Broken

This hurts and makes me angry. A young man's life was taken away, violently, by his mother and his caregiver. There's nothing that can make the shock any less, or the heartbreak any easier. Nothing can take the horror from the words and mental images. I will never say I agree with what she did.

That being said there are a few things in this article that have to be looked at seriously.


"Spourdalakis had been featured in several Internet videos earlier this year decrying the quality of medical care her son received and the length of time he had been placed in restraints while hospitalized. Alex also was seen in another video as an autism activist asked for help in finding a setting where the teen could be treated without being restrained."

"The teen’s murder followed a string of recent medical problems that saw him repeatedly hospitalized — a situation his 50-year-old mother believed had worsened the autism that already had left him unable to speak and sometimes required him to be physically restrained."

' “So they planned to kill the victim in order to end his perceived suffering,” Assistant State’s Attorney Maureen O’Brien said in court.'

"Their suicide pact never succeeded: Both women took drug overdoses, then locked themselves in the bedroom with the slain teenager. They were found semi-conscious inside the second-floor apartment on Sunday afternoon when Alex’s father and uncle came to check on the teen, prosecutors said as the women appeared in court to face first-degree murder charges".

'A local autism activist who had discussed the teen’s condition earlier this year with Dorothy Spourdalakis said she was stunned by the murder charges.“She seemed to me a caring, loving mother who only wanted what was appropriate for her son. I’m still in shock,” said Mary Kay Betz, executive director of the Autism Society of Illinois.'



These are not necessarily in order. Trust me, I can almost see you wondering what my point is. My point is that she SOUGHT HELP. Before it ever hit this point, she sought help. She didn't suddenly out of the blue grab a knife and butcher her child. She, in her own mind, believed she was saving him because nothing else helped. 

She talked to the executive director of the Autism Society of Illinois. She had him hospitalized. She was featured in videos taking about how bad the care was, how he had been placed in restraints, and was seen asking for more help. 

I've seen posts for the last two days now talking about how she should have asked for help. Directing people to seek help if they feel they have come to that point and I keep getting stuck on the fact that she ASKED for help. Hell, I asked for help all those years ago. You can't get help where there is none.

Does this excuse her? Absolutely not. It doesn't excuse us either. If we want this to stop, we need to provide the services and support families need. 

My brain and my heart are both broken right now. Rest in peace Alex Spourdalakis. I'm so sorry we failed your family.








The quotes above came from this article:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/20696224-418/prosecutors-mother-and-caregiver-planned-for-week-to-kill-autistic-teen.html