Educational Media Reviews Online

It is said that a mother will protect her child to the death, that there is no greater bond than a mother’s love for her child and no greater sorrow than to stand by helpless and watch that child suffer. Quote from Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis?

Alex Spourdalakis was in every aspect a normal baby when at just shy of two years old he developed a fever that would forever change the course of his life. Following his illness Alex became withdrawn, irritable and non-communicative. Diagnosed with a severe form of autism Alex, his mother and Godmother would spend the next twelve years wading through a healthcare system that was ill equipped to handle his disorder. Multiple doctors, unnecessary procedures, hospital admissions, severe pain, inappropriate psychiatric drugs and years of anxiety would plague this family.

At over 200 lbs. Alex was prone to periods of violence. His mother and godmother often had difficulty controlling Alex’s behavior and were torn between keeping him at home and finding a facility to care for Alex properly. The medical system offered roadblocks and detours to treatment at an alarming rate. As a parent, it is sometimes difficult to wade through the medical world. It is also sometimes difficult to get the medical community to listen. Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis? portrays this perfectly. Knowing that wrong decisions were being made Alex’s mom was helpless to stop a system that steam rolled over Alex. Exhaustion, doubt, bravery, fear, pain, suicide, murder and always the undying love of a mother for her son, led to a tragedy that should not have happened.

The question this film raises is what would you do if this was your child? It is by no means an easy one to answer. Education and awareness provided by this film will certainly bring this much needed question to the forefront!