Soldier On
By Cathy Jameson
Reading several parent testimonies that were
shared with me and also submitted to the Oversight and Government Reform
Committee for the record in response to the Congressional Hearings on Autism
brought me to a place I try not to visit. It’s a place where Every now
and then I find myself sobbing uncontrollably slumped in a corner in my kitchen
on the cold tile floor. I sit there unable to move. Holding my
chest as overwhelming emotions wash over me, I try to make sense of what has
happened and what didn’t have to happen. I shake my head back and forth
without even realizing that I am shaking while screaming in my head (and
sometimes out loud). Last week the pain and sadness had me in that place
again crying, "Why? Why Ronan? Why all of these
children? For the love of God, WHY?!”
Those stories i cried through are testimonies
that are now part of a permanent record of the investigation regarding the rise
in the US autism rates. Each documents and provides intimate details
about normal births, perfect APGAR scores, beautiful babies handed to doting
parents and what followed when parents submitted to what their doctors deemed,
and our government approved, as best.
Every story.
Every detail.
Every child.
Every single testimony.
Each one I read was full of facts about perfects
babies, facts pertaining to vaccine injury, facts about how typical childhoods
disappeared, facts about future fears stemming from false information delivered
as truth. All of these testimonies were full of undeniable, hard-core facts.
Line by line the stories were full of horror and
read like a science fiction novel turned medical investigation mystery.
Characters are innocent children experiencing full-body eczema, multiple food
allergies, cyclical vomiting and chronic diarrhea. Their communication
turned to screaming bouts having replaced baby babbling or first words while
seeking relief from pressure and pain by head banging the floor or the walls.
Lists of the new “normal” fill the pages:
Seizures.
Severe gut problems.
Immune system failure.
Neurological delays.
Insurance battles.
Special education placement.
Every single one of the testimonies revealed more evidence to support what any interest or research group would need to say that enough is enough to today's vaccine schedule. Every single parent stated the obvious—that their child was normal. That vaccines were introduced. And that life is anything but normal now. Loss of time, money and faith in the system that encouraged an inadequately researched but heavily promoted vaccine program remained throughout the testimonies. While every single story is different, every single story had the same theme: our children are sick, it didn’t have to be like this and vaccines contributed in some way.
For some fortunate few whose children have responded, either to diet, intensive one-on-one therapy or several years’ worth of treatment, parents shared their child’s current successes. Only through the parents’ persistence were they able to reverse much of the vaccine damage. These stories included children being mainstreamed in regular classrooms with no educational supports, that children are indistinguishable from their peers and that they regained speech and can talk, play and make typical-kid choices.
For the not so fortunate, testimonies included worries about the future, about navigating the road ahead that will include medical ignorance and medical nightmares, that a growing financial burden looms, that the lack of school support and understanding is a constant concern and that the unfortunate lack of insurance coverage causes great distress.
Interestingly, throughout those stories was another message:
Dear Government,
Now that we know that you know about vaccines and autism, please don't screw up this chance to finally do something to prevent autism from affecting any more children.
Cautiously,
A Parent Who is Encouraged but Watching Your Every Move
Last week we witnessed history when autism was reintroduced in that Congressional Hearing. The conversations about what was asked, and then offered as the truth, is far from being over. Congress has a huge task to finish as they continue these conversations because autism, the autism our children have been labeled with, isn’t an accurate description or diagnosis and goes well beyond the 299.0 IDC-9 code.
It isn’t autism. It's medical.
It isn’t an epidemic. It’s an injustice.
It isn't going away. If things don’t change, it's soon to be everywhere.
And, it isn't going to just affect children and their families any more. It will one day cripple our nation as we begin to lose a future workforce, thousands of potential tax payers and eventually entire communities. Ignoring the autism epidemic for as long as it has been ignored is one of the most tragic responses to parents and their children and shows a complete disregard to human life. But, it isn’t too late to support Congress’ efforts.
While sorting through those stories, our stories, my hope is that we have given the committee more than enough motivation to take many more forward steps to not only recognize the autism epidemic but also to prevent it. What lies in their hands are what I hope are thousands of accounts of indisputable proof that vaccines have caused more harm than good. Yes, it's a crying shame that it took this long for asking for and of acceptance of those facts, but I do believe we helped solidify the need for much more action and quickly.
Our children are getting older. Some will get sicker and others will begin to age out. We’ve worked for how long already? Five years, ten…and for our veteran parents, 20 years and more? While I do certainly hope there can be an end in sight, I feel like the results of last Thursday is another beginning for us—but a beginning where we finally can offer a solution.
Most beginnings have an end.
I hope and pray that the influence our testimonies brought can bring an end to
the unfortunate results of the autism epidemic.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age
of Autism.
Find out how your congressional representatives vote on issues concerning autism. If they vote for anything that doesn't HELP , use your next vote to say you are not happy.
On another front, in Australia the gov't thinks demanding a name-change will stop one group from enlightening parents to the fact they still have a choice. Disgusting and sure to backfire. The ignorance of the minister is almost comical.
http://nocompulsoryvaccination.com/2012/12/16/government-puts-boot-into-the-avn-democracy-and-the-truth/
Thank you Cathy for your words and your wisdom.
Posted by: JPower | December 16, 2012 at 06:06 PM
I keep thinking if only my son had been born now instead of 2002. Now there is so much more debate over vaccinations, I would have been a lot less likely to vaccinate him. If only I had known. We should try suing these so called doctors who think they are God. If we did that, I bet they would stop pushing their precious vaccines then. My fondest with for all those involved in this genocide is that they rot in hell!
Posted by: Rachel | December 15, 2012 at 02:14 AM
Now is the time for all of us to write our Congressmen and make sure the people on the Oversight Committee READ these reports and if they have any questions they should get ahold of the people that submitted these reports and ask them.
It does nobody any good to submit a paper if NOBODY reads it.
Thank you
Posted by: Walter Constantine | December 11, 2012 at 04:25 PM
Thank you Cathy Jameson, I have become an expert at blocking off parts of my heart because if I let my heart ask the question/questions that you ask like why, why my Benjamin (my only child), why so many children and maybe the hardest question is why doesn't someone do something about this, then I look at the people that can do something about this has been silence by money, money from the pharmaceutical companies, then my next question is, MY GOD HOW CAN ANYONE LOVE MONEY THAT MUCH!
Posted by: Jeff Ransom | December 11, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Excellent article Cathy! I too have cried myself to sleep many a night over my son's "autism." He is now an adult and one of the first to be affected by this tragic epidemic. I pray and hope every day for a cure for him and the thousands who have been affected by this new "autism/illness." The brain is more resilient than previously thought, and it is never too late for a cure at any age!
Posted by: Gayle | December 10, 2012 at 10:37 AM
@first do no harm, no vac, and others who have asked how to access public comments:
I submitted my comments for the hearing on Nov 29 via the fax number on the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform website (http://oversight.house.gov). Then I called the phone number on their website. I was told to contact the Government Printing Office (www.gpo.gov) to obtain the “Public Record.” I submitted a question on the gpo.gov website, and also asked about the public record for the IACC. I received a response to contact the IACC directly, which I had done years ago. This time I got a response (from [email protected]) as follows:
“OARC collects public comment and they are a part of the public record. By law, this public record must be accessible on paper for you to photocopy if you physically come to our office and request it, but to be more practical, we can e-mail you an electronic copy upon request as long as you specify the meeting date you are interested in.”
I requested and was sent the written comments submitted for the meeting held July 10, 2012. After looking through these I sent the following comment to be forwarded to members of the IACC:
I counted 30 people, and I think a 2 to 3 page list with a summary of each person's comments should be provided along with the transcript of the meeting. The anger is over being completely ignored. At the Committee on Government Reform hearing, Dr. Guttmacher said that the IACC includes ideas brought up by the public in written and in-person comments, but they don't. He also said progress is frustratingly slow, but that's why ideas from the public should addressed. A lot of people have a lot of ideas, and responses to all should be provided. Soy products, fructose, prenatal ultrasound, maternal antibodies, vaccines, obstetric procedures, and all medical interventions should be looked into, and at some point responded to. None of these ideas should just be dismissed because no evidence exists. Please forward this email to members of the IACC. Thanks.
Posted by: Eileen Nicole Simon | December 10, 2012 at 08:26 AM
Tim:
I read your summary of the hearings, it's nice to see a non-parent who really gets it, thanks so much for your ongoing advocacy on behalf of our kids.
By the way, I created a website about 6 years ago using all of Hooker's emails at the time, you can still find them all at www.putchildrenfirst.org
The site was only possible because of Brian's efforts, JB
JB
Posted by: JB Handley | December 09, 2012 at 10:07 PM
Every parent should refuse to have their children vaccinated. That would put an end to this crime against humanity.
Posted by: Ann Benson | December 09, 2012 at 08:09 PM
Accurately spoken Cathy! I did the same thing in my kitchen too, and have done before as well. It just makes me So Darn Mad!! This hearing brought back hope and optimism to me that THEY may actually be getting it. I put my 2 cents into the record and will continue "Soldiering On". Thanks for ALL you do for our children.
Posted by: DannysVoice | December 09, 2012 at 07:30 PM
Cathy:
I commend you for your writing. You have stated the problem in the best possible way.
You are right about everything, and, perhaps you bring to this picture the MOST IMPORTANT POINT - this situation cannot continue.
From over here in what's called "The North American Health Freedom Movement" we see Autism (and the other neurological disorders) as only two issues: (1) What's causing it, and how do we stop that? and (2) how do we repair the children and the families?
What we see is that the answers to both of these questions are available right now - and we (meaning the Autism parents combined with the Health Freedom Movement) need to get these two problems solved right this minute.
I may be an old guy, with not that much time left for a fight, but I, and my friends see your pain. We don't want you, all of you, children or parents, to have that pain. We are doing what we can to help, as fast as we can.
I, and my friends are the ones who arranged for AutismOne to team up with the Health Freedom Expo in Long Beach last year - so that the two groups could meet and strategize together. That's working, and we will do that again.
This hearing, in front of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee took the opposition by surprise. They simply didn't see it coming. As you can see from the article I wrote for my newsletter (below) this event was seven months in the planning. And, there is MUCH more coming.
http://www.bolenreport.com/Mark%20Geier/autism%20infighting.htm
I'll be using your article introduction in one of my own, with a link to you.. My readers need to hear what you just said. For, no doubt, what you see, what you feel, is shared by the millions of parents, grandparents, and family members.
Enough is enough.
Tim Bolen
www.bolenreport.com
Posted by: Tim Bolen | December 09, 2012 at 06:14 PM
Are these parents testimonies available somewhere on the net?
Posted by: no vac | December 09, 2012 at 06:08 PM
The people in the room who caused this can't have witnessed the suffering for themselves, continue to do nothing to stop the epidemic, then claim to have a conscience. The children in that room will have shown the world how ruthless and inhumane these people are if they continue to do nothing.
Posted by: SDKette | December 09, 2012 at 03:34 PM
As always, thanks Cat for your encouraging words. If the testimonies are public record, please let us know how we can access them.
Posted by: healthforchildren | December 09, 2012 at 01:02 PM
I keep ruminating on the hearings of 11/29. I was thrilled that a few of our non-verbal children were able to be seen and heard in the hearings. I also understand Chairman Issa's polite acknowledgment that perhaps the overflow room or another area might be a more conducive place for them to participate in this event. After all, all the stimming etc. can make it tough to focus on the agenda at hand. But for all of us that is the issue. How do any of us function well enough to earn a few dollars, get the kid(s) to OT/PT, prevent elopement, deal with IEP's and the subsequent BFD, ponder our children's uncertain future and then be thankful for the meager interrupted hours of sleep we are afforded? Well, most of us have been in this situation for far too long.
It's interesting to note that for a few hours it was difficult for Rep. Issa to focus on the emergency at hand with all the noises and flapping. we know how he feels. I hope he and the other members present will be made to understand that this is what parents and their children endure on a daily basis. I would like to see a hearing that allowed our non-verbal children, their educators, physicians, law enforcement, respite care providers etc. to sit for 5 minute intervals to explain just how horrific this epidemic is.
I've recently read some of the parent/educator responses on the autism raw data site. I too had my moment of anguish. The momentary 'high" of the hearings has been replaced by the deep sorrow. I suppose this is normal for our community. I used to trick myself into thinking, "I can deal with this as long as it helps to prevent another child from having to endure the unspeakable." Well, it keeps happening. I am enraged.
Posted by: Christine Thompson | December 09, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Thank you, Cat. I know those cold kitchen tiles, or my bed at 3am and all of the many places and times that this reality becomes so stark and intense.
Seeing the anger, frustration and belief, that children are being harmed by vaccines, on the faces and voices of those members of Congress, is like a dream that I bet, most of us have had over the many years. I don't want to wake up and see it gone.
Soldiering on with you all.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | December 09, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Vicki,
I constantly worry about the future and housing for our kids. I own two homes. One is a two family (4 bedrooms). The other is a two bedroom cape style house almost paid off. I will gladly bequeath these houses when I die to be coverted to group homes for our kids. Having a roof over my son's head is what I worry most about.
Posted by: Sarah | December 09, 2012 at 09:08 AM
The first cohort has already aged out. As the parent of one them, I can attest that the programs don't exist for the current group. Not enough housing options. Not enough employment options. Not enough day hab options. Waiting lists that are sometimes years long.
While addressing the source of the epidemic is clearly important, we must also address what opportunities await our kids when they reach adulthood. If a 'cure' was invented tomorrow, there would still be thousands and thousands of children and adults with autism for whom that 'cure' would be too late; their brains are fully developed and theyy will live out their lives with autistic symptoms.
Posted by: Vicki Hill | December 09, 2012 at 08:41 AM
Are the testimonies public record? If so, how do we access them?
Cathy, thank you for conveying the impact of these testimonies so eloquently. I'm so sorry they brought you to that terrible "place" you try not to visit. Thanks also to the many parents who took the time and went through the emotional pain of revisiting that place so that Congress could know the truth about vaccines and autism.
Posted by: first do no harm | December 09, 2012 at 08:02 AM
Thank you Cathy. As you said, the answer to the question “why?” is found within our federal laws and agencies. They are designed to protect the vaccine manufacturers instead of our children.
And as Brian Hooker said "the CDC's conflicted role of vaccine advocate and vaccine safety guardian has contributed to this whole problem." http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/12/brian-hookers-testimony-autism.html
And as Louise Kuo Habakus said in regard to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the NCVIA, “The Court is telling parents that they’re on their own. Parents know that 4 out of 5 cases of vaccine injury do not get compensation in the misnamed Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The Supreme Court has slammed the courthouse doors shut.”
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/supreme-court-ruling-renders-vaccine-manufacturers-immune-lawsuits
Any member of Congress with an ounce of integrity must help defeat the financial influences of the vaccine industry and legislate reform for both the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and the United States Department of Health and Human Services
Posted by: Jim Thompson | December 09, 2012 at 07:48 AM