When We Sent Our Son Away

Death, Sex & Money

• Episode: When We Sent Our Son Away
• Website: Death, Sex & Money
• Feed URL: http://feeds.wnyc.org/deathsexmoney
• Duration: 00:22:42
• Published: 2019-02-20 18:00

We first met Diane Gill Morris three years ago, when her two sons, Kenny and Theo, were in their early teens. Both of them are autistic, and Diane worried about where they would end up living—and who would end up caring for them—when they became adults. "When they were little, it was all about figuring out how to help them," Diane told us. "Now it’s, okay, this is who they are. I can continue to help them grow and evolve....But the hard part is just accepting that this is quite conceivably the rest of my life." 

We recently checked in with Diane, who moved with her entire family into a house that seemed perfect for them to live in together as they aged. But when her younger son, Theo, started having violent outbursts at home, their plan of continuing to care for him was thrown into question. 

Did you miss our first episode with Diane? Go back and listen. Diane also guest hosted Death, Sex & Money in 2016. Hear her conversation with two other parents of autistic children, including a police officer, here.