Stars who raised children with autism: from Sylvester Stallone to Toni Braxton

Raising a child with autism can be an overwhelming challenge, and it is a journey that many parents around the world take with unwavering determination and love. Celebrities, despite their fame and fortune, are not exempt from the challenges of raising a child with autism.

In fact, some famous personalities have used their platform to shed light on the condition, offering hope, support and understanding to other families facing similar challenges.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone, the iconic actor known for his roles in the films Rocky and Rambo, was faced with the diagnosis of autism in his youngest son Seargeoh when he was just three years old. In a frank interview with People magazine, Stallone's then-wife and the mother of his son, actress Sasha Czach, spoke openly about Seargeoh's condition.

Stallone himself expressed the difficulties he faced in communicating with his son, who often seemed to live in his own world. Despite the difficulties, Stallone devoted a significant amount of time to communicating with his son: from doing puzzles to painting together. He saw moments of connection and understanding, no matter how limited they were.

The diagnosis had a profound impact on the family. Sasha reoriented her career aspirations to focus on caring for Seargeoh, while Stallone worked tirelessly to secure financial support for his son's treatment. Unfortunately, the strain of the child's illness caused the couple to grow apart, and they eventually divorced.

Today Seargeoh Stallone is 44 years old. He leads a private life away from the public. Nevertheless, Sylvester Stallone continues to maintain a strong bond with his son, providing him with significant financial support to ensure his well-being.

John Travolta

John Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, faced the challenges of raising a child with autism. Their son, Jett, had been diagnosed with autism, but this became known only after his tragic death. Jett died during a family vacation in the Bahamas. After this terrible event, Kelly Preston said in an interview that Jett had autism.

She believed that Jett's autism was caused by the medications and treatment he received for Kawasaki syndrome, a condition he developed as a child. The couple suspected that certain chemicals in the medication may have played a role in their son's condition.

Jenny McCarthy

Actress and former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy began a difficult journey when her son Evan was diagnosed with autism. At the time, there was very little information about this condition. McCarthy had to gather bits and pieces of information from the Internet.

Difficulties related to their son's autism eventually led to her divorce from her son's father, actor and director John Asher.

McCarthy took a proactive approach to help her son, starting with dietary changes. She eliminated gluten and dairy products from Evan's diet, believing that biomedical interventions were necessary to overcome autism.

According to McCarthy, this dietary change led to a marked improvement in her son's vocabulary within two weeks. Now Evan is 21 years old. Jenny has written a book to share her experience and knowledge with other parents raising children with autism.

Gary Cole

Actor Gary Cole, known for his roles in such TV shows as Crusade and Desperate Housewives, faced the diagnosis of autism in his daughter Maria. Initially distraught by the diagnosis, he and his wife, Teddi Siddall, began to seek help.

Through dedicated efforts and ongoing sessions with doctors and teachers, they successfully helped Maria adapt to social life. Her father, Gary Cole, is now actively involved in organizations and foundations working to support individuals and families dealing with autism.

Toni Braxton

The famous American singer, songwriter and actress Toni Braxton spoke frankly about her youngest son Diesel's autism. She spoke about it during a concert in Las Vegas, shedding tears during the performance.

Braxton expressed her belief that if Diesel had been diagnosed immediately after birth, his condition could have been completely cured. She even saw her son's autism as a form of divine punishment for a previous abortion, seeing it as a consequence of a difficult decision she had made in the past.

Despite these difficult circumstances, Toni Braxton dedicated herself to ensuring Diesel's well-being. Today, Diesel lives a full life in society, attends a regular school and even starred in a 2013 movie called Twist of Faith.