"Never doubt a mother's intuition..."

My grown daughter Alex works for an autism center in a big city, and has seen many a desperate parent, looking for help with their child. Each time she has told me a story, I make a mental note of the child's name, and pray for them and their family. One story in particular has haunted me, and I pray for that family when I think about them.

When I was growing up, I never knew anyone with autism or even heard of it. Now the odds are higher than having a child with Down's Syndrome. After I had my older children, I watched a made-for-tv movie about how growing up with an autistic child affected the rest of the family long term, and in the movie, the parents eventually divorced.

Alex and I have had discussions about the causes of autism, and many of the parents claim it was the vaccination when their child changed. There are conflicting studies about this, but never doubt a mother's intuition.

When DD was born 16 years after Alex, the same pediatrician came in and said that he had just given my newborn 10 vaccinations. Even in my caesarean stupor, I opened my eyes wide, and asked, "What? You didn't do that with my older two!" He replied that it was something new they were doing (at the biggest hospital in San Antonio.) It went against common sense to give all of those at birth when they are just developing an immune system.

When DD was 2 1/2 she went in for her shots, and after those, she stopped walking and talking for days. She didn't seem the same, and I panicked. I started doing research, and found that she had had what was considered the "autism shot" and I freaked. I started claiming verses about healing in the Bible, and petitioning God on my knees to heal her, and that Sunday took her to church for the pastor to lay hands on her. When he did, her health returned instantaneously and I have never forgotten God's goodness and His answers to my wailing prayers.

And DD has not had a vaccination since...