Benoit & FXS
June 27, 2007
I get a google alert every day about news with Fragile X syndrome. There were a ton of them today because a woman has reported that Chris Benoit’s son had fragile X syndrome. For those not familiar with the tragic story you can find it here. A lot of people are stating that the stress of dealing with the syndrome could have led Benoit to kill his wife and child.
One article that I found stated:
So what could drive an otherwise decent person to such heinous acts? Something must have, or else all of his friends misjudged him over the years and he was just a murderer waiting to happen his whole life. The stress put on he and his wife when his son Daniel was diagnosed with fragile X syndrome – which a woman in Vancouver with a son with the same condition said in a published Vancouver report yesterday – could have dramatically changed his demeanor, his outlook on life, the demands on him as a father, and more. Fragile X syndrome is the type of condition that, on the surface, appears to demand a major change in the lives of the parents raising the child. Absentee dads and a single mom at home doesn’t sound like a great fit for a child with fragile X syndrome, which has mental retardation, physical complications, and autism among the traits. That could have put tremendous stress on Chris and Nancy, affecting their marriage, her desire for him to be on the road most of the time, and his outlook on his long-term responsibilities as a father. One media report this week said Benoit’s son was so undersized for his age, he could be “considered a dwarf.”How Chris and Nancy coped with this development in their lives is part of the fabric of trying to understand this story and what may have prompted volatility in their marriage and Chris eventually cracking – especially when the concoction of other factors in his professional life are taken into consideration.
I’m deeply troubled that this man could do this to his child and wife, no matter the reason. And I can’t say if FXS played a role on its own, in the mix of everything, or not at all. Only the man involved can.
This isn’t the only case of a parent killing their FXS child and then themselves. On April 12, 2006 Alison Davies climbed on a bridge with her 12 year old FX son and they both went over. The article can be found here.
When the Davies family perished a lot of people yelled for better access to resources and help for parents. From my understanding the Benoit family had the money and resources for help. So what went wrong? I still feel the tragedy was fueled by roid rage and not FXS but maybe it did lead him over the top.
Only time may tell or we may never know but I hope that other families struggling with fragile x & autism can get the services necessary to cope before this happens again. 
Entry Filed under: Daily News, News Flash. Tags: autism, children, Chris Benoit, daily life, familicide, family, fragile x, fxs, handicapped kids, health, kids, life, parenting, reflecting, special needs kids, stress.
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1.
Kristie | June 27, 2007 at 1:38 pm
This is just a heart-wrenching story. Drew is almost seven. I can’t imagine how scared Daniel must have been.
2. Wrestler Chris Benoit Kil&hellip | June 27, 2007 at 3:23 pm
[...] another perspective on raising children with Fragile X, see Also see Fragile What? Read & See! by the mother of two children with Fragile X. ASD, Aspergers, autism, children, chris benoit, [...]
3.
Jason O'Quinn | June 28, 2007 at 9:09 pm
I am the stepfather of an 8-year-old autistic boy, and think I know a fair amount; my wife, Caleb’s mom, is much more versed in information about the spectrum. We’d heard about the Benoit story– I used to follow wrestling closely, so I knew of him well– but when I told her about this new element in the case today, she had never heard of Fragile X. If a mother of an autistic child, who’s always been actively involved in her son’s treatment and education, doesn’t know about FX, the widespread population must be totally ignorant. I had only heard of it in passing before myself.
I can’t believe his son’s condition was a sole impetus for the murders. Actually, I’m not sold on the assumption that Benoit committed all three murders, if any. There are too many suspicious circumstances circling around this situation. Given that the killings were spread out over three days, and involved several deliberate, likely premeditated actions, “roid rage” just doesn’t work. But it’s even harder to swallow that a husband and father could do all this in cold blood. I do believe, though, that Daniel’s murder may have been intended in “mercy,” since his mother was dead, and either Chris or another perpertrator knew that he would not be taken care of now.
4.
FXSmom | June 28, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I agree with you Jason. I’m not sold on what the press says and I could make all kinds of scenarios in my mind on what and why it all happened.
It’s very sad the widespread population is ignorant of FX since it is the #1 cause of genetic mental retardation & autism. The FX community has been trying for years to, at least, get all those diagnosed with autism to be tested for FX syndrome. Our greatest desire is to get everyone tested for FXS like PKU is tested at birth. There are more people with FXS and PKU and PKU testing is required. Granted, they say PKU is life threatening.
But FXS is forever life altering for the children, parents, siblings, and extended family. And the sooner FXS is found, the sooner early intervention can be started which in turns provides the child with a better outcome. I can only hope that the media can open more peoples eyes to fragile x syndrome.
5.
Dianne | June 30, 2007 at 8:32 am
My Son was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism 6 months ago. The first thing the Doctor did was have blood work done to test for Fragile X. Several other Mothers I have been networking with have had the same done. I wonder if this testing is more common, possibly standard with the diagnosis of autism?
6.
FXSmom | June 30, 2007 at 8:56 am
Dianne,
It really depends on the doctor. There has been a big push over the last few years to test for FXS when a diagnosis of autism is found. This is because research has shown that there is a huge link between the two.
I think as time goes this will become a standard but there is still a lot of awareness needed. You have no idea how often we go to a specialist or a hospital and they tell me, “Fragile What?” These are supposed to be professionals and they have no clue what it is.
7.
Ettina | July 20, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Though I don’t agree with this view totally it is a different opinion from some I’ve seen and should be shared. ~Beth
An often-overlooked factor is parents killing disabled children, which I think is far more relevant than degree of support, is discrimination. Parents of disabled children are not immune to society’s attitudes about disability. It’s important to remember that most parents of disabled children probably had no more contact with disabled people than anyone else before their child was born. There is some evidence to indicate that those who have been discriminated against, in any way, tend to have lower rates of discrimination (although they, too, can be discriminatory). The fact that Chris Benoit was so successful may have meant that he was more likely to accept what society says is important for a good life, since apart from a disabled son he had all of that. Often you don’t realize something, isn’t necessary for happiness unless you’ve lived without it or known someone living without it (and if you’re too stuck on it being necessary for happiness, you won’t let yourself see that it isn’t).