Meet Dr. Gary Kampothecras, Warrior Dad
By J.B. Handley
I often talk about the "autism net", the concept that the ranks of parents impacted by the autism epidemic grows every day. With each person added to the net, the chances of someone being added with the power and connections to do something about it grows.
Meet Dr. Gary Kompothecras: he's one of those parents. Based in Sarasota, Florida, he appears to be a one-man wrecking crew doing many of the things all of us wish we could.
Consider this excerpt from an article that ran yesterday in his local paper, the Herald Tribune of Sarasota, FL. (HERE)
"Dirt bags!" he says, throwing up his arms in a conference room in his office. "It's a cover-up. They're killing kids."
Gary Kompothecras, who likes to be called Dr. Gary, is a chiropractor who acknowledges that, if you cross him, he can be a bulldog. He made himself a multi-millionaire building clinics to treat people hurt in car accidents and by creating the 1-800-ASK-GARY referral network. He is also one of the state's biggest political donors and a close friend of Gov. Charlie Crist.
Two of his children are autistic. Sarah Alice, 11, repeats back what other people say to her and still plays with a jack-in-the-box. Bronson, 12, is so severely delayed he spent years in therapy to learn the name of his favorite plaything, bottles.
Kompothecras (pronounced kom-PAHTH-uh-kras) believes their disorder was caused by an ingredient in vaccines, mercury-based thimerosal, that they received as infants.
"Dirt bags" is one of the nicer names he has for public health officials who disagree.
This legislative session Kompothecras wants lawmakers to pass a law preventing any vaccines with more than a tiny amount of thimerosal from being given in Florida, creating what would be the nation's strictest vaccine law.
Pediatricians say the legislation, which essentially amounts to a ban on the preservative, is rooted in bad science and will put children and the elderly at risk for deadly flu viruses. The one shot containing a substantial amount of thimerosal is the flu vaccine, and if the preservative is restricted there could be a shortage, medical experts warn.
But Kompothecras is relentless. He promises to leverage every political favor and every dollar he can to get the law passed.
"If I can do this, my son won't go down for nothing," Kompothecras said. "You know how many lives we're going to save? This is going to be bigger than tobacco."
* * *
I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Gary today. He's one of us, he gets it, he's hopping mad, and he can make things happen. He appreciates how important looking at unvaccinated kids is, and he's currently moving to do just that in Florida. From the article:
"Working for a vaccine law is just the beginning for Kompothecras. He wants to commission a study using the state's Medicaid database looking at children who received thimerosal-containing vaccines and at how many became autistic."
Dr. Gary is a member of the Florida Governor's Autism Task Force. To that end, he put together a 46 minute video of a hearing on the thimerosal bill in September of 2008. The video includes excellent testimony by the Geiers, Dr. David Berger, and Dr. Boyd Haley (And some great questions from Ven Sequenzia, Jr., the President of the Autism Society of Florida). While it's long, I highly recommend you watch it HERE (HERE).
(Checkout minute number 25, where the Florida Department of Health speaker, Saad Omer, gets shredded, and minute 35 where Boyd Haley explains the extreme toxicity of mercury. And, minute 38 where a mom gets the Florida Department of Health loser to admit they have no studies on the safety of simultaneous administration of vaccines. And, minute 39 where Dr. Gary trips up the Department of Health loser by quoting Dr. Healy!!)
Our kids need more Warrior Dads. In Dr. Gary, they have one who we will be hearing a lot more from soon. Welcome, Dr. Gary, we’re thrilled to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the fight.
As a fellow (former) Sarasotan, I am constantly yelling at my TV about getting locations soooo wrong 😂😂 I haven’t lived in Sarasota since I graduated high school in 2006, but my father is an attorney there and said the same stuff as you did about Gary.
Posted by: McQuaid & Douglas | June 27, 2020 at 08:41 AM
I was born with asperger's syndrome, much like Bill Gates and Albert Einstein. My book and brand are global brand now. Each time athlete's do the Heart Tap, point t the Heaven's gesture, references my book Tapping Universal Source.com. I lived on Siesta Key for 8 winter's back in the 90's. Love the Show Siesta Key. But, I want to talk about the opportunities surrounding my book and helping others with Autism.
We have found that by getting in The Zone with sports and aerobic activity, that autism and other ailments heal and transform into strength and wisdom. I want to speak the Dr. Gary about that, and the opportunities surrounding my book to film project here in the LA area. I have a list actor's on board, we just need an executive producer like you. Please contact me at your earliest opportunity. www.hearttap.guru
www.tappinguniversalsource.com
www.angelfire/il/5thdimension that is my website from when I lived down there.
[email protected]
Posted by: Mark Dorian Wenner | August 22, 2017 at 06:12 PM
Dr.Gary, Thank you for all that you do.
Posted by: Kim Grady | February 19, 2015 at 01:44 PM
sadly Kompothecras hasn't the slightest clue regarding evidence based medicine and peer reviewed studies, no chiropractor does. Their training involves no basic science, pharmacology or pathology. He is a loose cannon with an understandably broken heart tipping at wind mills like don Quixote.....
Posted by: Ron | January 20, 2012 at 06:29 PM
I guess chiropractors really do have a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to children. And I agree with you Sign Lady, chiropractic treatment can sometimes help children with that. Amazing.
Posted by: Wade Coye | June 24, 2011 at 09:29 AM
Of course chiropractors are called doctors--at least in the U.S. and Canada.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_chiropractors_doctors
quote: In Canada and the United States, for example, Chiropractors must have a 4 year undergraduate degree before starting chiropractic school, then they must complete a 4 year, post graduate, doctorate in chiropractic (8 years total). As such, in North America, chiropractors are indeed doctors, doctors of chiropractic. Similarly, dentists do a 4 year postgraduate doctorate, medical doctors do a 4 year post graduate, optometrists, podiatrists, and veterinarians. Thus, we also have doctors of medicine, doctors of dentistry, doctors of optometry, doctors of podiatry, and doctors of veterinary medicine.
Posted by: MinorityView | July 25, 2010 at 08:10 PM
Isn't this the guy who made his millions off of advertising for "allegedly injured" accident victims to call him so he can help you get all kinds of medical treatment (regardless if you are 'really' hurt) and then he will get you to an attorney who will threaten to sue and make HIM & his attorney buddies lots of money.
Guys like this are a joke and then to make themselves look good they donate some money to a few real causes/charity - in an attempt to clear their soul. Wonder why everything in this country is so damn expensive... these fraud figures and their attorney friends know why :)
A chiropractor calling himself a doctor? Are you kidding me???
Posted by: John Morgan | July 25, 2010 at 05:35 PM
What great news during an otherwise tough week! But then, showing some spine is pretty much what you'd expect from a chiropractor.
Posted by: sign lady | February 18, 2009 at 10:06 PM
Chiropractors rock...they know the truth, they see the truth..God Bless Dr Gary...
And I love treatments...I don't do it often, but it feels SOOO good, and helps our kids from wetting beds...big hint...
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | February 18, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Dr. Omer will be shoulder to shoulder with Offit leading the charge to restrict vaccine exemptions and access to public schools.
Selected Publications Dr. Saad Omer
http://faculty.jhsph.edu/Default.cfm?faculty_id=972
Omer, SB, Salmon DA, Orenstein WA, deHart MP, Halsey NA. Vaccine Refusal, Mandatory Immunization, and Risk of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in the United States. In press. New England Journal of Medicine. Omer SB, Enger KS, Moulton LH, Halsey NA, Stokley S, Salmon DA.
*********
Geographical Clustering of Nonmedical Exemptions to School Immunization Requirements and its Associations with Geographical Clustering of Pertussis Cases. In Press. American Journal of Epidemiology (2008).
***************
Vaccinations' benefits proved; enforce the law
By Mike King
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/opinion/stories/2008/10/29/vaccinesed.html
**********************
Vaccination law not enforced for many kids
Schools allowing enrollment without proof of immunization
By ALISON YOUNG
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thousands of metro Atlanta children were allowed to enroll and remain in school last year without proof of required vaccinations, in violation of state law.
Even though the vaccination law is a cornerstone in the protection of public health, some school principals ignore it and some health department officials do little to enforce it....
...In 2009, the state (GA) will begin examining school-level data using a new Internet-based reporting system in the works since March....
....Enforcement of vaccination laws is essential to prevent outbreaks, said Dr. Lance Rodewald, CDC director of immunization services.
Parents' concerns about vaccine safety and fear that vaccines may be a cause of autism — though unsupported by studies cited by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics — have prompted a small but growing number to question school vaccination requirements and in some cases obtain exemptions.
But exemptions are rarely used by Georgia parents, the AJC's review of school audits shows.
At College Park Elementary, only 29 percent of its 57 kindergartners were in compliance last fall, records show. Although the law says such children should be barred from the classroom, they aren't, said principal Gretchen Thornton.
"I can't do that. Our business is to educate children," she said. "The bottom line is, it isn't the child's fault if they don't have the document."
Georgia law says parents who fail to comply and school officials who allow noncompliant children to remain in school are guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to fines and jail time. But neither school officials nor parents are ever prosecuted.
Posted by: Kevin Barry | February 18, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Ah, now I know why Dr. Gary Kampothecras lives in Florida. Its to save all those Florida ASD kids from the crap they get from the school system and the public.
For some reason, Florida ASD kids are always in the news!!
Posted by: Thank you Dr. Gary | February 18, 2009 at 10:49 AM