits."

Specialized websites and blogs were very busy throughout the Arab world.

The Dubai Autism Center asked for donations through a moving video explaining that children with autism are different and yet very much a part of society and in need of help.

The Autism Center in Lebanon recommended books on early intervention and how to communicate with the autistic population.

From Kuwait came an announcement about an upcoming therapist training program. And from Saudi Arabia, an explanation of autism in pictures and poetry and a thank you note that says:  "It is my world awareness day. Thank you for those who remembered me and joined me in celebration!" (see attached)

The State of Qatar boasts a major center for disabilities and autism. The first lady of Qatar was instrumental in establishing World Autism Awareness Day. Yet, on this day, the State's flagship network, Al-Jazeera, stayed away from the subject.

Back on Al-Arabiya, a young girl named Ghalia (which means precious in Arabic) stole the spotlight.  Her profile featured her lovingly kissing her father and reading with her mother. 

Ghalia’s mother said, "It is very hard for us now, but I have no doubt that because of her, we will earn paradise."

But in the here and now, long before paradise, a postcard on a Saudi website asks for compassion, love and opportunities for people with autism. It simply says "I need you to understand me and accept me. I am autistic and I am human." 

-Octavia Nasr, Arab Affairs Editor 

Check out these links to see more about autism in the Middle East. 
 
http://www.autismlebanon.org
http://saudiautism.com
http://www.asquarterly.com/middle_east.html

Comments to the 360° blog are moderated. What does that mean?

And then the cockpit fills with smoke...
 
That's the real-life scenario Drew Griffin reveals in an exclusive report on 360° tonight: At least 10 times in four years on American Airlines flights of Boeing 757’s. Despite pilots' warnings, the problem is only now being acknowledged.
 
Also on 360° tonight at 10PM ET: In the presidential race, Dana Bash joins McCain as he storms MD and FL. Candy Crowley's with Obama and Suzanne Malveaux's with Clinton in PA. And Michelle Obama rallies at Carnegie Mellon University.
 
As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Soledad O'Brien talks with the one man who was with him on the balcony when he was shot and killed.
 
In our on-going reporting on our Planet in Peril, Miles O'Brien is there as Congressional discusses whether the struggling polar bear, losing habitat and food as the ice melts, should be listed as engendered.
 
What are your thoughts about all this? We'd like to know.
 
On the UN's global Autism Awareness Day: When Gwenyth Jackaway’s son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, she found 7 more mothers who used the same sperm donor. Three of their 12 children are on the autism spectrum, a rate 45 times higher than normal. Randi Kaye examines potential evidence of a genetic link.
 
And at 11PM ET, see our special hour on autism, and meet Amanda Baggs - she is autistic, smart as a whip and extraordinarily articulate. She also has a razor-sharp humor and, at the end of the day, you'll find her deeply moving.
 
Thank you for joining us.
 
- Barclay Palmer, 360° Senior Produder

Comments to the 360° blog are moderated. What does that mean? 

Hannah Poling

I had a chance to meet the Poling family last night. Their 9-year-old daughter Hannah was diagnosed with "symptoms of autism spectrum disorder" and the government has recommended the federal vaccine court pay the family compensation (read more about Hannah's underlying condition here). Dr. Jon Poling, a neurologist, and Terry Poling, a nurse, are Hannah's parents. With all that has happened (watch video of Hannah's father talking about her reaction to the vaccinations) to their daughter, they still made it very clear they are not anti-vaccine. They agree, as most people do, that vaccines have been a great medical accomplishment and have saved and improved countless lives. The question they seem to raise, though, are they as safe as they can be?

I want to continue the discussion today. Couple of points. First of all, it seems as if parents bring up concerns about vaccines, they are automatically portrayed as anti-vaccine. Why is that? Is it possible to completely believe in the power and benefits of vaccines, but still have legitimate and credible concerns?

Given that thimerosal, the mercury-laden preservative, is now essentially out of vaccines (it may be present in trace amounts according to the FDA) except for flu vaccines, does that put that issue to rest for you? Or, do you believe there is something about the vaccines themselves – even without the thimerosal – that might be problematic? And, what would you do about it? Split up the shots? Delay them?

- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent
Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

Some new news to share about autism today. At a news conference this morning, a Georgia family will describe how the government has conceded that a vaccine "contributed" to their daughter's autism symptoms. The family will receive compensation from a federal vaccine court.

Hannah Poling

That doesn't mean the federal government agrees that vaccines cause autism (click here for more on autism). Nor does this 9-year-old girl's case mean the 4,900 other families in the vaccine court have won their claim that vaccines resulted in their children's autism. That case continues.

Advocates who see a vaccine-autism link point to Hannah Poling's case as a big victory for their cause – evidence of the potentially disastrous side effects of vaccines.

Within 48 hours after receiving her vaccinations, Hannah, then 19 months old and by all accounts a normal little girl, developed a high fever, inconsolable crying and some signs of regression, including difficulty walking and speaking.

Over the next several months, she had countless visits with doctors finally culminating in the diagnosis of encephalopathy with features of autism spectrum disorder. At the same time, and this is potentially very important, she had genetic testing and was found to have the gene for an underlying mitochondrial disorder (click here for more about mitochondrial disorder).

So, did the vaccines worsen an already existing condition leading to the symptoms of autism? That is what the government seems to have conceded. And, if so, was it caused by the mercury preservative thimerosal, which was present in Hannah's vaccines several years ago, or was it the profound immune response that vaccinations cause in the body?

The Centers for Diseases Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine and other prestigious medical organizations maintain there is no link between vaccines and autism.

As many experts have told me, this case is likely to raise more questions than it answers. But, these are good questions and important ones for anyone who cares about this issue. What do you think?

- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.