Kids with autism have medical issues
that make every day a question mark
by Nancy Hokkanen
Bloomington, Minnesota
As I write this, my 9-year-old son is boarding a bus for a school field trip. His class is going to see wolves at a wildlife science center in the far suburbs. He has mercury-induced autism. He is excited. I’m a wreck.
By Kim Stagliano
Kudos to Fox 6 San Diego for their, dare we say it, "Fair and Balanced" treatment of the Generation Rescue vaccinated versus unvaccinated study.
We might have to ask our friends at "A-B-C" (the affiliate in Washington DC) to go back to school, however, for their one sided approach to the same information. You can check it out here. Kathy Fowler, medical reporter says, "If parents are concerned they can request Thimerosal free flu shots this fall." How about, "If parents aren't concerned, they should have their heads examined?"
Kathy seems to be unaware that few pediatric offices and retail flu shot clinics have the Thimerosal free version of the flu vaccine available.
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
I often try to put myself in the shoes of an average person who doesn’t have an autistic child and figure out what he might think of this controversy.
I picture this average person having a healthy respect for medical professionals, but if they can’t find the answer to a serious problem he’ll probably treat them like a mechanic who can’t find the solution to a troublesome car, and simply take his car to another shop.
The expert witnesses for the defense today reminded me of mechanics who can’t find the answer to a serious problem, specifically a young girl who probably would have died of malnutrition and dehydration if she hadn’t been hospitalized for eighteen days.
By J.B. Handley
For the first time ever, we know something about them that may help our kids.
Yup, they live right down the street from you, they are 5.6% of the population, and they have less asthma, less ADHD, and less autism than our kids seem to have. At least according to our survey.
Do we expect you to believe us? Not really. Not if you’re a member of the mainstream media or the mainstream medical establishment. But, we really hope you will look at our data. Because today, unlike the CDC, we are making all of our data public simultaneously with the release of our survey. Crunch away, and decide for yourself.
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
When I was young, I learned that dinosaurs became extinct because they were slow, stupid, and just plain out-competed by the warm-blooded mammals.
Then some scientists at UC Berkeley found evidence that a meteor the size of Mt. Everest blew a crater roughly the size of Ireland in the ocean off the Yucatan Peninsula, effectively killing off any animal over 150 pounds.
That’s why today we have mammals, birds (small dinosaurs?), and reptiles, but no large dinosaurs chasing people down the street.
The truth of what happened to the dinosaurs never changed. They were still just as dead from that meteor as they’d been before. What changed was our understanding of those events. This trial may be at a similar turning point.
Continue reading "New Science vs. Old Science – Day Eight of the Autism Omnibus Trial" »
By J. B. Handley
Are you a Jason Giambi fan? I am. The guy is known in the majors for being one of the most genuinely nice guys to ever call a dugout home. His sweet swing, hard work, and clutch play made him a local favorite during his years with the A’s, and I loved rooting for the guy.
Like many of his peers, he seemed to be more buff than the Hulk, and the comparison between him at his peak of swatting homers and his Olympic Team baseball card photo was a bit like comparing Arnold to Pee Wee Herman. So maybe the A’s had a great weight room?
Unlike his peers, Giambi recently admitted that he used steroids to enhance his strength and performance. So Giambi is also a cheater, just like several dozens of his peers, who were no doubt doing exactly what he was doing to produce the 1990s “homerun era” of baseball.
Yesterday Autism Speaks ran a full page ad in the New York Times. If you saw the ad in your city's newspaper please tell us in the comments section.
The advertisement speaks simply of "Learn the signs of autism." It's an awareness campaign. And a good one. It puts forth no political agenda, no opinions on the controversy of autism, vaccines, environment, genes or court cases. It's an eye catching, well executed ad. Autism Speaks is run by professionals from top to bottom. This is not a kitchen table/shoe string organization.
However, it did run across the gutter (No, really, that's what the center part of the newspaper is called.) from an editorial about the vaccine court in progress (see daily posts below from Kent Heckenlively) that concludes with this stunning statement: "Those who shun a vaccine are at far greater risk than those who take it." Really? Says who? The vaccine manufacturers? The parents of the infants who died from the Rotavirus vaccine of the early 1990's?
That's a pretty powerful blanket statement from The Times editorial staff. And the use of the word "shun" implies an emotional cutting off based in hysteria, not the thoughtful, agonized decision that most parents who eschew some or all vaccines make.
The Autism Speaks ad ran right next to this editorial. Coincidence? Veiled message? Code? You tell us. Here's the full body copy from the editorial.
"A federal vaccine court in Washington is confronting the contentious and highly emotional issue of whether early childhood vaccinations might have caused autism in thousands of children. Virtually every major scientific study and organization that has weighed in on the issue has seen no link. But many parents of afflicted children remain unconvinced. Their lawyers will try to prove that some 4,800 children were harmed by the mass vaccination campaigns that protect the nation’s youngsters from potentially devastating childhood illnesses.
There seems little doubt that the child at the center of the first of the cases — Michelle Cedillo of Yuma, Ariz. — has classic symptoms of autism: impaired social interaction, limited ability to communicate, and unusual repetitive behavior. Her mother says she developed a high fever a week after she received the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella at the age of 15 months and soon after could not speak and was unresponsive.
Her lawyers theorize that two vaccine factors were likely responsible. This shot and others that she had received contained a mercury preservative that they argue suppressed her immune system, thus allowing the measles virus used in the vaccine to cause neurological damage. Other plaintiffs are contending that the preservative alone, the measles vaccine alone or something else in the vaccines caused their children’s autism.
What confuses the issue is that infants are routinely vaccinated at the age when autism first emerges, and understandably distraught parents, searching for a cause, often latch onto vaccination as the likely culprit. But in Michelle’s case, experts testifying for the Department of Health and Human Services said that home videos and professional records showed early symptoms of autism starting well before she received the measles vaccine."
In 2004, the prestigious Institute of Medicine concluded that neither the preservative, known as thimerosal, nor the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine was associated with autism and that various hypotheses about how they could trigger autism lacked supporting evidence. Even after thimerosal was phased out of pediatric vaccines, autism rates did not fall.
The vaccine court will be addressing the narrow issue of whether these families deserve compensation from a national vaccine injury fund. But the proceedings will inevitably affect all parents’ attitudes toward the measles vaccine and toward pediatric vaccinations in general.
We can only hope that, however the verdicts go, parents will remain eager to get their children vaccinated. Even the plaintiffs’ lead attorney acknowledged that mass immunization programs are “a great public benefit” that have prevented tens of thousands of deaths and serious injuries. Those who shun a vaccine are at far greater risk than those who take it.
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
There’s a joke about a man in a psychiatrist’s office who’s taking the Rorschach ink-blot test. The ink-blots are abstract and what the patient sees in them is supposed to reveal something of his mental state.
In each picture the man claims to see different scantily-clad women.
“I know what your problem is!” the psychiatrist declares. “You’re obsessed with sex!”
“But doc,” the patient protests, “you’re the one showing me all the dirty pictures!”
In reviewing this day’s testimony all I could think of was the Rorschach ink-blot test. What people see in the videos of Michelle Cedillo reveals what they believe is at the heart of autism.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. MAX WIZNITZER BY MR. VORIS JOHNSON, JR. – ATTORNEY FOR THE GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENTS)
Dr. Wiznitzer is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric neurology, and in neuro-developmental disabilities. He received his M.D. from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, and had a fellowship studying disorders of language and autism. He’s an associate professor of Pediatrics, Neurology, and International Health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and is also a staff child neurologist at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
There was some controversy at the beginning of the hearing about whether they would actually review the video-tapes in court or simply refer to the time and frame of the recording. Apparently, there was some concern over whether the showing of the tapes was distressing to the Cedillo family. Plaintiff’s counsel said there was no problem showing the videos in court and adjustments were made to have the tapes reviewed in the courtroom.
Plaintiff’s counsel was concerned that the testimony of Dr. Wiznitzer on early signs of autism in the videos was duplicative of the previous day’s testimony. It was, but the special masters allowed it. His testimony highlighted areas of concern that had been discussed the previous day, such as whether she really had language, although she was clearly using words, her social interactions with people, and whether she was turning towards people when they called her name.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR.. WIZNITZER BY MR. THOMAS POWERS – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS (PETITIONERS)
This cross-examination revolved again over the question of whether Michelle’s pediatrician had picked up any signs of delayed development before her MMR shot. No concerns had been documented in her records.
Dr. Wiznitzer was also cross-examined on whether he was an immunologist and able to determine signs of a compromised immune system. He has to rely on the opinion of others. There was also some questioning of his previous participation in vaccine cases on the side of the pharmaceutical companies and how much he received for that work.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE DAY’S TESTIMONY
We see what we believe is there to be seen.
It’s said that when Indians in the New World glimpsed the first European sailing ships they could not imagine they were the creations of men. Years later when experts in a courtroom view videos of a child they think they see the early signs of autism, and therefore the MMR shots couldn’t have had anything to do with it. But what about the 12.5 micrograms of Thimerosal the child received on the very first day of life from the Hepatitis B shot? Could that have started the autistic cascade which finally became an avalanche after the MMR shot? The pediatrician who oversaw Michelle’s care didn’t notice any problems before the MMR shot. Was he right or wrong?
I thought I’d wait until the end of this trial to talk about what I believe and how I see the world, but I think this is a good time to share that information.
My daughter Jacqueline went off breast-milk shortly before Thanksgiving of 1998 and went on a cow’s milk based formula. She was six months old and a happy and contented child. In early December she got her six-month vaccinations and within a few weeks she seemed different. She started having head-bobs, which were later diagnosed as infantile seizures. We followed the standard medical practices of medication which controlled her seizures, but her development lagged far behind. When she was three years old she was diagnosed as being severely autistic.
Our son Ben was born in 2000 and because we had figured out our daughter had a milk allergy, he was kept on a hypo-allergenic milk-free formula until approximately 15 months. We called him Busy Ben because he was so active. The idea that a vaccination might be the reason for our daughter’s problems had never entered our minds until Ben had his 18 month vaccination.
Within a few days Ben went mute. He started pounding his head on the floor. When I took him to the playground near our apartment he’d stop every five minutes or so and mutely point to the distant horizon. If I squinted I could see the tiny image of a passenger plane taking off from the Oakland Airport. An audiologist later explained to me that the first noise of a jet aircraft which reaches us is at a range that humans can’t hear. Ben could hear them.
By chance I picked up the book Solving the Mystery of Autism and PDD by Karyn Serousi which advocated a wheat and milk free diet for these kids. Ben went on that diet within five days after he went mute.
I don’t remember the first word my son spoke, but I will never forget the moment he started his road back to us. He had been mute for twelve days and my wife Linda and I had taken him to a local shopping mall. There was a small fountain in front of the Nordstrom’s department store. Water gushed out of the mouth of a stone lion and into the pool. Ben became fascinated with the stream of water and Linda and I waited for him.
He peered into that pool for what seemed like hours, then said, “Bubbles!” He said it again and again, as if he had finally remembered the words to his favorite song. My wife has been a speech therapist for the past eighteen-years and is thus a highly trained observer. She claims it took Ben about a year to catch up to his peers in language, and about two years for all of his sensory problems to resolve so he could do something as simple as sit in a movie theater without needing to run to the nearest exit.
Ben just finished first grade, is in the top of his class both academically and socially, and has made more outs this season on his tee-ball team than any other player. In addition, he’s halfway to getting his black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do.
Jacqueline still has seizures and is in a home program. However, we’ve done extensive bio-medical treatments for her and they’ve brought her farther than we ever imagined. Her eye-contact is great, she tries to speak appropriately although it’s very unintelligible, and she gives me more smiles in a day than any dad has the right to expect from a child.
I have one kid back, and I’m trying like hell to get the other one.
That’s how I see the world.
Kent Heckenlively has worked as an attorney, television producer and is now a beloved science teacher.
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
Defense counsel began their case today and I expected fireworks. The question is whether after all the sound and fury they did much for their case. Based on the questions by the one of the Special Master at the end, I believe they may have done very little.
RESERVED OPENING STATEMENT BY MR. MATANOSKI – ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (PETITIONERS)
Matanoski opened respondent’s testimony by telling the court that over the weekend he considered making a motion for judgment as the record stands. He did not even think he needed to put on a defense. He claimed that the plaintiffs had not put on a case that even under the most generous interpretation should get a favorable ruling. It was a bold move, but one I believe that risks alienating the Special Masters even before their case had begun. What if any of the Special Masters thought the plaintiffs had put on a compelling case? Or even if the evidence is less than robust, the mere fact that such terrible injuries have been suffered by so many children, that they deserve their day in court? Defense is now in effect calling any of the Special Masters who might think there is something to these questions, an idiot.
Defense counsel claimed the evidence of petitioners was not scientifically reliable, but he would present a case because serious accusations had been leveled against the MMR shot, diseases which according to him cause more than 450,000 deaths a year worldwide. He painted Dr. Andrew Wakefield as the man at the center of this controversy, alleging the filed patent for his own mono-valent measles vaccine in 1997 gave him the incentive to falsify data and create a worldwide panic so people would rush to use his vaccine.
The experts for plaintiff were reviewed, and Matanoski explained why his experts on these issues were much more reliable.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. ERIC FOMBONNE BY MS. RICCIARDELLA – ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENTS)
Dr. Fombonne is a professor of Psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is head of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at McGill as well as head of the Autism Spectrum Program at Montreal Children’s Hospital. He went to medical school at the University of Paris and also has a master’s degree in Biostatic Methods in Human Physiology. He did his residency in psychiatry at the University of Paris and is a certified specialist in child psychiatry.
Dr. Fombonne is also organizer and teacher of a summer school program at the Autism Research Training Program, which is partially funded by the group, Autism Speaks. He regularly diagnoses autistic children, and claims to have diagnosed perhaps 2,000 children. He has 34 book chapters in various textbooks pertaining to childhood psychiatric and developmental disorders and has served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Child Psychology nd Psychiatry. He was the associate editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and was the advisor to the Chief Medical Officer in the United Kingdom concerning the MMR and autism controversy.
After all this build-up I was shocked by the apparent laziness and outright misrepresentation of the petitioner’s claim of the first question asked of Dr. Fombonne. It reads, “Doctor, did Michelle’s receipt of thimerosal-containing vaccine in the MMR vaccine cause or contribute to her autism?” Maybe it was a court reporter’s mistake. However, it’s in the record and I’ll treat it as accurate. Here’s why it’s important.
THERE IS NO THIMEROSAL IN THE MMR VACCINE!
Defense counsel knows this the Special Masters have said this case must answer three very specific questions. 1. Does Thimerosal (mercury) affect the immune system? 2. Is there a connection between the measles vaccine and autism? 3. Is there a connection between Thimerosal, the measles vaccine, and autism? Petitioner’s case is built upon the theory that thimerosal used in other vaccines lowered the immune system of genetically-at-risk children who were unable to flush the mercury from their systems. Then, the MMR shot, which is a live-virus vaccine (thus no need for Thimerosal because that would kill the virus) gets injected into these kids and they develop chronic viral infections, which cause
their autism.
It’s one thing to disagree with the premise of an opponent’s argument. It’s another to misrepresent it and an attorney does so at his peril. These things get picked up on by judges.
Fombonne then ran through a description of autism although he kept stating that it was a scientist named Tanner who first identified the disorder in the United States, when his actual name was Kanner! (Again, maybe this was the mistake of the court reporter!) On explaining his theory that autism has always been with us, he described the work of Uta Frith who claimed a certain twelfth-century monk “certainly had autism”, as well as a certain Scottish scholar, and a feral child discovered living in the woods in medieval Europe.
Fombonne’s testimony regarding general principles in recognizing autism was strong, although he claimed that even when all possible genetic factors are taken into account, 90% of all autism is “idiopathic”, meaning that doctors cannot find a reason. He cited certain brain abnormalities, such as the loss of Pukinje cells, or larger amounts of white matter in the brain, but could draw no definitive conclusions.
Among possible causes of autism, he noted that there were increased numbers of autistic children among the children exposed to the drug thalidomide. Thalidomide was used for morning sickness in the 1960’s, but after wide usage was found to cause limb deformities in children. I actually knew two children who had thalidomide deformities when I was growing up.
Another possible cause was viral exposure as there was a high number of autistic children who were born to the mothers who contracted rubella during a large outbreak in 1963 and 1964.
A man-made chemical contributing to autism? Viral exposure contributing to autism? I thought we were in plaintiff’s case for a moment. I hoped the attorneys for the petitioners picked up on these statements.
Fombonne was quite effective when he reviewed Michelle’s video-tapes and pointed out what he claimed were early signs of autism. First, he noted she was a content, non-demanding child who had a late social smile. Second, there was evidence of motor delay. She didn’t crawl until nine months, sit until eleven months, and wasn’t independently walking at fifteen months. He also claimed her records showed early evidence of macrocephaly (abnormal head size). There were some comments about how she was fixated on the Sesame Street show in an abnormal way in a video of her taken at eight months.
I thought this was the strongest testimony presented by the defense.
In the final questions, Dr. Fombonne testified he did not believe that autistic children suffered from bowel troubles any more than normal children, and if they did, it was not related to their autism.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR. FOMBONNE BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS (PETITIONERS)
Ms. Chin-Caplan began by pointing out that in his sixty-two page report on Michelle Cedillo, he only started discussing Michelle specifically on page fifty-two.
Plaintiff’s counsel then asked whether Fombonne had correlated Michelle’s head size with body weight and length. Michelle’s head size was at the 95th percentile, but so was her weight. Her length was a lower percentage. Fombonne replied that length was a better comparison than weight, so there was still a discrepancy. However, defense’s other expert witness on this matter, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman (not testifying, but his report is on record in this case), claimed he did not have an opinion as to whether head size was better correlated with weight or length.
When questioned, Dr. Fombonne did not express an opinion as to whether the measles virus is a strong immunosuppressant. He also had no opinion on the question of fever and immunosuppression.
Fombonne was questioned as to an article he’d written saying that pediatricians were pretty accurate in picking out developmental problems with their patients. This was contrasted with the lack of any concerns expressed by Michelle’s pediatrician prior to her MMR vaccination.
Plaintiff’s counsel directed Fombonne’s attention to a well-known article identifying the early indicators of autism in children and noted that far from being quiet, contented children, their behavior was marked by irritability, distress, and disregulation. Fombonne admitted that there was wide variation. According to the cross-examination, very few of
Michelle’s behaviors matched those in the article.
Fombonne was then directed to his own article in which he stated there was no good epidemiological evidence to support or refute Wakefield’s suggestion of a link between bowel disorders and autism. Fombonne also talked about how Wakefield had earlier been investigating a link between the MMR vaccine and increased rates of Crohn’s disease in the general population.
While Fombonne does not believe in a link between bowel disorders and autism, it was pointed out to him that Autism Speaks, one of the main financial backers of his summer “Autism Research Training Program”, has had various forums of the gastro-intestinal problems of autistic children and has even put forth a protocol for examining these problems.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. EDWIN COOK BY MS. TRACI PATTON – ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENTS)
Dr. Cook received his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and got his M.D. at the University of Texas-Medical Branch of Galveston. He was chief resident at the University of Chicago and has fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. He’s the holder of a pharmacogenic patent, which has the distinction of being the first time a drug treatment is linked to a specific gene that is disordered.
He has diagnosed and treated autistic patients since 1984. He spends two days a week in a clinical setting working with autistics. He researches the genetics of autism and has a brother who has a condition which is similar to autism. He’s the author of more than 150 peer-reviewed articles of which about 30 deal with the genetics of autism.
Dr. Cook wasted no time in stating his belief that it’s less possible for individuals to be genetically predisposed to react to Thimerosal and/or the MMR vaccine in a way to trigger autism “than for the earth to be the center of the solar system.” He may not have helped his credibility when he stated he didn’t even know how you would “test the possibility.” I wonder how far Galileo would’ve gotten if he hadn’t known how to test his theories.
Dr. Cook seemed to be on stronger ground when he discussed studies of identical and fraternal twins and the rate of autism, showing a strong genetic link and how other neurological conditions don’t appear immediately, but only after the passage of some time.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR. COOK BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF (PETITIONERS)
Ms. Chin-Caplan started the cross-examination by detailing how work on the genetics of autism. In what may have seemed comical, she went through all of the various genes Cook has researched for a connection to autism, with all of them having given only a slight or no correlation to autism.
Cook responded that there are over 20,000 genes and it’s difficult to find the one which may be responsible for autism, but scientists like him would keep on looking.
Plaintiff’s attorney asked if in his opinion there can be post-delivery insults which cause autism, and he said he was aware of cases in Tanzania in which malaria contributed to autism.
Chin-Caplan asked if in a hypothetical fact pattern that a court might award compensation when somebody has had an MMR vaccination, suffers a seizure which leads to encephalopathy, then develops autism. Cook thought that this hypothesis was an impossible fact pattern, but Chin-Caplan then asked if his opinion would change if he knew that this Vaccine Court had previously awarded compensation on those exact facts. He did not seem to give an answer.
Plaintiff’s counsel then asked if he was aware that the Institute of Medicine held a meeting in April of 2007 on “Autism and the Environment” which looked at environmental triggers. He didn’t attend the conference, although he’d heard about it.
SPECIAL MASTER VOWELL HAS QUESTIONS FOR DR. COOK
Maybe the best way to figure out how a case is going is to listen to the questions which get asked by a judge. Special Master Vowell had two questions at the end of Dr. Cook’s testimony which indicated to me that she grasps what the essential questions are of this trial.
Her first question was, can environmental triggers affect gene expression? The question was beautiful in its simplicity. We all know examples of the guy who lives to a hundred even though he smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, while an occasional smoker for a few years gets lung cancer. We all know that smoking is harmful, but the truth is it will be more harmful to some than to others.
Why should mercury injected into babies be thought of as any different than cigarette smoke being blown into their faces?
To his credit, Dr. Cook said, yes, environmental triggers can affect gene expression.
Vowell then asked his opinion of the article by Dr. Martha Herbert of Harvard Uiversity entitled “Autism: A Brain Disorder or a Disorder that Affects the Brain?” (This is probably the best article by a leading researcher attempting to pull together the various strands of evidence from multiple sources that something has gone wrong in the immune system of autistic children.) Cook responded that he was aware of the article and thought it was good to consider all the possibilities.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE DAY’S TESTIMONY
I was prepared to feel deflated after the first day of the defense’s presentation, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
I didn’t hear a lot of science which refuted the claims of the petitioners. In fact, they even admitted that chemical and viral exposures are correlated to autism. It seems as if they’re holding onto the life-raft of a genetic explanation, but even they admit it doesn’t completely keep their theory afloat.
Defense takes the approach that it needs to compare the claims of the parents of autistic children to those who believe the earth is the center of the universe. I think that’s overkill and will only damage their credibility. Everybody acknowledges that these children are seriously impaired. It doesn’t present a good impression to get angry at parents who want answers.
Ask questions that show you understand the other side’s case. If you have science, show it. If you don’t, the Special Masters will ask the good questions you didn’t.
If you don’t ask the right questions it will seem like you don’t want to know the answer.
Kent Heckenlively has worked as an attorney, a television producer and is now a beloved science teacher.
By Ellen Cotton
I’m an ordinary mom of a very special kid. Finding out that, in my ignorance, I had allowed my special child to be injured by vaccines, was a shock that I will never forget.
It took several years and a lot of independent research for me to figure out what happened to my child. My husband and I adopted him in 1993 when he was just 4 days old. He was very healthy and had a perfect score on the Apgar tests. We were thrilled to have him in our lives and he exceeded all our hopes and dreams - he was beautiful, healthy, bright and cheerful. The only problems we had were problems that were common to many parents. Our baby was colicky and didn’t settle down until he was finally taken off milk-based formula at age 3 months. After that he was a very happy baby. He met all the usual milestones – sat up at 4 months, crawled at 6 months, walked at 12 months, and started saying multiple words at 9 months. He was strong, friendly, responsive to people and things – a happy chatter box.
Because I had a full-time job, we hired a nanny from age 6 months until he was 2 and a half. Then we put him in a wonderful daycare next door to my office. He loved being with the other children and socialized well. One staff person asked me if my son was able to read, because she had observed him picking up books and saying the titles without any prompting. I had also noticed that he seemed to be able to repeat things read to him – even an entire children’s book! When he was 3, another staff person mentioned that he was having difficulty learning to ride a tricycle. No other problems were ever reported.
But, shortly after he entered the daycare, he started having chronic ear infections. Every two weeks he’d have another one. The doctor gave him antibiotics and eventually they didn’t work anymore. Fortunately, he stopped having the chronic ear infections at age 4 when we moved from Toronto, Canada to California.
After we moved, it was a difficult and confusing time for all of us. I took my son for check-ups and he received several vaccines shortly after we arrived in California. I put him in pre-school and there were some behavioural problems. But I attributed them to the move and upheaval at home. The preschool did some evaluations for kindergarten and I have a written report that shows my son having met all the milestones for school - including being able to write his name and a few other words, counting to 100, cutting, pasting, drawing…
Then, I took him for his required vaccines for entering public school. He was almost 5 years old. Because the vaccine schedule for Canada was slightly different than what was required for California, the doctor said he needed 7 vaccines – all of which were given to him in one session! It was traumatic for my son and he was very sick with a high fever for several days, but the doctor said that was normal. I didn’t think any more about it until several years later.
His kindergarten class was a bit unique. They were implementing a special pilot programme for teaching reading and writing based on the needs of children with dyslexia. I volunteered to help in the classroom when they were doing the programme. After several months, it became obvious that my son could no longer write, use scissors or draw. He was also having some difficulty with reading. This seemed strange to me, because he could do all these things in preschool. The teacher seemed a bit concerned about his fine motor coordination and said I should keep an eye on it. We also noticed that he was having difficulty with gross motor skills as well. He would no longer climb on the playground equipment and seemed afraid to try things that he used to love. And despite my constant efforts, he still could not ride a tricycle. There were also a lot of tantrums and upsets, but again I thought that was because of the adjustment to school.
I’ll skip all the horrors of elementary school. To make a long story short, my son was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia and learning disabilities, then A.D.D., then finally Asperger’s Disorder along with Developmental Coordination Disorder and anxiety. I kept doing research online and reading books about autism and learning disabilities. Then I came across Karyn Seroussi’s book, Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD. At one point in the book she talked about her family history of reactions to vaccines. My heart almost stopped as I suddenly recalled that my son’s birth mother had written a short note on the adoption papers that stated she had had a bad reaction to a vaccine.
Suddenly, it all started to fit together. I finally realized that my son’s serious problems started after that final onslaught of 7 vaccines. He had all the symptoms of mercury poisoning – neurological damage, learning disabilities, irritability, nervousness, fits of anger, memory loss, attention problems, depression (yes, he had bouts of depression even at age 6!), low self confidence, anxiety, low self control, foul breath, abdominal cramps, gastrointestinal problems, fine tremors, muscle weakness, fatigue, joint pain, sensory sensitivities, and coordination problems.
When he was 10, I had my son tested for toxic metals. His mercury levels were near the top of the “extremely elevated” range. He also had elevated levels of lead. We put him on supplements and the GF/CF diet, which seemed to noticeably calm him down. Then after a few months we started a very carefully controlled series of chelation with DMSA supported with nutritional supplements and diet. We continued this regimen for almost 3 years.
My son is now 14 years old. There have been significant and major improvements in his moods, attention, anxiety, self-control, gastrointestinal health, muscle strength, energy and coordination. Some were gradual, some very quick and dramatic. What didn’t change were his learning disabilities and some mild degree of autistic tendencies. Had I realized the problem when he was younger, we might have seen a greater improvement in these areas.
I do believe that autism is a complex disorder and that vaccine injury alone can not be given full blame. More likely it is certain genetic predispositions, triggered by a barrage of environmental insults – too many vaccines containing Thimerosal (all of them in my son’s case), given at too early an age, toxins in our environment, toxins in the food we eat, too many antibiotics. They all add up and take their toll on the brains and bodies of our developing children. But there is no doubt in my mind that vaccines were a major factor in my child’s sudden descent into neurological hell. I am deeply grateful to all the “rescue angels” out there who helped me get my son back on the path to health.
Ellen Cotton lives in California and is a Generation Rescue "Rescue Angel" who helps other parents learn about treatments to help their children with autism heal.
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
DIRECT OF DR. VERA BYERS BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS (PETITIONERS)
I didn’t see Dr. Vera S. Byers as I was reading the court transcript but a vivid image came through. I pictured her as some regal figure of undisputed authority, like Helen Mirren in “The Queen” or Judi Dench in the latest James Bond films.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from UCLA, she went back for a master’s degree in protein chemistry, then got an M.D. from UCSF with boards in Internal Medicine, a Ph.D. in Basic Immunology, a fellowship in protein chemistry, and another three-year fellowship in Clinical Immunology from UCSF. She joined the faculty at UCSF in the Department of Medicine, then later in the Department of Immunology. She was one of the founders in the field of tumor immunology and for a time was considered the world’s leading expert on poison oak and ivy dermatitis.
She was inventor of the first monoclonal antibody to be put into clinical trials at the University of Nottingham in England and was inventor of the first antibodies that ultimately culminated in the ones currently used to treat leukemia and lymphoma. Dr. Byers also works as a medical toxicologist and worked on the well-known case of toxic exposure in Woburn, Massachusetts where the citizens were exposed to the chemical trichloroethylene by W. R. Grace Corporation among others. This chemical caused many people to develop leukemia and was one of the earliest and best documented cancer “clusters.” The EPA’s estimate to remedy this problem involved a fifty-year plan, costing $69.4 million dollars, most of which will be borne by the W.R. Grace Corporation.
The story of that case was told by Jonathon Harr in the award-winning book “A Civil Action” and later turned into a movie of the same name starring John Travolta, Robert Duvall, James Gandolfini, and Tony Shaloub. Attorney Kevin Conway who brought this suit was one of the attorneys who worked on that case and was played by Tony Shaloub (“Monk”) in the movie. I now understand why the case this law firm has put on up to this point has been so strong.
While Dr. Vera Byers has testified in cases involving chemical exposure on the side of plaintiffs, she has also worked in industry. She worked on a vaccine for multiple sclerosis for a company named Immunex in Seattle, and is currently working with Hutchison Medipharma in Shanghai, taking traditional Chinese herbal mixtures and putting them through FDA approved testing for efficacy. Dr. Byers was also a founder of one of the largest AIDS clinic in San Francisco and was partially responsible for the fast track drug application process which currently operates for HIV drugs. She has approximately 200 published articles, holds about 10 patents, and has served on the editorial review boards for the journals “Cancer Drugs” and later “Cancer, Immunology, and Immunotherapy.”
Dr. Byers was asked to review the medical records of Michelle Cedillo to answer a few questions. First, did Michelle Cedillo have a persistent measles infection in her gastro-intestinal system? Second, did she have a disregulated immune system? And finally, did the combination of her genes, measles virus, and thimerosal-containing vaccines combine to cause her autism?
The good doctor wasted no time in stating her opinion that the combination of Michelle’s genetics, thimerosal-containing vaccines, and MMR shots combined to cause her autism, then set about detailing the reasons for her opinion.
She catalogued the family history she’d taken from the Cedillos, including the medical records of an extremely high fever (reaching 105 degrees at one point) lasting nearly a week, medical panels run by Dr. Gupta, an immunologist from the University of California-Irvine, and the skewing of her immune system response as revealed by testing. For further reading she suggested the paper “The Immune Response in Autism: A New Frontier for Autism Research” by Paul Ashwood. According to Byers, a person with a properly functioning immune system should have no trouble clearing a measles virus, and its presence in Michelle Cedillo’s tissue samples more than four years after her vaccination were clear evidence of her improperly functioning immune system.
The key to understanding what goes wrong in the immune system lies in the difference between the innate and adaptive immune system. The innate immune system responds quickly to what it perceives as foreign entities, but the response is broad-based, such as a fever. The adaptive immune system takes longer to respond, but its response is much more selective, and much more effective. While the innate immune system seems to function in autistic children, it seems as if it’s been dramatically thrown off. It’s the innate immune system which appears to give information to the adaptive immune system to tailor its response. However, the most sensitive part of the innate immune system appears to be easily affected by thimerosal, as demonstrated in studies of both mouse and human dendriditc cells.
Dr. Byers based her opinion on the substantial literature indicating that mercury damages multiple parts of the immune system, and specifically that they can damage dendridic cells at levels corresponding to those in pediatric vaccines, and the presence of the measles virus in Michelle Cedillo’s tissues more than four years after her vaccination.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR. BYERS BY MR. MATANOSKI – ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENT)
Matanoski wasted no time making nice about her credentials or published papers and went straight for the jugular.
He pounded on whether an autistic had to have a poorly functioning immune system, if genes alone could explain the condition, then harping on the hypothetical question of whether a child who had never received a thimerosal-containing vaccine could develop autism. They were good questions, but I felt that Byers had been so strong in her delivery that defense counsel needed to hit back strongly.
Matanoski was effective in throwing Dr. Byers off stride. Very effective.
Defense counsel kept pushing for bright lines to determine what tests or indicators would give definitive proof of autism to immune disregulation. Byers responded that each case was unique. Matanoski wanted to know how long after exposure to thimerosal could there be problems, and how long after to have no problems? Byers responded that according to Dr. Aposhian who had testified on Monday, it would be somewhere within a five to eight month period.
Matanoski went after her for needing to get that information from other physicians, rather than having her own independent opinion. It rattled her.
Was persistent measles infection the penultimate evidence of an abnormally functioning immune system, and what if there was no measles virus detected? Byers kept repeating that each case was unique.
Finally, Matanoski went to credentials, but he still kept pounding away on her. When she had trouble finding some citations he made a big deal out of it. He went after her on whether you could clear a virus if one only had partial immune suppression. What exact tests did she need in order to come to a conclusion about immune suppression?
While Byers had reviewed other articles on the immunosuppressive properties of mercury, had she done any of her own original research? Finally Byers found the cited articles for mercury toxicity, but it seemed as if the cross-examination ended with a whimper.
SPECIAL MASTER QUESTIONS FOR DR. BEYER
It seemed as if the Special Masters were less interested in the fiery questioning that the hard science. They asked Byers questions about the function of dendridic cells, which she answered very well, as if regaining her stride.
She answered their questions quite clearly about the known toxic effects of mercury on the immune system, then segued into the re-direct by Mc. Chin-Caplan.
REDIRECT OF DR. BEYER BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN
Plaintiff’s case seemed to get back on track with discussion of research cited by Beyer that even relatively low levels of thimerosal (50 nanomolecules), comparable to levels found in vaccines, could alter dendridic function. Beyer said she still believed that research was solid and had seen no other evidence to contradict it.
RECROSS OF DR. BEYER BY MR. MATANOSKI
His only question of real significance was her contention that if the measles virus is found in the gut of a person who should have cleared the virus, was it evidence of a persistent infection? She said it was and I couldn’t see how this information was relevant.
SPECIAL MASTER QUESTIONS FOR DR. BEYER
I have generally been impressed with the questions asked by the Special Masters. They appear to have thoroughly read all the supporting scientific articles and that is a factor in our favor.
In many ways this case is at the frontier of current medical and scientific knowledge and it's reassuring to know that those in charge have at least read the maps."
By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. KAREN HEPNER BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF
(PETITIONER) Once you’ve highlighted the distinguished older man of science (Dr. Aposhian), the saintly mother (Theresa Cedillo), the maverick mid-career physician (Dr. Krigsman), you bring in the best of the new breed so the court understands you’re on the very edge of today’s science.
Dr. Karen Hepner graduated from SUNY in 1994 then worked in a molecular diagnostics lab at New York Hospital-Cornell in New York City where she helped design a technique for in-site amino acid identification of the Human Herpes virus 8 in AIDS patients with lymphoma. In 1997 she started working on her doctorate in molecular biology at UCLA. After graduation in approximately 2003 she worked in a cancer research laboratory where they studied tumor suppressor genes. Since working at the cancer research lab she worked with Dr. Steve Walker on a collaborative project looking at the presence of RNA measles virus in the bowel biopsies of autistic children. Dr. Hepner claimed to have worked with most of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) based techniques for obtaining RNA in the past ten years.
Dr. Hepner was a witness specifically brought in to discuss the paper Potential Viral Pathogenic Mechanism for New Variant Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, generally referred to as the Uhlmann paper, after its first author. The paper described an apparently new form on inflammatory bowel disorder found in a cohort of children with autism which included hyperplasia and non-specific colitis, but could not accurately be described as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. The data collected for this paper suggested the presence of measles virus antigen in the mid-gut mucosal lymphoid tissue of these autistic children.
Before venturing into discussion of the Uhlmann paper, Dr. Hepner thought it would be helpful to give a brief overview of molecular biology. She explained that proteins are important for all the functions of the cell, that each protein is specific, and this specificity is crucial for their proper function. The blueprint for a protein is found in the DNA.
However, since the DNA resides in the nucleus, and proteins are created in the ribosomes, the DNA is translated into RNA which then leaves the nucleus for the ribosomes where the components of the proteins (amino acids) are created. Each gene has a specific code of proteins which can be checked with existing databases to determine the presence of absence of a particular gene, or whether a virus has inserted its genetic material into a person’s genome.
All of this information is standard knowledge in the scientific community.
In PCR replication a DNA sample is taken and them amplified, or copied so that the sample is large enough to properly investigate. There was substantial discussion regarding the best ways to conduct PCR replication.
The problem with PCR replication of a measles virus is that it’s a single-stranded RNA virus, and the common PCR replicating techniques which work so well on a double-stranded DNA molecule need to be modified. The modification involves changing the single stranded RNA virus into a double-stranded molecule. According to Hepner, this technique has wide acceptance in the medical community.
In Uhlmann’s study seventy-five of 91 autistic patients tested positive for the measles virus in intestinal tissue compared with five of 70 control patients. Hepner claimed she was confident in the results based on her review of their methods.
When questioned as to why other studies, such as the “Afzal” study and the “D’Souza” study didn’t confirm these results, Hepner had a quick answer. Uhlmann used intestinal tissue from GI biopsies, while those other studies used peripheral blood mononuclear cells from autistic patients, even those who did not seem to be suffering from gastro-intestinal distress.
In fairness to the other researchers, they were testing a different hypothesis, namely that once the measles virus had been found in the intestine, could it also be found in the blood? Hepner testified briefly about how different labs might get widely varying values based upon their equipment and methods even with the same specimen. Through her work with Dr. Steve Walker, they were attempting to duplicate the results found by Uhlmann and were meeting initial success, although they were not yet ready to publish their preliminary results.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR. HARPER BY MR. MATANOSKI
Defense counsel first came after Dr. Hepner for her relative youth, pointing out that she’s only had her Ph.D. for a few years and has only one published medical article on her own while being a coauthor on three others. It was an attack which I thought also cut against Matanoski. Because of her recent educational experiences Dr. Hepner was also more likely to be aware of the latest medical advances rather than somebody who had received their training decades earlier.
I felt that defense counsel was effective when he asked if she could detail how thimerosal, measles infection, and autism could be linked. She claimed it was a plausible hypothesis, but could not go any farther.
Equally effective was the questioning of why the measles virus would be found in intestinal tissue, but not in the blood. Hepner couldn’t give an explanation, but said that’s what the data was showing. There were apparently some questions about how much of the data Uhlmann shared with other physicians, but since Hepner was not part of that team she could not comment.
Matanoski got Hepner to say that the Walker study results were still preliminary, and that they had not used a specific PCR sequencing technique which is known as the “gold standard” in this type of work.
SPECIAL MASTER QUESTIONS
These questions revolved mainly around the control group of normal children used for the study. Also asked was the question of whether tests run on the same equipment would give similar results.
RECROSS OF DR. HEPNER BY MR. MATANOSKI– ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENT)
There was no redirect of Dr. Hepner from Ms. Chin-Caplan.
Matanoski asked some technical questions about PCR sequencing, but then probably got the most out of Dr. Hepner that he could when she stated that at this time she couldn’t draw any biological significance to the presence of the measles virus in the inflamed intestines of autistic children.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. RONALD C. KENNEDY BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN – ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF (PETITIONER)
If Dr. Hepner suffered from her relative youth and one published article on her own and co-author on three others, Dr. Kennedy suffered from an apparent embarrassment of riches. He has more than 240 published articles, several dealing with the subject of viral persistence.
Dr. Kennedy received his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Rutger’s University and his master’s and Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. He performed postdoctoral fellow studies at Baylor College of Medicine with the Department of Virology and Epidemiology, specifically looking at issues related to vaccine development and new approaches to develop vaccines.
He was an assistant professor at Baylor, and then became a full professor at the University of Texas. While at UT he was awarded a National Institute of Health grant for AIDS research to study the persistence of HIV infection in primates. When he was a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Oklahoma he directed a baboon breeding colony with the idea of using baboons as a relevant model for human situations.
Dr. Kennedy is currently a professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Texas Tech University Health Center, and sits on review panels for the National Institute of Health, the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and a number of scientific review panels of other countries. He has ten patents in various countries, and another ten to fifteen currently pending.
After describing his background, Dr. Kennedy began by describing the immune system. According to Kennedy, the immune system is best divided into the innate and adaptive system which works in tandem. The innate immune system provides a fast, non-specific response to a foreign invader. Inflammation in the body is usually a response of the body’s innate immune system. By contrast, the adaptive immune system is slow, takes days to evolve, but provides specific protection to the body against an infectious agent.
The most important thing from the standpoint of the measles virus and viruses in general is that they are most often neutralized by proper functioning of the individual’s adaptive immune system. If a person has a compromised immune system, either inherited or acquired, it will significantly affect that individual’s ability to fight off an infection. The measles virus can affect a number of bodily functions, such as dendritic cells, and production of anti-bodies.
The vaccine strain of the measles virus has some different characteristics from the naturally occurring virus, such as a lower replication rate, but it can be identified through PCR techniques.
Dr. Kennedy gave his thoughts on the Uhlmann paper, stating he was comfortable with their conclusions. He also gave further information about how the measles virus can persist in a cell, without harming the host cell, but otherwise affecting the body. According to Kennedy, it is well-settled that measles and related viruses can cause neurologic disorders and that these viruses will persist if the patient has an ineffective immune response.
He was familiar with the Unigenetics lab of John O’Leary and Dr. Orla Sheils at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland which tested the tissue samples of Michelle Cedillo. According to Kennedy, the lab has published 12 peer-reviewed publications in excellent journals in the past two years.
Moving specifically to Michelle Cedillo, Dr. Kennedy discussed the high level of measles virus RNA detected in intestinal samples of Michelle Cedillo several years after her MMR vaccination. Their continued presence showed an ineffective immune system response in the girl and suggested continued measles virus persistence and replication.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DR. KENNEDY BY MR. MATANOSKI – ATTORNEY FOR GOVERNMENT (RESPONDENT)
Defense counsel ran through the typical impeachment strategies, noting that Kennedy was a Ph.D. and not an M.D.; therefore he wasn’t treating patients, then pointing out that only one of his numerous articles was about MMR vaccine.
More effective, but still of little value in my opinion was how he pointed out that when Kennedy had testified to the congressional committee formed by Representative Dan Burton (R-Indiana) to look into a link between the vaccinations and autism, he did not make any claims as to MMR possibly causing problems. This line of questioning was negated by Kennedy pointing out that in that hearing he was only called upon to answer questions regarding the hepatitis B vaccination.
I thought Matanoski was quite effective in asking Kennedy to give his broader opinions about the link between MMR and autism in the greater community, which Kennedy declined to do. It’s really a tightrope that these witnesses are walking, and I have to say in my opinion they’re doing very well.
Kennedy is on solid ground in saying that he believes that the vaccine strain of the measles was found competently in the intestinal tissues of Michelle Cedillo by Unigenetics, but saying much more goes beyond his expertise. He’s quite right in saying there are still large gaps in our knowledge, and I think that’s one of the reasons this case is so difficult.
SPECIAL MASTER QUESTIONS FOR DR. KENNEDY
Aside from some clarifying questions, the questions from the special masters focused on three basic areas.
Was the level of measles virus RNA found in Michelle Cedillo’s tissues higher than a person who had an active infection? Yes, it was.
Is it unusual for the measles virus RNA to be found in tissue, but not in the blood? It’s not unusual unless there’s an active infection, but many questions in this area are still unanswered. In a person who has a properly functioning immune system, will the measles virus RNA clear itself out in a few months so that it would be virtually undetectable through tissue biopsies and PCR replication? Yes, after a few months the measles virus RNA should have been reduced by the properly functioning immune system of a person to undetectable levels.
REDIRECT OF DR. KENNEDY BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN
There were questions about the Uhlmann paper, which seemed to have formed a large part of the MMR litigation in England. Dr. Kennedy recounted how he had done extensive questioning of Dr. Orla Shiels, one of the authors of the Uhlmann paper and was convinced of the accuracy of their test results.
RECROSS OF DR. KENNEDY BY MR. MATANOSKI
Matanoski questioned Dr. Kennedy about three areas. First, there appear to have been some discrepancies in Michelle Cedillo’s lab reports. Second, the MMR litigation in England was dismissed. Third, Unigenetics Lab is no longer in business.
GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE DAY’S TESTIMONY
I feel the attorneys for Cedillo are taking great pains not to overstate their case.
As the parent of an autistic child I want to hear the sweeping statement that thimerosal and the MMR have in some way caused this autism epidemic, but the science on that isn’t in just yet.
In specific cases like Michelle Cedillo it’s devastating to recount the measles virus RNA evidence, how this shows there must be some level of immuno-suppression, and how her genetic predisposition could have caused her to retain mercury that resulted in that immuno-suppression. A pretty good case can be made for Michelle Cedillo. The attorneys are doing an excellent job of detailing the specifics of this child.
If we win with this child, the doors are open to the rest of us. We need to win this specific case for the rest of us to have a chance. If it’s true of one, it can be true for all. If this case fails, though, we’ll still be those crazy anti-vaccine people in the eyes of the public for a little while longer.
Congratulations to The National Autism Association for getting media placement on this Yahoo News Article about the outcry over NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman and her misinformation that NBC broadcast to millions of viewers. That Yahoo picked up the release is in and of itself big news. If you spot the piece elsewhere let us know at editor@rescuepost.com.
"WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NBC's coverage of the Autism Omnibus Proceedings in the U.S. Federal Claims Court that began last week has sparked a firestorm of criticism among parents of vaccine-injured children from around the country. A letter protesting on-air statements made last week by NBC chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman has been sent to top NBC officials.
The letter, signed by over 50 advocacy organizations and physicians, objects to Dr. Snyderman's assertion on last Tuesday's Today show that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal no longer exists in vaccines. Thimerosal is still contained in most flu shots and several other vaccines as well."
You can read the full Yahoo article HERE.
By J.B. Handley
An otherwise rational acquaintance of mine took a read of David Kirby’s recent Huffington Post Editorial on the need for a survey of unvaccinated children to settle the autism debate once and for all. His reaction to David’s idea? To paraphrase, he thought it was more likely the parent of an unvaccinated child would swallow a cyanide pill than share any information with a government-sponsored scientific study. In his mind, anyone who doesn’t vaccinate their kids must be completely nuts.
Was he right?
As someone who has also been vocal about the need for a survey of unvaccinated children, going as far as to initiate one myself, it’s hard to imagine running down 10,000 or so kids to complete a national study if each encounter risks generating another Ruby Ridge. You’d need more ammunition than I had considered.
So, I took to The Google to see what I could find out. And, what do you know, from our favorite Atlanta-based terrestrial Death Star (aka, the CDC) a study of unvaccinated children. Not the kind of study you’re thinking. It’s more of a psychological profile, as the name so sensitively implies:
Children Who Have Received No Vaccines: Who Are They and Where Do They Live?
Who are you and where do you live? We are the CDC and we’re coming to find you! Really, though, the study turns out to be an interesting read, particularly with comments like these:
“Unvaccinated children tended to be white, to have a mother who was married and had a college degree, to live in a household with an annual income exceeding $75,000, and to have parents who expressed concerns regarding the safety of vaccines and indicated that medical doctors have little influence over vaccination decisions for their children.”
What? They are white and upper-income? How do those cyanide-pill popping, Ruby Ridge Dwelling parents make $75,000 a year? The study continues:
“Why do some parents avoid vaccinating their children? Our results indicate that parents of unvaccinated children are much more concerned about vaccine safety than are parents whose children receive 1 vaccine dose. In a survey of parent's beliefs and practices regarding vaccinations and autism, siblings in families in which there was an autistic child were 3 times more likely to be unvaccinated, compared with siblings in families in which there was a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In response to concerns about the perceived risk of autism resulting from vaccinations, parents might have avoided having their sons vaccinated at a higher rate than their daughters, as a result of knowing that they have risk factors for autism and knowing that the rate of autism is 4 times greater for boys than for girls.”
For the love of God, it’s those pesky autism parents again, running the vaccine party for everyone!
White. Upper income. Married. College degree. Concerned about vaccine safety and do their own thinking rather than having a doctor do it for them? Those are the nut-jobs my acquaintance deemed un-surveyable?
Our survey has targeted unvaccinated children in Oregon in California. So far, we’ve had no problem finding unvaccinated children, and Randy Weaver has yet to return our phone calls.
J.B. Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue along with his wife, Lisa.
By Kent Heckenlively
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF THERESA CEDILLO, MICHELLE CEDILLO’S MOTHER, BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN FOR THE PLAINTIFFS (PETITIONERS)
It’s during examinations like this I actually feel sorry for defense counsel.
Ms. Chin-Caplan continued her excellent direct examination of mother Theresa Cedillo, cataloging the parade of horrors visited upon her child from dehydration, malnutrition, seizures, broken bones, self-injurious behaviors, and vision problems. What can defense counsel say in response? Yes, I know your daughter requires twenty-four hour a day care, but what I’d give to have such soft, beautiful hair!
Mrs. Cedillo was excellent in her recounting of the eighteen days her daughter spent hospitalized for dehydration and malnutrition because of gastrointestinal troubles before meeting Dr. Krigsman in September of 2003. Dr. Krigsman’s treatments were able to normalize much of Michelle’s gastrointestinal problems, allowing her to have fully formed stools for the first time in years.
Although Michelle’s gastro-intestinal problems improved dramatically, she began to suffer from seizures, then broke her leg after having a grand mal seizure. It was also discovered she had significant visual problems.
Direct testimony ended with the playing of home movies of Michelle at nine months old and a year-old, clearly showing her meeting such developmental milestones as sitting up, talking, interacting, followed by what she was like after her eighteen-month MMR shots and descending into a listless, non-communicative world.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF THERESA CEDILLO BY MS. LYNN RICCIARDELLA, ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT (RESPONDENT)
In cross-examining such a sympathetic witness as Theresa Cedillo a defense lawyer needs to tread carefully.
Ms. Ricciardella proceeded cautiously, praising Mrs. Cedillo as an exceptional parent, then ran her through all of the problems suffered by Michelle. I wasn’t sure exactly why she continued to highlight the difficulties of Michelle’s problems, unless she simply felt she didn’t have much else.
Defense counsel elicited from Cedillo that she suspected the MMR shot as a possible cause of her daughter’s autism when Michelle was diagnosed around the age of three in August of 1997.
Since I expect an attack on the entire line of researchers who have put forth the MMR-Autism link I wasn’t surprised to read that Ricciardella asked questions about Mrs. Cedillo’s knowledge and contacts with Dr. Andrew Wakefield, then how she was led to Dr. Arthur Krigsman at a Defeat Autism Now (DAN!) meeting on October of 2002.
Ricciardella also questioned Mrs. Cedillio about the sending of a tissue sample to Unigenetics Lab in Dublin, Ireland and their finding that Michelle’s tissue contained the measles virus.
The cross-examination was probably about as good as could be done with a witness like Mrs. Cedillo. Defense wants to get the information they need for their case, which I believe was the link to Wakefield and the Unigenetics Lab in Dublin, so that they can later attack them.
SPECIAL MASTER QUESTIONS FOR THERESA CEDILLO
The special master’s questions revolved around three areas.
First, he wanted to establish that it was Mrs. Cedillo’s own on-line research that led her to suspect a vaccination connection to Michelle’s autism.
Second, he wanted to know about the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) group of doctors and parents.
Third, he wanted to know how she had heard about the Unigenetics Lab in Dublin, Ireland. Answer – She heard about it from another mother on the internet.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF DR. KRIGSMAN BY MS. CHIN-CAPLAN
Examination began with Dr. Krigsman’s educational background. B.S. with honors from Johns Hopkins University, medical school at SUNY-Downstate/Brooklyn, three year general pediatric residency at SUNY-Downstate Kings County, followed by three year fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. His practice has been a mix of pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology. In his career he has been Chairman of Pediatric Gastroenterology at both Beth Israel Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital.
Krigsman saw his first autistic children in 2000. He ran the standard test for gastrointestinal problems, but they revealed nothing, and he said good-bye to these patients.
A few months later one of the doctors in his practice gave him an article by Professor John Walker-Smith suggesting these kids had a unique form of inflammatory bowel disorder. Patients had nonspecific inflammation of the colon and at the very end of the ileum. The standard tests would usually come back negative, but an endoscopy would reveal the inflammation.
He called these initial eight patients back, scoped them, and found the same type of inflammation reported by Professor Walker-Smith. Their problems were best diagnosed as autistic entercolitis (inflammation of the small intestine), although it shared similarities with Crohn’s disease. Soon he was treating twenty-two autistic patients with standard oral anti-inflammatory drugs.
Chin-Caplan then reviewed with Krigsman his meeting with Theresa Cedillo and the beginning of Michelle’s treatment. Krigsman said Michelle’s immune system was responding to something, most likely an infectious agent, then showed slides of her inflamed bowels. He was aware of theories that the inflammation was caused by a vaccine-strain of the measles and began searching for somebody to help him determine whether the measles virus was present in the gastrointestinal system of these children.
Krigsman went through the techniques for PCR sequencing of tissue
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