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Orac at Respectful Insolence reports on the Autism Omnibus, the vaccine court hearings that began yesterday in Washington, D.C., with the parents of 12-year-old Michelle Cedillo wheeling in their non-verbal, self-injurious daughter. This “tug on the heartstrings” suggests the strategy the plaintiffs’ attorney will use; Orac comments:
Only the most cold-hearted would fail to agree with Special Master George Hastings, Jr., one of the three Special Masters who will preside over the hearings, when he characterized Michelle’s case as “tragic.” Certainly, the Cedillos have a challenge far greater than that of the vast majority of parents face when raising a child. However, just because they have come to believe that vaccines are somehow responsible for their child’s plight and just because we feel sorry for them do not constitute a reason to conclude that vaccines did, in fact, cause Michelle’s plight. We can feel sympathy for Michelle and admiration for their determination to take care of her, but that does not mean that we have to accept their pseudoscientific explanation for how their daughter got the way she is. In my mind, perhaps the most sadly ironic thing about the whole vaccine/autism hysteria is that it’s a huge distraction away from real research elucidating the pathophysiology of autism that might be of value in helping children like Michelle. It’s also an enormous distraction away from putting effort and resources into services that might assist families like the Cedillos deal with the day-to-day struggles of taking care of their daughter. [my emphasis]
Journalist Arthur Allen, author of Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine’s Greatest Lifesaver provides another observation about the lawyers’ tactics in his report on Day 1 of Autism in Court:
With their body language, the lawyers for the claimants and the defense in the case reflected what has always been true about the vaccine-cause-autism theory: one side appeals to the heart, the other to the brain. The claimants’ lawyers, Tom Powers of Portland and Sylvia Chin-Caplan of Boston, spoke with inflection and warmth and turned to face the audience on the courtroom. The government’s lawyer, the colorless-seeming Vince Matanoski, spoke to the special masters—the judges who will decide the case.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers recognize the difference that the presence of one autistic child, of a disabled child in a public place can make. I know this too well: People talk about autism as an “invisible disability” but now, when we talk into the grocery store, the library, a subway with Charlie, I can sense the signals in the crowd: There’s something about this boy. Charlie can walk, talk some, and is no longer self-injurious (which does not mean he might not do those behaviors again; every day we try to teach him other strategies to use instead). People notice that there is a disabled—cognitively? intellectually? neurologically?—-person among them (which is not to say there are not others)—after that, their usual response is to shrug at most, and then to go back to whatever they are doing. I do think that, the more people get used to seeing autistic children who don’t “pass for normal” in public, the better, for them and for Charlie.
Others who know the power that the presence, or the photographed presence, that an autistic child can make are any of your national or local autism organizations whose websites and brochures always feature a smiling, and certainly a cute, child. (My own blog about my son that I used to write is itself stocked full of such photos.) One also sees photographs of children who are not smiling—who may be crying and even in “full tantrum mode”; such photos might be more likely found illustrating a newspaper article about the difficulties of life with autism. All of these photos, and the accounts—brief or not—-of the child in the photo are, too, meant to tug at the heartstrings; to appeal to the heart and gut more than the brain.
And maybe this is why, despite numerous and repeated statements by scientists that there is no valid evidence to support a link between vaccines or anything in vaccines to autism, the vaccine theory could prevail. When it comes to autism, the heart has a way of leading rather than the head, whatever the truth, whatever the real verdict of science.
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C, I don’t know what to say——it’s a privilege for me to be able to share our adventures with Charlie with so many. Knowing that one is not walking on the long road along makes all the difference.
Heidi, Echoing C here—-none of this was any of our faults—not that I don’t think we can or should ever stop looking for answers!
Heidi, this was not your fault. Even if you had “done your homework” your conclusions at the time could have been very similar to my own. And this brings up something so insidious about the entire vaccine/mercury crusade – it makes one feel like crap. Which is why I read Kristina’s blogs – I feel hopeful and empowered to help my child when I read about her adventures with Charlie.
C,
Thank you for your kind thoughts and wish for my son.
And yes so vaccines do wonderful things and you are intitled to your opion as well as myself.
All i know is that my child did withdrawl in a way even indecribable.
But what i can tell you rather there is a weak gene to make the shot to have more effect or the shot itself, that is truely my belief.
To tell you the truth i do not feel we will ever not the truth there is to much at state. Lawsuits
injurys and all they need to be informed which was all my fault i did not do my homework. I trusted.
Hi
Dr Buie in several conferences presentations have shown evidences of the effects of GERD in self-injurious behavior in autism.
Hi Momma Steph
For me it makes sense; However, we need a lot of research to proof it as not only plausible but probable, even when there are clues about it
(anecdotical and from published evidence).
There is something that has been nagging at me for a couple years now, maybe someone can help. I’ve read a few very credible-sounding accounts of children who were apparently normally-developing, and who, after getting the MMR, had a high fever, and sudden withdrawal.
These children get labeled autistic, but is it not possible that their condition – while resembling autism – is actually something else, a severe and very rare reaction to the vaccine? And that’s why we continue to be in a vaccine/autism muddle even after all evidence suggests no link?
I feel for these parents, as they’re made to feel like they’re crazy when it may be just as they say – normal baby, shot, reaction, withdrawal. It just may not be autism.
Does that make sense?
Thanks for the clarification—-I wrote that after reading Arthur Allen’s post on Day 1 of the hearings. But based on what Krigsman says, I gues she is not supposed to be…..
I think one point that has been made about Michelle was that she was only self-injurious when her gut problems were at their worst.
Krigsman showed a slide of bruises on her apparently, today, and said she probably hit herself because she was in such pain (I think the bruises are on the front of her thighs, her parents gave the news media a photo like that) .
When the gut pain goes away, he was saying, then the self-injury goes away. It’s part of their strategy to make it look like she suffered so because of vaccine damage. So maybe it’s not accurate to refer to her as self-injurious now?
People 50, 100, 150 years ago and more must have been a lot healthier, it would seem…..
“…The rise in autism, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, cancer and a whole spectrum of disorders rose dramatically in at the same rate and time as did multiple vaccines added to the schedule. …”
Diabetes????
I’m sure all the refined sugars in our diet and rampant increase in obesity had nothing to do with that.
Joe
Hi Maria,
I’m sorry you are alone in your efforts to help your son and I wish you the best.
Hi
Well, the disclosure issue is not so clear:
Conflicts of interest
“And I agree that some vaccines have given some people horrible reactions, some resulting in death. But they do not cause autism”
But neither you or someone else has demonstrated that can not negatively affect susceptible children -genetically- to vaccinations.The CDC is enough worried about to plan a study of the relation of polymorphisms in genetics of the MHC with the answer to vaccines. The fields of developmental enzymology and mucosal immunity are being more and more studied, such as the topics of transport/excretion of toxic and essential elements in ASD. There are reported genetic links to the lack of excretion of several toxic elements and these polymorphisms have not been enough studied in autism (works of Dr Woods and others such as J Bressler).
I trust on science. But the science has been incomplete on the issue and epidemiology such as it has been done- against and favoring the link- has not demonstrated almost nothing because of the lack of a reliable way to know about the numbers of ASD people, now and before. We need genetic epidemiology- and that has not been done. The confounders to the epidemiology in Autism have not been correctly addressed. Even more , only the clinical studies can give some lignt.
MEanwhile, I am as always, alone to get the helo I need to detect/diagnose and treat the concomitant medical problems to ASD in my autistic son.
Hi Heidi,
I hope your son is receiving the care and education he needs.
Vaccines have a great deal to do with our children – vaccines save lives, especially the lives are some of our most vulnerable citizens – children, and the elderly. And I agree that some vaccines have given some people horrible reactions, some resulting in death. But they do not cause autism. And yes, investigators who publish articles in peer-reviewed journals do disclose the funding of their studies.
Also, I am not a big fan of pharmaceutical companies and their multi million dollar advertising campaigns which eclipse their research budgets. But I am a fan of science and although far from perfect, I put my trust in it.
I am very new to this but i will tell you this. My son was typically developing till his MMR shots when he had a reaction. You publishing from this group and that group. But what seems to be left out of those articles is how much are they or there company getting for that article or what grant will they pick up next year for it. People and groups if feel that dont believe their is a link come to my home and watch my video and week before and a month after. You are welcome to look and the medical records. To me it makes no difference i am not sueing anyone and don’t plan to . BUT THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. Quit hurting our children. There are so many reactions that the doctors don’t tell you about nor do they want you to know. he is my first so i had no knowledge i felt the doctors would not lie it is safe and mandated which is not in California if you have beliefs to not vaccinate.
I wish them the best of luck in court because we need this to stop.
FACT:
In the years 2000-2002 Eli Lilly gave $1.6 mil in
political contributions (80% to republicans, $226,000
went to the National Republic Senatorial Campaign run by Bill Frist)
The major drug co’s contributed more than $30 mil to help elect allies to Congress
FACT:
Congressman Dan Burton discovered that some members
of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
that approve vaccines
• owned stock in the vaccine manufacturing firms
• owned patents for vaccines affected by their decisions
• sat on the Board of Drug companies
FACT:
The rise in autism, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, cancer and a whole spectrum of disorders rose dramatically in at the same rate and time as did multiple vaccines added to the schedule
FACT:
Eli Lilly produces stattera- a treatment for ADHD, disorder said to be caused by vaccines
SO DONT SAY VACCINES DONT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR CHILDREN THEY DO……….
Drip. Drip. Drip. Water cracks the stone.
Kristina, well written. Hope Charlie’s ready for the summer?
livewell.