The Statements of Toni Braxton garnered a lot of reactions. Nadine Finigan- Carr has written about the issue. Please comment and share. Thanks so much.
So Toni Braxton has been promoting her memoirs, Unbreak My Heart. As a result, she has been granting interviews and doing the talk show circuit to sell her book. I have always loved Ms. Braxton’s music. I was sorry to hear of her financial difficulties a few years back. I’m glad that she has been able to move past that phase in her life; and, I originally hoped that her book would sell and help her to continue to do so. Now that I have read a few of the articles from the interviews and seen her on Good Morning America, I am not sure if I want to read the book.
You see, Toni Braxton’s son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her family is an #AutismFamilyofColor. The fact that the media is spotlighting one of us should bring us joy. The part of her story that continues to be highlighted in interviews is what she originally thought was the cause of autism. She believed God was punishing her for an abortion she had in 2001 by “giving her son autism.” In fact, on Good Morning America today she stated at one point – “I thought that it was God’s punishment (Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/video/toni-braxton-reveals-details-her-131945370.html).” Headlines in major newspapers like the Washington Post “Toni Braxton laments son’s autism as ‘God’s payback’ for abortion” abound. Ms. Braxton no longer believes this to be the case but this is what the media keeps highlighting because controversy and drama nets more readers and viewers.
Many people question why they were blessed with a child on the Autism Spectrum when first
diagnosed. There is truly a mourning period for the child one thought you would have. This is
understandable and acceptable. Many of the parents in the survey I conducted last month had grief and mourning as a part of their narrative. A feeling of ‘what did we/I do wrong’ which you have to work through. One of the most poignant of the responses describes how one mom felt when she found out about her child’s diagnosis and the grief she manifested...
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