I just saw the episode of Extreme makeover: home edition and found it a bit sad how they didnt even mention Joe at all, while Anthony was mentioned. I mean, it's true that Anthony died more recently than Joe, but still. Susan Tom was still so heartbroken over Anthony's death and wanted a little "memorial" for him, but it was as if Joe didnt even exist. Do you think Susan maybe didnt love Joe as much, as she did have a lot of trouble with him?
sharei dunno, but i too was feeling a little funny about that. i thought they would have mentioned her past kids too. but it was really sad hearing about anthony
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i feel root vegetable. am i dead? or buried alive?
Yeah, the only time they even sort of acknowledged Joe, was at the beginning, where they showed the picture of both Joe and Anthony in the pool together, and also when the oldest sister mentioned the recent "deaths" as being the toughest part of being in the family. Aside from those two small acknowledgments, I didn't notice any other. I too was kind of disappointed that more wasn't mentioned about Joe, but I have nothing bad to say about Susan Tom. She's a great woman!! It was probably just the fact that Anthony's death was so recent, and so fresh on everyone's minds. That's my guess anyway.
sharethought the same thing and went searching on the internet to see what I could find. I think we have to remember the power of editing. They very much could have spoke of Joe but the producers may have left those pieces on the cutting room floor as it may have "complicated" the story line. I also thought it interesting that they didn't make any mention of the My Flesh and Blook documentary. Or did they?
shareYeah, that's what I was going to say.
Just because you don't see it on the show doesn't mean it didn't happen.
They probably didn't have enough time to go into much about both, and there's a whole feature-length movie mostly about Joe, so maybe they thought it would be better to focus on Anthony in the show.
I appreciate the humanity of the person asking this question. Need to say that straight up.
In a different (gun-toting) home, Joe seemed to have had the potential to become a shooter. Don't get me wrong, I felt for Joe all through the movie. There's much I liked and admired about him & his death left me feeling melancholy. But Anthony seemed like a wistfully sad yet courageous, humble little saint, so grateful just to be alive, so inspiring in his struggle...so "cuddly". Did Susan Tom love him more than Joe and not just in a different way? Perhaps so. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that - to take a more extreme example - Dylan Klebold was a human being too, yet I doubt he was well-loved, even before the terrible massacre.
So while each life should be treasured, I don't see why we can't be honest with ourselves and admit that Anthony's death was the most heartbreaking of all.
Yeah, that disturbs me too. I also feel horribly for Joe's mother. What happened to her, I wonder?
shareI don't feel anything for Joe's mom, I hope she blames herself for that everyday of her life. I also found the adoptive mother cold at sometimes, it was kind of strange, but I still support her. Anyways it was insulting that they didn't even mention Joe.
shareI agree that the adoptive mother seemed quite cold at times. She has my support, too. But yeah.
share"Yeah, that disturbs me too. I also feel horribly for Joe's mother. What happened to her, I wonder?"
Did you even see the movie "My Flesh and Blood"? The person you should feel horrible for is Susan Tom, that was his mother, not that crackwhore.
In My Flesh & Blood they said that Joe's mother had had 9 kids, none of which lived with her. I fail to see how anyone can feel anything for that woman other than contempt.
shareDo you think Susan maybe didnt love Joe as much, as she did have a lot of trouble with him?
I have just seen My Flesh and Blood last Sunday morning (mother's day) and I was deeply affected by this film. Having just read your message I have now learned that poor Anthony also passed away. I was shocked in the film that it was Joe that died and not Anthony also. Now you have confirmed that which I was dreading to hear, that poor Anthony died also. The pain in that little angels face broke my heart. May he now soar in heaven or somewhere like it, and no longer be in such excruciating pain. I was in agony watching Susan have to bathe him in that chloroxe bath. My god, can you just imagine what that must have felt like for him. And then to watch Joe die and know you are probably going to be next must have been agony for him.
shareMaybe Joe really did sexually abused one of his sisters. And, they didn't want to bring those memories back. In the end, we really don't know if there was an investigation or it was just forgotten.
shareI was also deeply affected by this film and I'm rewatching it right now. My heart has broken now that I have learnt Anthony passed on. I was dreading this news. I feel heartbroken. The poor darling. All my thoughts and prayers are with him that he is happy in heaven.
shareI don't think that's the case at all. If you saw the film you will remember how hard Joe's passing was on Susan. She took all of those kids in and loved them all equally, no matter of the troubles with Joe.
shareI just finished watching this beautiful, powerful, heart-wrenching documentary...and the best word to describe it is WOW! God bless those kids and Susan! I'm saddened to learn Anthony passed away. I didn't know that until I read it on here. For some reason, I felt a real connection with him. To me, he was an angel that lived with constant pain and never seemed to complain one bit. We can ALL take a lesson from him.
Susan has made those kids whole by giving them a loving home and treating them with kindness and compassion. Margaret also is a blessing...not many young people would help their mom the way she does. I wish ALL of them nothing but happiness and God's blessings...they deserve it!
Peace
Umm, why, when and how exactly does god figure into this? God bless these kids? What a meaningless platitude. Might as well pray for cancer sufferers.
Anyways, to get off the topic of unicorn and goblin believers, my hat is fully tipped to Susan. As the brother of a MR/cognitively disabled child, I can say with certainty that this it not an easy job. I admire her patience and the good she brings into the world on an individual basis.
The Extreme Home Makeover episode was rerun yesterday on TVLand. As other posters have mentioned Susie wasn't mentioned either. Also on the episode the crew said that Margaret was the oldest adopted child and Emily wasn't mentioned and neither were Susan's two biological sons. EHM has been known to withhold facts about the families they feature. I admire Susan and the family but My Flesh and Blood probably helped them get selected for EHM.
shareAnd who are YOU to say it's meaningless platitude? Maybe it has enormous meaning to that poster. Some people who pray do so with deep sincerity, and with a heart full of love. You obviously haven't felt that, and that's unfortunate for you. But that doesn't give you license to attack someone else's WELL WISHES...what kind of person attacks someone else simply for wishing another person well? Fortunately, I don't understand that.
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