Gordon Page Jr. - possible update

[pgarner157]

Originally Posted by Janel "Jaycee" Miller

Were fingerprints taken from the baseball card collection that was found after Gordie disappeared? It could perhaps prove once and all if they were his cards and offer insight into whether or not someone helped him the night he disappeared.

I apologize if this was addressed earlier.

That's a good question. The Kent Co. Sheriff's Office does have his dental records, though. Please join my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/GordonTPage/

[Rayroy]

Whoever here blames his parents, you guys are sickening. Gordie was misdiagnosed. The father dealt in cars, not in the medical field. The only mistake his father made was trusting people in the medical business. It's a business first. He had no experience in it so how exactly was he supposed to know this was going to hurt his son? I've always seen this story and got sad because I could see the pain in his eyes. He tried to help his son any way he could like in the video. He loved his son and if he could have traded his own life for his son to be in a better place he would have.

The problem is when money is involved, there will be gutter trash taking advantage. The places knew the family had money and they took advantage of their inexperience with autism. That keeping him away for 2 months honestly sounded like total BS to get the parents away and keep their money while they neglect their son. If you want to make someone independent, you don't just cut them off. You run the risk of the fear of abandonment and that could make them worse. Gordie likely felt abandoned. They should have spent time with Gordie there and little by little go away so he could gradually get used to it.

Gordie likely died not too long after he last disappeared. Anything could have happened. Maybe he ran into a forest and was never found. His bones would only be found by accident in that case.

The pain in his father's eyes is so bad, you feel it through the recording.

[tvscript124]

This is such a sad case. Autism awareness is everywhere now, for example, "Love on the Spectrum" is a hit show, and you have people like Dr. Temple Grandin being up front about being neurodivergent. Unfortunately, it's still not understood even today. However, as others have said in this thread, back when Gordon Page Jr. was still with his family, autism was so often misdiagnosed and a big secret. I don't blame Gordon Sr or the family. They did the best they could. The sad fact is that Gordon Page Jr suffered from our society's lack of mental health understanding and a serious medical error.

I'd like to think he is still alive, but I too fear he is dead.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by Rayroy

Whoever here blames his parents, you guys are sickening. Gordie was misdiagnosed. The father dealt in cars, not in the medical field. The only mistake his father made was trusting people in the medical business. It's a business first. He had no experience in it so how exactly was he supposed to know this was going to hurt his son? I've always seen this story and got sad because I could see the pain in his eyes. He tried to help his son any way he could like in the video. He loved his son and if he could have traded his own life for his son to be in a better place he would have.

The problem is when money is involved, there will be gutter trash taking advantage. The places knew the family had money and they took advantage of their inexperience with autism. That keeping him away for 2 months honestly sounded like total BS to get the parents away and keep their money while they neglect their son. If you want to make someone independent, you don't just cut them off. You run the risk of the fear of abandonment and that could make them worse. Gordie likely felt abandoned. They should have spent time with Gordie there and little by little go away so he could gradually get used to it.

Gordie likely died not too long after he last disappeared. Anything could have happened. Maybe he ran into a forest and was never found. His bones would only be found by accident in that case.

The pain in his father's eyes is so bad, you feel it through the recording.

I agree. You can't blame the parents. Too often they are ill equipped to deal with a neurodivergent child. I could see the pain in the father's eyes. The regret. However, the family was probably overwhelmed, and these so-called doctors offered them a lifeline. It's sad, but it happens all the time.

[Gelatinous Goo]

Yes, while there still seems to be so much more knowledge that mankind needs to gain in regards to autism, when Gordie disappeared, society and the medical community was still quite in the dark about it.

Many people first learned of this through Rain Man. For the time of its release, it was a pretty humane take on the subject, but even a lot of laymen today can spot things that might have been handled differently if this film was released in modern times.

I have to believe that most everyone could see how much love Mr. Page had for his son, and how it destroyed both him and Gordie to be apart from one another. He thought these people were doing the best by his son and followed their instructions, as heartbreaking as they were, out of his immense love. It would be impossible to not find yourself racked with guilt if you were in the Page's shoes, but I pray they realize that they did the absolute best for Gordie in spite of the tragedy that befell them.

I really have to hand it to the actor who portrayed Gordie. Wow. It might be the best performance ever featured on the show, especially when given how little the actor would have had to work with in that era. Extremely convincing portrayal.

[infinityluxe]

I have worked in psychiatric hospitals for over 10 years now and within those 10 years Autism was put in the mental health code. We started getting autistic patients who are not mentally ill and we were not equipped for it. Autistic patients are particularly challenging until you learn their triggers and figure out ways to soothe them. I completely understand the parents being overwhelmed with Gordy. They needed help desperately and sadly Gordy was not watched over the way he should have been. Gordy just wanted to go home. So sad.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Goo

Yes, while there still seems to be so much more knowledge that mankind needs to gain in regards to autism, when Gordie disappeared, society and the medical community was still quite in the dark about it.

Many people first learned of this through Rain Man. For the time of its release, it was a pretty humane take on the subject, but even a lot of laymen today can spot things that might have been handled differently if this film was released in modern times.

I have to believe that most everyone could see how much love Mr. Page had for his son, and how it destroyed both him and Gordie to be apart from one another. He thought these people were doing the best by his son and followed their instructions, as heartbreaking as they were, out of his immense love. It would be impossible to not find yourself racked with guilt if you were in the Page's shoes, but I pray they realize that they did the absolute best for Gordie in spite of the tragedy that befell them.

I really have to hand it to the actor who portrayed Gordie. Wow. It might be the best performance ever featured on the show, especially when given how little the actor would have had to work with in that era. Extremely convincing portrayal.

Rain Man was perfect for the time, and for all time. Ultimately, it is a story about learning to accept someone for who they are. If it were written today, as you say, the story might be different, but it still stands the test of time. In the years since then, we have had The Good Doctor, Love On the Spectrum, and the movie about Temple Grandin (played by Claire Danes). You have popular fiction about autism, for example, John Green's book. Also, people view many of their favorite characters as autism coded, Wednesday Addams being one. You even have an active autism community online (although Reddit gets hairy at times, but what else is new.) You have Autism Speaks. This is not to say that autism has 100 percent acceptance or understanding, of course it doesn't, but we are light years ahead of where Gordon Page Jr. was.

The mental health community has not always treated these patients correctly, and that's an understatement. But like you say, you cannot fault the parents because they were doing the best that they could, and they loved their son. They weren't trying to hide him away or be ashamed of him.

Also, they trusted the wrong medical professionals out of desperation. Believe me, doctors are not always right! If they were always right, Ryan Stallings would have been diagnosed with MMA immediately.

Gordie Jr's case is a tragedy all around.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by infinityluxe

I have worked in psychiatric hospitals for over 10 years now and within those 10 years Autism was put in the mental health code. We started getting autistic patients who are not mentally ill and we were not equipped for it. Autistic patients are particularly challenging until you learn their triggers and figure out ways to soothe them. I completely understand the parents being overwhelmed with Gordy. They needed help desperately and sadly Gordy was not watched over the way he should have been. Gordy just wanted to go home. So sad.

First, respect for what you do. Second, you just confirmed exactly what some of us have been saying. Gordie Jr could have been helped if he'd had professionals that understood autism and could work with him.

[cordwainer1453]

I would love to see this solved. Of course, I'd love to see all these cases solved, except for the Face on Mars, that should remain a mystery forever.

[Rayroy]

Originally Posted by cordwainer1453

I would love to see this solved. Of course, I'd love to see all these cases solved, except for the Face on Mars, that should remain a mystery forever.

You don't want to know what is on the other end of Mars.