Written By: Tatyana Phelps

When a woman decides to become a mother, she makes an oath to care for and look after her child, regardless of any sickness, defect or deformity. Apparently for Jillian McCabe, having a child with autism was just too much for her to handle, and her son suffered due to her inability to carry out that oath.

McCabe, 34-year-old mother to a child with autism, threw her son over a bridge on Nov. 3. Her family claims that she was “sick” from taking care of her 6-year-old son, London, and her husband, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. They don’t blame her in any way for the incident and actually believe that she is a victim.

Despite what she may want others to believe, McCabe was not the victim; her child was. London was suffering far more than his mother ever was or ever could have possibly suffered. London was the one living with the disease, not his mother. What he needed was for someone to love him and take care of him since he wasn’t able to do it for himself. Instead, his mother simply gave up on him. What kind of “mother” is that?

Of course, being a mother is no walk in the park. It can be a very challenging and strenuous role, yet it is also very rewarding. Not every woman gets the opportunity to be a mother. Those who are given the opportunity should cherish and appreciate every moment of it, the bad along with the good.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time a mother has ended her mentally ill child’s life, and it probably won’t be the last. What parents need to understand is that their child didn’t ask for the illness, and it is not something the child can control – but it is something the parent and child have to accept.