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Generation Rescue

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GenerationRescue.orgis a parent-founded, parent-funded, and parent-led nonprofit organization. Their mission is to share the truth with parents about the cause of their child’s developmental disabilities so they can focus on treatment.

Generation Rescue believes that childhood neurological disorders such as autism, Asperger's, ADHD/ADD, speech delay, sensory integration disorder, and many other developmental delays are all misdiagnoses for mercury poisoning.

Generation Rescue reports that thousands of parents are curing their children by removing the mercury from their children's bodies.

Introduction To Generation Rescue's Position

Generation Rescue makes the following case for the autism-mercury connection:

"The debate about whether vaccines have contributed to the autism epidemic has been simmering for some time now. The conventional wisdom regarding this debate is that it remains unresolved and controversial.

Generation Rescue was formed by parents of children who have been diagnosed with Autism. Through our own research and initiative we have discovered a truth that we feel every parent should know: Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, ADD, PDD-NOS, many learning disabilities, and many health issues including asthma, juvenile onset diabetes, and anaphylactic food allergies, are all caused by and symptoms of mercury poisoning induced by a vaccine preservative called Thimerosal (which is 49.6% ethlymercury by weight.)

We believe this truth is self-evident and that even a cursory review of the facts would cause any lay-person to reach the same conclusion we have. This epidemic is very recent, and matches a dramatic increase in Thimerosal that our children received through vaccines beginning in 1990-91. During this same time period, the rates of Autism have grown from approximately 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 150, an increase of 8,000%. ADD and ADHD, unheard of a generation ago, are also now epidemic. This is no coincidence. The symptoms of all of these ailments and the symptoms of mercury poisoning are identical. There is a reason for this: they are the same thing.

The driver of the Thimerosal increase was the introduction of the Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B), given to infants on their first day of life, and the Haemophilus Influenzae Type B vaccine (Hib), given at 6 months of age, which were rolled out nationwide between 1990-91. These two vaccines increased the amount of Thimerosal our kids received by 246% and, importantly, exposed our children to Thimerosal much earlier in their lives than any previous generation. People mistakenly think the vaccines are being blamed for the epidemic. They’re not. It’s the mercury in the vaccines (which is unnecessary for vaccine efficacy) that has caused a neurodevelopmental epidemic affecting millions of our children.

Mercury is the second most toxic substance on earth. It is a potent neurotoxin and wreaks havoc on a developing child’s central nervous system and brain. Thimerosal’s use has recently been banned in Iowa, California, and Great Britain. It is sometimes mistakenly reported that Thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 1999. It wasn’t. Today, no federal law yet exists banning Thimerosal’s use and it was present in the vast majority of the flu vaccine supply in the 2004-2005 winter season and given to many pregnant mothers and young children.

Why is this truth not more readily accepted? We often ask ourselves the same question and it’s part of why we formed Generation Rescue: parents need to know the truth now so they can treat their kids. If it becomes widely understood that the entire epidemic of autism and many other ailments was caused by the decisions our federal health authorities with products made by large pharmaceutical companies, you can imagine the scandal and fallout that will follow. We think that day will be here soon enough and many Americans, including a number of Congressmen, are working hard to make that happen. In the meantime, there are millions of children to heal and that’s the purpose of our organization.

Mercury poisoning is devastating and impacts every system in the body and affects every individual differently. Unless you are a trained toxicologist, you wouldn’t know how to test for or diagnose mercury poisoning. People often think that psychologists, therapists, and teachers are the right people to treat autism. While they certainly might help, the field of toxicology is where the “cure” for autism is found. One of the amazing things about mercury poisoning is that the removal of mercury tends to resolve some or all of its symptoms. What does that mean? It means that many autistic children, treated for mercury poisoning, are resolving some or all of their autism. They are recovering and becoming normal children, indiscernible from their peers. Is the success rate 100%? No, but it’s increasing every day.

The drumbeat demonstrating the clear link between mercury and autism is growing louder every day. In just the past few years, many groundbreaking studies and reports have been published by independent doctors and scientists demonstrating irrefutable evidence of the link between mercury and autism. Many of these reports are featured in our “Evidence” section. In the halls of Congress, Congressmen Dan Burton and Dave Weldon are holding hearing after hearing, bringing in experts in from around the world, to show the world the clear link between mercury and autism. The pressure is rising, the facts are mounting, and the dam is likely to burst soon. Importantly, our health authorities have not offered a single plausible alternative explanation for the cause of an epidemic that has devastated the lives of literally millions of kids.

More importantly for you and your child, the clinical evidence that all of these neurological ailments can be treated is becoming overwhelming. Hundreds, bordering on thousands of children are being treated for mercury poisoning and the results are impressive and overwhelming. In the past 12 months, a superior agent to remove the mercury from children’s bodies, transdermal DMPS, has been made widely available. Upwards of a hundred doctors are now prescribing this agent for more than a thousand patients and the stories of improvement and recovery are being told every day.

It is never too late to treat mercury poisoning. Children of any age improve and recover if the mercury is removed from their bodies and brains. We hope this website will give you the information to get started on the journey of recovering your child.

It took us months of thinking and research to accept that the epidemic of autism and many other ailments was iatrogenic (Doctor-caused). You are probably still struggling to get your head around such a seemingly insane situation. This is normal. It’s called cognitive dissonance: the psychological phenomenon of discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information. Here are some quotes to help you adjust to this new information."

“To cling to a purely genetic explanation for autism is a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion that one lives in a comfortable and rational world where new chemicals and technologies always mean progress; experts are always objective and thorough; corporations are honest; and authorities can be trusted. That human actions, rather than genes, might be responsible for compromising the health of a significant proportion of a whole generation is so painful as to be, for many, unthinkable.” - Martha Herbert, MD, Ph.D., Pediatric Neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital

“Denying the existence of the tragic, massive autism epidemic will neither cure the problem nor restore confidence in our much-needed vaccine program. Rather, we must admit our past mistakes openly and honestly and then work to improve current and future vaccines. The first step is the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines, which we predict will result in the end of the autism epidemic.”

- Mark Geier, Ph.D., Noted Geneticist, President, The Genetic Centers of America


“Once government regulators and pharmaceutical companies knew the mercury in childhood vaccines might be responsible for an epidemic in autism, did they publicize their data and mount a recall? No. They were more concerned with protecting the national vaccine program – and shielding themselves from liability.”

- Andrea Rock, “Toxic Tipping Point”, Mother Jones March/April 2004


“Autism was discovered in 1943, in American children, twelve years after ethylmercury (thimerosal) was added to the pertussis vaccine. (The disease was not seen in Europe until the 1950s, after thimerosal was added to vaccines there.) The hypothesis that mercury causes autism and Alzheimer’s disease is a new truth. And as Schopenhauer points out, each new truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. And third, it is accepted as self-evident. The mercury truth is now in the second stage.”

- Donald Miller, M.D., Professor of Surgery, University of Washington


“In most vaccine containers, thimerosal is listed as a mercury derivative, a hundredth of a percent. And what I believed, and what everybody else believed, was that it was truly a trace, a biologically insignificant amount. My honest belief is that if the labels had had the mercury content in micrograms, this would have been uncovered years ago. But the fact is, no one did the calculation.”

- Neal Halsey M.D., Pediatrician and Vaccinologists, Johns Hopkins University, Former Chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases


“The idea that vaccines, arguably the top public health achievement of the past half century, are damaging children is such a horrible possibility, or in my eyes a high probability, that no one wants to be associated with it. And that's tragic because it's all been done in the name of good. But it has to be pinned down. It's too important to be just a philosophical debate.”

- Candace Pert, M.D., Neurologist, Director of Georgetown University's Institute For New Medicine


“These are MDs, the people who consider themselves the smartest in the world. And yet, they sat there and injected into babies a compound that was listed in the PDR as an extremely toxic compound. It’s listed in there as a percentage of weight. It’s freshman chemistry to convert that to micrograms of mercury. And no one ever did. And so now they all look like a bunch of damn dummies, and they’re very sensitive to this. I think it’s ego and face-saving. I wish I had the answer. To me, it’s trying to avoid severe embarrassment.”

- Boyd Haley, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky


“Autism has rarely been reported outside of industrialized countries, at least until recent years. A good example is China, where companies such as Merck and Glaxo-SmithKline have begun an aggressive pediatric marketing campaign, selling millions of dollars in vaccines to the Communist Government, including pediatric hepatitis B, DTP, HiB, MMR and others. On August 11, 2004, the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported that children suffering with autism in that country had suddenly and unexpectedly skyrocketed. In a few short years, the number of reported cases jumped from nearly nothing to some 1.8 million children in 2004. One researcher “estimated that the number of Chinese children with autism was growing at an annual rate of 20 percent, even higher than the world average of 14 percent,” the news agency reported. Other increases in autism cases are currently being reported in such far-flung countries as Indonesia, Argentina, India and Nigeria. If thimerosal is one day proven to be a contributing factor to autism, and if U.S.-made vaccines containing the preservative are now being supplied to infants the world over, the scope of this potential tragedy becomes almost unthinkable.”

- David Kirby, New York Times Contributing Writer, Evidence of Harm

Summary Argument from Generation Rescue

We want you, the parent, to know about recent information that has emerged regarding the cause, controversy, and cure of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Asperger's, PDD-NOS, ADD/ADHD, sensory integration disorder, speech delays, and other learning and behavior issues. While we often refer to autism alone, we believe that all of these neurodevelopmental disorders fall along the same spectrum and that they are all different degrees and manifestations of mercury poisoning.

Cause

• Mercury is the second most toxic substance on earth and is 500-1000x more toxic than lead. It is a known neurotoxin that is devastating to the brain and central nervous systems of developing children.

• When mammals are exposed to mercury, whatever portion is unable to be excreted binds to cells in the body and begins to wreak progressive, degenerative damage in several areas, most notably to the digestive, immune, detoxification, and central nervous systems.

• Thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines since the 1930's, is 50% ethlymercury by weight.

• In the early 1990's, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added two new vaccines (Haemophilus influenzae and Hepatitis B) to the recommended pediatric schedule nearly tripling the amount of mercury children were exposed to before the age of two.

• With the new vaccine schedule, children were repeatedly exposed to levels of mercury that well exceeded safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency for adults.

° The exposure ranged from 13x to 120x above the safe limit at each of the first six recommended vaccine visits (from birth to fifteen months old).

° The EPA safe levels are set for adults. Mercury exposure in a developing child is far more damaging.

° The EPA safe levels are set for ingested mercury (of which only a portion is absorbed into the bloodstream with the ability to reach the brain) versus injected mercury (that is put directly into the bloodstream). • The new vaccine schedule further recommended that these vaccines be administered to children much earlier in life, when a child has a limited ability to detoxify, with the first one given day one of life (Hepatitis B).

• The start of the sharp increase in autism matches the change in the vaccine schedule. In the 1980s the incidence of autism was somewhere between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 5,000, today it is 1 in 150.

• A three-year investigation by the Congressional Subcommittee on Health & Wellness into mercury in medicine stated in 2003 that, "Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is likely related to the autism epidemic. This epidemic in all probability may have been prevented or curtailed had the FDA not been asleep at the switch regarding injected Thimerosal and the sharp rise of infant exposure to this known neurotoxin."

• A warning label on the package for Thimerosal states, "Chronic ingestion or excessive dosage may cause numbness, tingling of hands, feet, lips, ataxia, painful joints, constriction of visual fields, impaired hearing, emotional disturbances, spastic movements, incontinence, groaning, shouting, dizziness, lacrimation, hypersalivation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation." These are symptoms a parent of an autistic child would recognize.

• For many children, Thimerosal-containing vaccines represent the largest source of mercury exposure, but mercury is also used in other medicines and has become ubiquitous in our environment including 

 °  "Silver" dental fillings which emit a continuous mercury vapor into the body 
 °  Rhogam or flu shots administered to pregnant women 
 °  Adult vaccines and allergy shots 
 °  Many types of fish and other seafood 
 °  Coal-burning plants, gold and mercury mines, and other industrial sources

• Some children when exposed appear genetically less able to process and excrete mercury from their systems causing mercury and other toxic metals to accumulate and cause neurodevelopmental damage

• Published, peer-reviewed literature in the last few years has created a growing body of evidence linking mercury to autism

° A comparison of the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism showed they are nearly identical

° A study of first baby haircuts study showed autistic children have abnormally low levels of mercury in hair samples demonstrating an impaired ability to excrete heavy metals

° A subset of mice injected with Thimerosal, equivalent to the frequency and dosing of the pediatric vaccine schedule, developed "autistic" symptoms

° Thimerosal was proven to disrupt cell-to-cell communication, known as methylation, which could produce many of the symptoms of autism

° Autistic children were shown to have a decreased ability to manufacture glutathione, the body's most important detoxifying agent

° Autistic children were shown to excrete higher levels of mercury when given a chelating agent versus their neurotypical peers

° Independent review of the CDC's vaccine injury data showed a high correlation between exposure to Thimerosal and neurological issues. (Children were 27 times more likely to develop autism with exposure to Thimerosal-containing vaccines than those who were not)

° Monkeys injected with ethylmercury (mercury in Thimerosal) had twice the amount of inorganic mercury in their brains compared to methylmercury (environmental mercury)

° A study across counties in Texas showed that the higher the amount of mercury emissions from coal-burning plants, the higher the rate of autism

• A report by the Congressional Subcommittee on Health & Wellness in May 2003 stated that, "The possible risk for harm from either low dose chronic or one time (bolus dose) exposure to Thimerosal is not 'theoretical,' but very real and documented in the medical literature."

• Most importantly, the body of evidence of autistic children recovering through detoxification and the removal of mercury from their bodies is growing every day. Controversy

• Mercury poisoning has a delayed onset and manifests in a wide range of symptoms which until recently made it more difficult to identify as the cause of autism.

• Identifying the complex symptoms of mercury poisoning, a science known as toxicology, is not taught in medical school and is unfamiliar territory for most pediatricians, psychologists, and neurologists (those on the front lines of diagnosing autism).

• Thimerosal was added to vaccines in the 1930s and grandfathered through decades of increasing safety standards without being thoroughly tested for safety. In the early 1990s, very few health officials were even aware of Thimerosal's presence in vaccines or its neurotoxicty for developing brains.

• In 1999, eight years after the revised vaccine schedule was rolled out nationally, the FDA discovered that the Thimerosal in vaccines materially exceeded all known safety standards for mercury in humans. The FDA and CDC acknowledge that until then, they had not added up the cumulative toxic exposure children had received through their vaccines.

• Based on this discovery, in 1999 the FDA and AAP issued a joint statement calling on vaccine manufacturers to remove Thimerosal from vaccines as soon as practical. This statement, however, was only a recommendation - not a law or recall - and Thimerosal did not fully come out of vaccines until 2003.

• In 2004, despite the earlier recommendation, the CDC added the flu to the recommended vaccine schedule for children and pregnant women. Most flu shots still contain 25 micrograms of mercury.

• The LA Times recently reported that Merck, a vaccine manufacturer, knew of the near-tripling of mercury exposure in 1991 due to the increased vaccine schedule, but never shared this information with health authorities or parents.

• The LA Times also recently reported that Merck, a vaccine manufacturer, issued a press release in 1999 heralding new Thimerosal-free vaccines, but kept making vaccines with Thimerosal until late-2002. At the very least, the press release created confusion for doctors and parents.

• To date, the organization that sets the vaccine schedule, the CDC, has been charged with analyzing the potential link between mercury and autism. This represents a clear conflict of interest.

• These epidemiological studies have received criticism. A report by the Congressional Subcommittee on Health & Wellness in May 2003 stated that, "studies conducted or funded by the CDC that purportedly dispute any correlation between autism and vaccine injury have been of poor design, under-powered, and fatally flawed." In addition, many of the authors of these studies have conflicts of interest having been funded by or have other ties to the CDC and vaccine manufacturers.

• The IOM study released in May of 2004, routinely cited as proof of Thimerosal's safety, concluded that there was no link between autism and Thimerosal. The study authors' also took the unprecedented step of recommending that future research funds be directed away from the Thimerosal-autism connection. This study was commissioned and funded by the CDC.

• When independent researchers have reviewed the same data the CDC and others used, they, in fact, found a high statistical correlation between mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental issues, including autism.

• Many medical and clinical studies performed have shown a clear link between Thimerosal and autism.

• A book released in April 2005 by a NY Times writer, Evidence of Harm, explains the cover-up of information linking mercury and autism by the CDC and the IOM.

• The current controversy pits the mainstream health authorities (CDC, FDA, IOM, AAP, WHO), who are responsible for keeping children safe, against parents, doctors, and scientists who feel the growing body of evidence corroborating mercury and autism has become self-evident. In Congress, U.S. Representatives Burton (R-IN) and Weldon (R-FL) have been particularly vocal supporting the mercury-autism connection.

Cure

• Doctors around the world are treating autistic children for the physical symptoms of mercury poisoning and the cascade of problems mercury creates.

• The primary goals of this treatment include: 

 °  Replenish the many essential nutrients stripped by mercury in the body 
 °  Help heal the digestive/gastro-intestinal system 
 °  Support the immune system 
 °  Repair the methylation (cell-to-cell communication) pathways 
 °  Remove the toxic metals

• There are many ways to detoxify or remove the toxic metals, the most common is known as chelation therapy.

• Chelation therapy is a safe, effective way to remove toxic metals from the body and has been safely used for decades to treat heavy metal toxicity in children and adults.

• The stories of recovered and recovering children are increasing every day as more and more parents focus on getting the toxic metals out of their children's bodies.

• This website, designed and written by parents, not doctors, provides a library of background and evidence, a basic understanding of treatment approaches, a list of physicians treating children for mercury toxicity, and a basic roadmap for beginning to heal your child today.

• We are a non-profit organization, 100% parent-founded, parent-funded, and parent-led. Our only purpose is to provide other parents with information regarding mercury toxicity and its treatment so that they can focus on healing their child.

Treatment Background For Parents

Any treatment program for your child should be done with the supervision of a doctor knowledgeable in treating mercury poisoning.

We recommend reviewing The Big Picture to get a sense of the overall treatment approach before reading this Action Plan. If you feel your child is mercury poisoned and would benefit from treatment, we recommend the following to get you started. Several of these steps can be taken before the first doctor's appointment. It may seem like a bewildering array of steps and supplements, but once you get started and see improvements in your child, everything begins to make sense.

Can Begin Right Away 

1.  Make an appointment with a DAN! Doctor. DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) is an organization founded by the Autism Research Institute. DAN! Doctors are focused on treating autism and other neurodevlopmental issues biomedically. DAN! Doctors are typically classically trained medical doctors who apply their training to treat autism biomedically. Many DAN! Doctors are also parents or grandparents of mercury-poisoned children who did not find answers or see lasting improvements following conventional medical treatments. Within the community of DAN! doctors, there are some differences in how doctors choose to treat patients. Generation Rescue recommends finding a doctor with experience using Transdermal DMPS ("TD-DMPS"), which we believe is the most effective chelating agent for children. Please know that it may be 2-3 months with some Doctors before you are able to get an appointment. For a list of DAN! Doctors, please click here for domestic doctors and here for international doctors.

2. Contact a Rescue Angel in Your Area Generation Rescue has compiled a list of Rescue Angels: parents treating their own children for mercury poisoning who are available to share their experiences and contacts, answer questions, and help you get started. Please see the Rescue Angel section to find Rescue Angels in your area.

3. Consider Altering Your Child's Diet. Mercury toxicity creates dysbiosis in the gut ("bad" bacteria grows out of balance with "good" bacteria). Candida or yeast overgrowth is a common result. Mercury and yeast overgrowth can damage the gut walls by creating small holes in the lining. These holes allow larger than normal-sized food proteins to cross directly into the bloodstream triggering behavioral reactions (hyperactivity, aggression, lethargy), food allergies, eczema, or other autoimmune responses. Avoiding foods that your child has developed a food sensitivity to will allow the gut to begin healing. Casein (dairy) and Gluten (wheat) are the most common allergens for children with mercury poisoning. Many parents notice an immediate difference in behavior after the removal of gluten and especially dairy from their child's diet. Additionally, it is helpful to remove as many trans fatty acids, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and sugar as you can do. The more healthy and organic your child's diet, the lower the toxic load on their system. Read more in The Big Picture.

4. Remove as many toxins from your house as possible. Consult The Big Picture for further detail. Many household cleaners, pesticides, fertilizers, paints, etc. are toxic for children, particularly those already coping with toxic overload, and should be removed from your house wherever possible. 5. Add a Balanced Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement. We recommend a liquid vitamin and mineral supplement from a company called Brainchild Nutritionals: www.brainchildnutritionals.com. We recommend the vitamin formula "Spectrum Support II" and the mineral formula "Spectrum Support Minerals." There are many great nutritional supplements available, however, and your doctor may prefer a different product with which they have more experience. Please note that it is important to introduce supplements slowly. Brainchild provides a recommended dosing schedule for ramping up to full dose. Brainchild nutrients can be mixed with juice and most children enjoy the taste. Keep in mind that yeast thrives on sugar and care should be taken to reduce as much refined sugar, including juices, as possible from their diet. Many children do best with 100% pear juice as it contains a sugar that yeast does not thrive on.

6. Add Cod Liver Oil. Cod Liver Oil is a critical source of Vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids. Both have many benefits in the body including neuronal health, eye function, and immune health. Many parents notice immediate improvements in eye contact, attention, and overall calmness after adding Cod Liver Oil to their child's diet. We recommend Nordic Naturals Orange Flavored Arctic Cod Liver Oil. It can be mixed in juice along with vitamins and minerals and has a mild orange flavor. Dosing is typically ½ teaspoon 2x per day with small children and 1 teaspoon 2x per day with larger children. Here is the product, which is available online and in many health food stores: www.nordicnaturals.com. Again, there are many other good brands of cod liver oil available.

7. Add a Probiotic Probiotics are natural supplements that provide the gastro-intestinal system with "good" gut flora and aid in this system's restoration of balance and health. The most well known probiotic is Acidophilus. Most children benefit from daily supplementation with probiotics. Two well-know probiotics include Pro-Bio Gold from Kirkman Labs: www.kirkmanlabs.coma and Therbiotic Complete from Klaire labs: www.klaire.com. Probiotics are typically given with meals and capsules can be broken open and served in applesauce or pear juice for children who can't swallow pills.

8. Begin to Detoxify Naturally. There are many ways to detoxify naturally that will bring your child's toxic load down in advance of further treatment and chelation. 

a.  Epsom Salt Baths. These baths provide magnesium, a critical mineral that is depleted by mercury. Magnesium is calming to the overall system and supports the body's own detoxification system. These baths can be given every day or every other day. Add 2-3 cups of Epsom Salts (purchased in any drug store) to a warm bath and have your child bathe for a minimum of 15 minutes.

b. Lipoceutical Glutathione. Glutathione is the body's most potent and important anti-oxidant and is also depleted by mercury. Lipoceutical Glutathione is a liquid form that is well absorbed by the body. You can purchase Lipoceutical Glutathione over-the-counter from Wellness Pharmacy: 1-800-227-2627. Dosing instructions are included with the bottle. Many parents report immediate improvement after introducing Lipoceutical Glutathione. Please note that the product is best given by itself in a small amount of fruit juice or water.

c. Over-the-counter natural chelators. There are several natural chelators sold over-the-counter that include chlorella and/or other natural products (e.g., garlic, cilantro, various herbs) that have the ability to chelate or detoxify metals from the body. Two of these products include: NDF Plus, for more information contact www.healthydetox.org and to order product go to www.bioray2000.com. PCA-Rx, for more information contact www.maxamlabs.com. Some parents are using these products exclusively (rather than prescription chelators) and are seeing improvements. In our opinion, they are effective at bringing the toxic load down, but they do not have as much history, wide usage, or research as TD-DMPS or DMSA. 9. Additional Essential Vitamins and Minerals Through blood, urine, and stool testing, your doctor can ascertain what specific additional supplements your child may be deficient in as a result of the multiple toxic effects in the body from mercury. These could include additional vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids, and amino acids.

10. Methyl Donors. These special supplements are important for repairing the methylation pathways, the routes of cell communication that are impaired by mercury toxicity. These supplements include Glutathione, Methyl-B12 (typically administered subcutaneously), Folinic Acid, Betaine (Trimethylglycine or TMG), and SAM-e. Methly-B12 is receiving a lot of positive feedback from parents, and more information on this treatment protocol can be found at www.drneubrander.com.

11. Digestive Enzymes. Mercury impairs the body's natural digestive enzymes that are important for the proper breaking down of foods and uptake of nutrients. Digestive supplements can assist in this process as well as help eliminate larger, undigested proteins from crossing into the bloodstream triggering behavioral and immune reactions. A widely used enzyme is Enzyme Complete/DPP IV from Kirkman Labs: www.kirkmanlabs.com. Digestive enzymes should be taken right before a meal.

12. Yeast Suppression Aid. Most children with heavy metal poisoning have an overgrowth of Candida, a natural yeast found in the digestive system. Yeast overgrowth can lead to a wide variety of health issues and can be controlled naturally with many products. Our favorite product is Threelac. For dosing and ordering instructions and information on using Threelac, visit www.candidafree.net. Other yeast aids include grapefruit seed extract, Oregon grape extract, Candex and prescription anti-fungals such as Nystatin or Diflucan.

13. Colostrum. Colostrum is a natural supplement that provides many gut healing and immune-system boosting properties. A popular, dairy-free colostrum we recommend is Colostrum Gold from Kirkman Labs: www.kirkmanlabs.com. Colostrum can be given with juice 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon, 2x per day, depending on weight.

14. Transfer Factor. Transfer Factor is a great immune system booster available in a capsule. Children can typically take 1-4 capsules per day. Our favorite product is 4Life Transfer Factor Classic, available at www.4-life.com.

15. Consider RNA Drops. RNA drops, developed by Dr. Amy Yasko, are designed to provide support to the variety of physiological issues that mercury poisoning creates. Dr. Yasko's drops are sold at www.longevityplus-rna.com.. Parents typically use the following drops as "core" support: Health Foundation, Stress Foundation, and Nerve Calm, although other supportive drops are available. Additionally, Dr Yasko has developed Metals I, II and III drops to undo the damage from the live virus MMR vaccination and to detoxify mercury. Anecdotally, many parents report great improvements with RNA drops. To learn more, go to Dr. Yasko's website, www.autismanswer.com, and enter the parent's discussion group. You can also read her book, The Puzzle of Autism: Putting It All Together.

16. Chelation. Chelation will specifically remove the mercury and other toxic metals from the body. While there are many supplements listed here, what is most important is to remove the toxic metals from your child's body. When the metals are removed, the body has a chance to return to normal balance and health. Neurological, behavioral, and physiological symptoms typically resolve or improve after chelation, which may take 12-24 months.

17. Other ways to detoxify. Some doctors use and/or recommend other methods of detoxification including homeopathy, infrared sauna therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, exercise, magnetic beds, herbal teas, and many more.

18. Learn. The treatment for mercury-induced neurodevelopmental disorders is advancing rapidly. The best ways to stay informed are through your doctor, through biomedically-oriented autism treatment conferences, and through on-line discussion groups. A list of these are provided below. Conferences typically feature scientists, researchers, and physicians presenting the latest understandings of heavy metal toxicity and treatment. Additionally, there are several on-line discussion groups consisting of parents treating their children biomedically and/or via chelation. These groups provide an incredible amount of information and support and they are a great place to read progress reports of other children undergoing treatment, to ask questions and to learn. 

Conferences Yahoo! Discussion Groups

Defeat Autism Now! (www.danconference.com) chelatingkids2 Autism One (www.autismone.org) Autism-Mercury National Autism Conference (www.nationalautismconference.org) ABMD

19. Fight. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of misinformation about the true cause and cure of autism, Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, speech and other neurodevelopemental delays. The information contained in this website will give you information you need to combat the resistance you may experience from family, friends, teachers, therapists, and doctors. It is important to find a primary doctor who understands the true cause of your child's condition to help insulate you from the drumbeat of ignorance that conventional wisdom currently presents.

How Are Our Children Poisoned By Mercury

Mercury: How Was My Child Poisoned?

The sources of mercury poisoning in your child, in likely order of impact, include: 1. Thimerosal From Vaccines. Thimerosal is 49.6% ethylmercury by volume. It is highly neurotoxic. Before 1986, children received a total maximum dose of ethylmercury of 100 micrograms in the first two years of life. By 1991, this dose was up to 246 micrograms in the first 2 years of life, an increase of 246%. This dose was largely maintained between 1991 and 2001, and continued well into 2002 as inventories of ethlymercury-containing vaccines were worked down. The primary drivers of the increased dosing were the introduction of the Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) and the Haemophilus Influenzae Type B vaccine (Hib).

Of more concern, the ethlymercury received in the first 6 months of life grew from a maximum of 75 micrograms before 1986 to 187.5 micrograms by 1991, an increase of 250%. The younger an infant is, the less capable they are of processing mercury due to an undeveloped renal system. Hep B, introduced in 1990, was mandated to be given on the first day of life. Also, the practice of giving multiple vaccine doses during single visits became more widespread, which creates a more toxic body burden of mercury on a single day.

None of these figures include the ethlymercury exposure from flu shots, which typically have 25 micrograms of ethylmercury by themselves (and most still do).


2. Mom’s Toxic Mercury Load. Many mothers of mercury-poisoned children are themselves mercury toxic. Mercury in the mother is passed to the child during pregnancy and when breastfeeding. Primary contributors to a mother’s toxic load, in order of likely impact, include:

a. Any Vaccines Received During Pregnancy. Most likely vaccines mothers receive during pregnancy include the RhoGAM shot (for women who are Rh-negative) and the flu shot. “RhoGAM Moms” are approximately 15% of the general population but 49% of the population of mothers of autistic children. b. Dental Mercury Amalgams. “Silver Fillings” contain mercury and are toxic to the body. The more fillings someone has, the higher a mercury load they have in their body. Mercury Amalgams should be removed safely. Learn more and find a mercury-free dentists at www.iaomt.org c. Other Vaccinations Received Prior to Pregnancy. Thimerosal-containing vaccines administered due to nternational travel, illness, or annual flu shots would all contribute to mercury body burden. d. Fish Consumption Before and During Pregnancy. Unfortunately, most fish contain mercury and fish consumption during pregnancy is not recommended.


3. Synergistic Toxins. “Synergistic Toxins” are toxins that enhance the toxicity of mercury. The most common synergistic toxins to mercury that children are exposed to include: a. Antibiotics. Many children diagnosed with autism have a history of multiple rounds of antibiotics for ear infections. Antibiotics are a synergistic toxin with mercury and also damage the gut flora of the intestine, which is one of the primary means the body uses to excrete mercury. A mother who receives antibiotics during pregnancy in combination with her own mercury body burden would create the same impact on the fetus. b. Aluminum. Aluminum is another toxic metal found in vaccines. The combination of aluminum means that toxicity goes from 1+1=2 to 1+1=60 or more. c. Testosterone. Testosterone accelerates mercury’s toxicity and helps explain why approximately 90% of the cases of autism are male.

Here is Donald Miller, M.D. Professor of Surgery, University of Washington, discussing aluminum and synergistic toxicity:

“Another important factor with regard to mercury on the mind, which officials at the CDC, FDA and the professors in the IOM do not consider, is synergistic toxicity – mercury’s enhanced effect when other poisons are present. A small dose of mercury that kills 1 in 100 rats and a dose of aluminum that will kill 1 in 100 rats, when combined have a striking effect: all the rats die. Doses of mercury that have a 1 percent mortality will have a 100 percent mortality rate if some aluminum is there. Vaccines contain aluminum. “ 

Here is Boyd Haley, Ph.D. and Chair of the Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, discussing testosterone and synergistic toxicity:

“One of the conundrums of autism is why there is an approximate ratio of four boys to every girl who gets this disease. Dr. Lovell therefore tested the possibility that this could be hormone related. The latest results were quite marked in their effects. Neurons that were pre-incubated with estrogen demonstrated substantial protection against thimerosal-induced neuron death. In contrast, the addition of testosterone caused a very large increase in thimerosal-induced neuron death. A low nanomolar level of thimerosal that gave less than 5 percent neuron death in three hours could be increased to 100 percent cell death by the addition of one micromolar level of testosterone. Testosterone alone at this level also showed less than 5 percent cell death. The opposing effects of estrogen and testosterone may explain the gender-based four-to-one ratio. Most important, the tremendous enhancement of thimerosal toxicity by testosterone points out the impact of synergistic effects when addressing mercury toxicity.”

4. A Child’s Own Dental Mercury Amalgams. Per the above, dental mercury amalgams are not safe and should be removed by a mercury-free dentist.

5. High Seafood Consumption. Per the above, most fish do contain mercury. For children, canned tuna is the most commonly consumed product and should be avoided.

6. Other. Broken thermometers or fluorescent tube lights, living near a coal-burning plant, consuming toxic soil, consuming batteries are all examples of the many other ways a child may be exposed to mercury.


Autism Facts Promoted By Generation Rescue

Fact #1 Thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, was patented in 1929, and has been used in vaccines since the early 1930s. Dr. Morris Kharasch is credited with inventing Thimerosal. He described it as an "alkyl mercuric sulfur compound" that demonstrated both antiseptic and antibacterial properties. On June 27, 1927, Kharasch, through The Eli Lilly Corporation, filed a patent application for Thimerosal. Because of its perceived antibacterial qualities, Thimerosal was marketed by Eli Lilly and adapted for use as a vaccine preservative in the early 1930s and has been used ever since. Fact #2 Thimerosal is 49.6% ethlymercury by weight. Ethylmercury is highly toxic to humans.

Mercury is one of the earth’s elements and the second most toxic element on earth behind Uranium. It is a known neurotoxin and is particularly potent for developing brains. Ethylmercury, a chemically derived compound of Mercury, is estimated to be as much as 50 times more toxic than elemental mercury. The California Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that the scientific evidence that thimerosal causes reproductive and developmental toxicity is "clear and voluminous." In the body, ethylmercury is converted into inorganic mercury, which then accumulates primarily in the kidney and brain. The extreme toxicity of ethylmercury may manifest itself in virtually hundreds of health related symptoms.

Fact #3 The amount of ethlymercury received by children through Thimerosal-containing vaccines increased 246% between 1986 and 1991 and continued at this higher level until at least 2002.

Before 1986, children received a total maximum dose of ethylmercury of 100 micrograms in the first two years of life. By 1991, this dose was up to 246 micrograms in the first 2 years of life, an increase of 246%. This dose was largely maintained between 1991 and 2001, and continued well into 2002 as inventories of ethlymercury-containing vaccines were worked down. The primary drivers of the increased dosing were the introduction of the Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) and the Haemophilus Influenzae Type B vaccine (Hib).

Of more concern, the ethlymercury received in the first 6 months of life grew from a maximum of 75 micrograms before 1986 to 187.5 micrograms by 1991, an increase of 250%. The younger an infant is, the less capable they are of processing mercury due to an undeveloped renal system. Hep B, introduced in 1990, was mandated to be given on the first day of life. Also, the practice of giving multiple vaccine doses during single visits became more widespread, which creates a more toxic body burden of mercury on a single day. None of these figures include the ethlymercury exposure from flu shots, which typically have 25 micrograms of ethylmercury by themselves (and most still do).

The safety limits that have been created are for adults. Children, with developing brains, are considered more susceptible to toxic impact from mercury, estimated at 5-10x that of adults.

Fact #4 Due to the way vaccines are administrated, it is possible that certain children received much higher levels of Thimerosal than a single dose would provide for.

A vaccine mixture that contains Thimerosal typically arrives at a doctor’s office in a 10-dose bolus vial. The nurse or doctor is instructed by the labeling on the vial to “Shake vial vigorously before each use” and then inserts a syringe to the bolus vial and draws out a single dose. As we all know, there are times in a medical practice where people are busy or rushed and it is unlikely that vigorous shaking happens 100% of the time that vaccines are administered. If the vial is not shaken, the mercury, which is a heavy metal, typically sinks to the bottom of the vial. This means that the final 1-2 doses or the first 1-2 doses, depending on how the bolus vial is emptied, could have considerably more Thimerosal than the average dose provided on the label. It is possible that many of the children viewed as being “genetically susceptible” are actually the kids who received the first or final draws from an unshaken bolus vial.


Fact #5 Despite its known neurotoxicity and its use in children, there has been no safety testing done on Thimerosal and there is no federally-mandated safe limit for the injestion of Thimerosal or ethylmercury.

There has never been a safety study done on the use of Thimerosal as a vaccine preservative, either in adults or children. When Eli Lilly began to market Thimerosal for use as a vaccine preservative, they cited a study, done within Eli Lilly, that they claimed represented the safety of the product. Here are some thoughts on this study compiled by the law firm Waters & Kraus, LLP, Dallas, TX”

“In its apparent eagerness to promote and market the product, in September, 1930, Eli Lilly secretly sponsored a "human toxicity" study on patients already known to be dying of meningococcal meningitis. Senior partner Andrew Waters stated that, ‘Lilly then cited this study repeatedly for decades as proof that thimerosal was of low toxicity and harmless to humans. They never revealed to the scientific community or the public the highly questionable nature of the original research.’”

Fact #6 Safety limits do exist for the safe daily injestion of methylmercury, a cousin of ethlymercury, by both the EPA and the FDA.

The EPA safe limit for the consumption of methylmercury is .1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day. The FDA safe limit for the consumption of methylmercury is .4 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.

Fact #7 Safety limits for mercury set by both the EPA and the FDA were routinely exceeded by 40-125x between 1990-2002 for children receiving immunizations following The Universal Immunization Recommendations of the Center For Disease Control (a government agency that sets the schedule most states follow).

Using the EPA safe limits as a proxy, the Hepatitis B vaccine given on the first day of birth exceeds the safe level set by a factor of 30x. Receiving the Hepatitis B booster shot and polio shot, given routinely at 6 months, exceeds the safe standard by a factor of 78x. Here is a quote from Lynn Redwood, President of SafeMinds and a registered nurse, discussing her own son:

"I reviewed my son’s vaccine record to find that all his early vaccines contained thimerosal and he had received 187.5 mcg of mercury in his vaccines given the first six months of life. At each visit, two, four, and six, he received a total of 62.5 mcg of mercury. These levels exceeded EPA’s allowable daily exposure of 0.1 mcg per kilogram at two months 125 fold."


Fact #8 The epidemic of autism, Aspergers, PDD-NOS, ADHD, ADD, learning disabilities, food allergies, juvenile onset diabetes, and asthma exactly parallels the increase in ethlymercury administered through Thimerosal-containing vaccines beginning in 1990 and 1991.

Between 1992-2002, the Department of Education estimates that there has been a 714% increase in the number of autistic children. In the 1970s, autism was estimated to occur in 1 in 25,000 children. Between 1970 and 1990, that number increased to about 1 in 2,500. Today, the CDC acknowledges the number is about 1 in 166, even Eli Lilly says it’s 1 in 150, and many believe it is closer to 1 in 125.

1 in 68 families in the United States now have an autistic child. The epidemic appears to have begun right around the time of the 246% increase in the amount of Thimerosal children received through vaccines.

Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, ADHD, ADD, and many learning disabilities have all exploded in numbers as well and all exactly during the same time period. Here is a quote from Dr. Mark Geier, a world-renowned geneticist:

“This is from the Department of Education Data. In the middle 1970s the estimate of autism rate was 1 in 25,000. In the 80s it was 1 in 2,500. In the 90s it was about 1 in 250. Currently the estimate in the United States is about 1 in 150 and incidentally, that estimate is by Eli Lilly who makes thimerosal. This is an enormous rise. It’s a meteoric rise, but worse than that, it’s not limited to autism. Reading disorders are up 30 fold. Speech disorders are up – currently 1 in 8 children in the United States are in special education. You have to be six years old to be in special education so, we’re all shaking to see what the next figure will be for the next 6 years and we already have some early indicators. It’s going to come out between 1 in 6 and 1 in 5.”


Fact #9 Ethlymercury, combined with certain substances, produces what is known as “synergistic toxicity”. Three known synergistic toxins of ethlymercury are antibiotics, aluminum, and testosterone.

Synergistic toxins are toxins that enhance the toxicity of mercury. Many children diagnosed with autism have a history of multiple rounds of antibiotics for ear infections. Antibiotics are a synergistic toxin with mercury and also damage the gut flora of the intestine, which is one of the primary means the body uses to excrete mercury. A mother who receives antibiotics during pregnancy in combination with her own mercury body burden would create the same impact on the fetus. Aluminum is another toxic metal found in vaccines. The combination of aluminum means that toxicity goes from 1+1=2 to 1+1=60 or more. Testosterone accelerates mercury’s toxicity and helps explain why approximately 90% of the cases of autism are male. Here is Donald Miller, M.D. Professor of Surgery, University of Washington, discussing aluminum and synergistic toxicity:

“Another important factor with regard to mercury on the mind, which officials at the CDC, FDA and the professors in the IOM do not consider, is synergistic toxicity – mercury’s enhanced effect when other poisons are present. A small dose of mercury that kills 1 in 100 rats and a dose of aluminum that will kill 1 in 100 rats, when combined have a striking effect: all the rats die. Doses of mercury that have a 1 percent mortality will have a 100 percent mortality rate if some aluminum is there. Vaccines contain aluminum. “

Fact #10 Males, who produce more testosterone, represent approximately 80-90% of the epidemic.

Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department, University of Kentucky discusses the issue of testosterone and mercury:

“One of the conundrums of autism is the 4:1 ratio of boys to girls that get the disease. We therefore decided to test the effects of both female and male hormones on the neurotoxicity of thimerosal. The results were eye-opening. For example, 50 nanomolar thimerosal causes less than 5% neuron death within the first three hours incubation and 1 micromolar testosterone causes no significant death within this time frame. However, mix these two together and 100% neuron death was observed at the earliest time point checked. This represents a severe enhancement of thimerosal toxicity.”



Autism Myths Debunked By Generation Rescue

Autism Myths


Myth #1 Autism is genetic.

There is no evidence to suggest autism is genetic. No autism gene has ever been found. Autism is nothing more than mercury poisoning – the search for an autism gene will be endless. Furthermore, it is impossible to have a “genetic epidemic” as epidemics happen at a far faster rate than the proliferation of each generation would allow for. Unless children began to procreate and bear children at the ages of 3-5, it would be impossible to have a genetic epidemic.

Myth #2 Autism is life long.

There is a growing body of evidence that children properly treated for mercury poisoning are indiscernible from their neurotypical peers. Any toxicologist will tell you that mercury poisoning represents a temporary, correctable state. Thorough removal of mercury will typically resolve some or all of the symptoms. Autism is only life long if mercury poisoning is never treated.

Myth #3 Autistic children are not affectionate and do not like to be held or touched.

This is an unfortunate myth. Many autistic children are extremely affectionate and love to be held and hugged.

Myth #4 Autistic children are in their own world and are not interested in other people.

Mercury poisoning overloads the senses and can make sights, sounds, and smells almost intolerable. This sensory overload causes some autistic children to withdraw inward as a means of survival – it is their body’s way of coping with the massive sensory overload. Parents often remark, as the mercury is removed from their children’s bodies, that they see their child “in our world” for the first time. The removal of mercury lowers the sensory overload, making the world a safer and more tolerable place again. Using our own frame of reference, we mistake an autistic child’s retreat inward as an “aloofness” or “indifference” to those around them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Myth #5 If you have autism, you are mentally handicapped.

Some autistic children are given IQ tests, which were created for people not suffering from mercury poisoning. Because of the limitations caused by sensory overload, some autistic children perform poorly on the IQ test, and are labeled “mentally handicapped.” Many recovered autistic children are performing well above their peer group in a variety of topics in school. There is even some evidence to suggest that intelligence and a limited ability to detoxify may be related through DNA and that we are in fact poisoning are most intelligent children. Most parents of autistic children know that their child is very bright and many clinicians treating autistic children assert that their patients are universally among the most intelligent children they have ever seen.

Myth #6 There is no autism epidemic, it’s just better diagnosis

This myth persists despite being refuted by a wide range of scientists, policy makers, and health care organizations. All the available data points to an epidemic. Between 1992-2002, the Department of Education estimates that there has been a 714% increase in the number of autistic children. In the 1970s, autism was estimated to occur in 1 in 25,000 children. Between 1970 and 1990, that number increased to about 1 in 2,500. Today, the CDC acknowledges the number is about 1 in 166, even Eli Lilly says it’s 1 in 150, and many believe it is closer to 1 in 125. The anecdotal evidence that we are in an epidemic is overwhelming. If there is no epidemic, where are all the autistic adults? Ask any doctor, teacher, or day care worker who has been around for 20 or more years and they will tell you that the epidemic is unprecedented. No parent in the history of the world would not notice that their child spoke at their first birthday but was mute at their second birthday.

Myth #7 The reason that boys represent 80-90% of the epidemic is that autism is an extreme form of the more rigid and scientific male mind.

Testosterone is a synergistic toxin with mercury which means it enhances the toxicity of mercury in the body while estrogen appears to protect the body from mercury’s toxicity. This is the reason for the high ratio of males in the epidemic. Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department, University of Kentucky discusses the issue of testosterone and mercury:

“One of the conundrums of autism is the 4:1 ratio of boys to girls that get the disease. We therefore decided to test the effects of both female and male hormones on the neurotoxicity of thimerosal. The results were eye-opening. For example, 50 nanomolar thimerosal causes less than 5% neuron death within the first three hours incubation and 1 micromolar testosterone causes no significant death within this time frame. However, mix these two together and 100% neuron death was observed at the earliest time point checked. This represents a severe enhancement of thimerosal toxicity.”

Myth #8 Autism is a complex, multi-factorial epidemic. There are many different causes that all work together. Mercury may be one of the factors in creating autism, but saying it is only mercury is way too simplistic.

This assertion violates a truth that history demonstrates very clearly: ALL epidemics in the history of mankind have a simple cause.

Mercury poisoning manifests itself in a wide variety of ways in different people. Differences in manifestations are due to individual biochemistry, amount of mercury received, form of mercury, timing of exposure, and other toxins present during the time of exposure, to name a few. Therefore, mercury poisoning’s symptoms are varied and complex. But, the cause is simple and always will be: mercury toxicity. The simplicity of cause highlights the simplicity of treatment: mercury removal through chelation.

Myth #9 Saying that vaccines cause autism will create a return to unvaccinated children dying from many childhood diseases we have nearly eradicated.

Thimerosal contains ethylmercury, a potent neurotoxin. The injection of Thimerosal into developing brains is the root cause of the autism epidemic. Thimerosal is an untested, unnecessary vaccine preservative. Today, most vaccines are available without Thimerosal (with the unfortunate exception of the flu vaccine) and are still effective.

Placing a potent neurotoxin in vaccines targeting infants and children has seriously eroded the public’s trust in the vaccine program. The unwillingness of most public authorities to acknowledge the true cause of the current epidemic will only further erode this trust. To try to turn the argument back around and accuse advocates of the mercury-autism connection as being “anti-vaccine” is nothing more than an attempt to muddy the debate for reasons of self-interest and self-protection.

Myth #10 You say mercury from Thimerosal causes autism. Others say the MMR vaccine causes autism. But, the MMR vaccine has never had Thimerosal. How can both be true?

The MMR vaccine has never had Thimerosal. Unlike most vaccines, the MMR vaccine is a live-virus vaccine and therefore does not need Thimerosal which is used as a preservative. However, the fact that the MMR vaccine is a triple live-virus vaccine is part of the problem. The goal of a live virus is to trigger a mild immune response and build immunity. This may work in a healthy child. However, many children who develop autism are already battling mercury poisoning by the time they receive the MMR vaccine at 18 months. Mercury impairs the immune system and the live virus, rather than triggering a mild response, can overwhelm an impaired immune system. A virus’ goal is to find a host and recreate. There is scientific proof that many autistic children have their intestinal walls filled with the measles virus received from the MMR vaccine. The virus is able to host and replicate due to the impaired immune system of the child. How does MMR trigger autism? Some doctors believe the live MMR virus traps heavy metals within the cells of the body and impairs the body’s ability to excrete metals. The reason many parents report regression in their child’s behavior immediately after the MMR may be that the MMR triggers a shut-down of the immune system while shutting off the bodies ability to excrete toxins.


Media Campaign

Late in the spring of 2005, Generation Rescue began running full-page ads in national newspapers, including the New York Times, asserting the symptoms of autism and childhood mercury poisoning are too similar to be coincidental. The ads include quotes, regarding the escalating vaccine controversy, from key Republicans and Democrats in the United States Congress, in addition to statements from numerous other individuals who claim mercury is the leading potential cause for autism.

The advocacy group's print and internet advertisements are part of a broader campaign to send the groups message about the possible connection between autism and mercury poisoning to politicians, medical professionals and other parents. In launching the campaign, J.B. Handley said, "Every day, another 50 kids are diagnosed with autism," adding, "Too often the parents receiving this life-changing news are not aware of the real, medical treatments available to reverse autistic symptoms. The parents, and media, are also not aware of the growing number of physicians, researchers, elected officials and other leaders who have mounting evidence to lead this fight."

  • USA Today Ad #1 - 'Autism is Preventable and Reversible!! May 24, 2005'
  • NY Times Ad #1 - 'Mercury Poisoning and Autism are the same thing. June 8, 2005'
  • NY Times Ad #2 - 'Ad thanking researchers for furthering Thimerosal Autism Link. November 14, 2005'

Rescue Angel program

Generation Rescue has developed a mentoring program, 'Rescue Angels', for other parents. 'Rescue Angels' are parents of autistic spectrum children willing to help other parents in treating their children, sharing expertise, local knowledge, and experience.

As of January 2007, more than 350 families serve as Rescue Angels for other families. According to Generation Rescue, more than 10,000 new families have begun treating their children due to Generation Rescue's Rescue Angels.

Criticisms

Generation Rescue's home page has been criticized for containing inaccuracies regarding the prevalence of autism. As of 2006, it claimed that the prevalence of autism in the 1970s was 1 in 10,000. In reality, the prevalence of autism was known to be 4-5 in 10,000 in the 1960s. Handley has been asked to cite the lower prevalence number, but has not come forward with a reply. Additionally, the site does not clarify that the prevalence of 1 in 166 is for ASD, not Kanner autism as is the lower prevalence number. The increase of 6000% (60 times) claimed in the GR home page should be about 1200% (12 times) if the lower prevalence number is corrected. This type of prevalence change claim has been characterized as a comparison of "oranges with sheep" [2].

Generation Rescue's critics fall into the following camps:

1. Those who believe autism is a normal condition and should not be treated 2. Those who believe there is no autism epidemic 3. Those who do not believe autism can be cured 4. Autistic adults offended by the implication that their disorder is a medical condition


See also

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