*****Note: This post was originally published on October 7, 2010, on the former Dallas Moms Blog.*****

Connections make life rich. Each of us seeks to surround ourselves with people who have similar priorities and goals. Sometimes it is thanks to rather dire situations that we truly connect with others who change our lives forever.

 Jenny McCarthy, while on tour for her new book, Love, Lust & Faking It, took time out of her schedule Wednesday night to have a drink with a local group of moms (and a few dads, grandmothers and sisters) following a book signing at the Lincoln Park Barnes & Noble in Dallas.  Why? She graciously honored a connection that many local “Warrior Moms,” like me, have with her.

Let me be honest: Autism can be a very lonely place for families to journey. Especially in the beginning, after first receiving a diagnosis, many of us are so overwhelmed by responsibility (“I caused this” thoughts), shame (“I can’t control my own child” thoughts) and grief (“my child may never…make friends…have a meaningful, fulfilling job…get married…” and on and on kinds of thoughts) we don’t realize, (some of us for weeks, months or years) that we’re far, far from alone.

Jenny’s first book about her family’s personal journey with Autism, Louder Than Words, sparked some much-needed media interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and changed that “loneliness” for countless families battling ASD across the world. Jenny’s candid, heart-felt accounts of her son’s Autism and their family life in Louder Than Words garnered respect and attention from people from many walks of life. Her book tour talks with big hitters like Oprah and Larry King brought light and hope to many of us struggling with the Autism loneliness that sometimes clouds our wishes, thoughts and dreams.         

When Jenny sat with Oprah on the Louder Than Words book tour and described her all-out-battle to recover Evan from Autism, Oprah graciously called her a “Warrior Mom.” From that day forward, women all over the world fighting for the health and well-being of their children living with ASD, had a new “team” name thanks to Jenny and thanks to Oprah! Jennifer Keefe, a DFW-area mom had connected with and a group of like-minded friends sharing their journeys with ASD and decided that very day to name their group “Warrior Moms” in honor of Jenny and her dedication to healing children living with illnesses associated with their ASD.

Jenny’s second Autism book, Healing and Preventing Autism, co-authored with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, specifically addresses biomedical treatments for children with ASD, in my opinion pushed our “team” up another notch. This easy-to-read book continues to raise awareness with the general population and offers fundamental information on biomedical treatments to help Warrior Moms in the trenches. Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds, is a powerful tribute to th