Generation Rescue
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Generation Rescue is a nonprofit organization which was founded by parents united by their belief that many childhood neurological disorders, such as autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADHD, speech delay, sensory integration disorder and other developmental delays, are the effects of a primary diagnosis of mercury poisoning and related complications. Generation Rescue is funded and managed by its members. The members have joined on a mission to "share the truth with parents about the cause of their child’s developmental disabilities so they can focus on treatment."
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[edit] Childhood neurological disorders and heavy metal poisoning
In May, 2005, over 150 parents, led by Lisa and JB Handley, launched Generation Rescue, a non-profit, California based, international support group dedicated to treating autistic spectrum and other neurological disorders, which the group contends result from poisoning by heavy metals, particularly thimerosal containing vaccines (TCVs). As of January, 2006, more than 315 families have joined the organization.
The group has collected scientific papers, opinion pieces, and journalistic reports to substantiate their case, all of which are presented on their website.
The group advocates the use of biomedical intervention and other autism therapies to help reverse autistic symptoms. Some mistakenly characterize the group as focused only on chelation therapy. In fact, Generation Rescue promotes dietary change and supplementation, toxin reduction, and many different forms of detoxification. Nevertheless, the Generation Rescue website states 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."
[edit] 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 numerous other leaders 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 educate politicians, medical professionals and other parents learn about the possible connection between autism and mercury poisoning. 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'
[edit] 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 2006, more than 315 families serve as Rescue Angels for other families. According to Generation Rescue, more than 5,000 new families have begun treating their children due to Generation Rescue's Rescue Angels.
At least one Rescue Angel, John Best Jr., has become very controversial. John Best Jr. maintains a blog called Hating Autism, where Mr. Best documents his thoughts on autism, neurodiversity, autistic people, and homosexuals. After being asked to offer his thoughts on the Rescue Angel program, Mr Best said, "I don’t mind helping kids who have idiots for parents and I think most other rescue angels feel the same way." The Natural Variation blog has compiled a list of statements by John Best Jr. [1].
[edit] Criticisms
Critics of Generation Rescue claim that the majority of the science that Generation Rescue bases their case on that it is either not peer reviewed or fails to convince these critics that there is a causal connection between thimerosal/vaccines and autism or both. In particular, the 'landmark' article that Generation Rescue rely on Autism: A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning has been disputed.
JB Handley claims that autism symptoms can be reversed. Autism is a neurological condition, if, as Generation Rescue broadly claim, autism signs can be reversed using chelation, this is in contradiction of the scientific capabilities of chelation. Quote from Encyclopedia of Children's Health "Prognosis - The chelation process can only halt further effects of the poisoning; it cannot reverse neurological damage already sustained." Therefore any effects from mercury poisoning that appeared to simulate autism would not be reversed by such treatment anyway.
Also, the second New York Times advertisement (see above) had to undergo several alterations due to at least six of the scientists and researchers, who were thanked by name in the ad, wanting to disassociate their work from the mercury/autism connection. This group of scientists wrote: "we believe GenerationRescue’s advertisement, at first appearance an innocuous gesture of appreciation, may actually mislead the public into thinking that the mercury-autism hypothesis has stronger support in the scientific literature than it actually does." One of the scientists who signed that letter asking not to be associated with the mercury/autism hypothesis, Martha Herbert, is still frequently cited by Generation Rescue and others as a supporter.
Many have also expressed concern of the allegedly heavy handed behaviors exhibited by Generation Rescue's leadership and some of its Rescue Angels. These include alleged verbal bullying of autistics, the making of accusations of child abuse aimed at all parents of autistics who do not chelate their children and buying up of domains with names similar to those websites in opposition to Generation Rescue and directing them to the Generation Rescue site.
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].
In February 2005 J. B. Handley stated on a TV interview that the notion of autism is mythical since it is a misdiagnosis for mercury poisoning. He also claimed that autism did not exist before thimerosal was put in vaccines, and that chelation therapy can cure autism in two years or less [3]. But on a message dated August 30, 2006 posted to the Yahoo! group EOHarm, he stated that "it ain't ONLY the mercury." This tacit change in views has not been explicitly admitted by J. B. Handley as of 2006.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- GenerationRescue.org - 'Empowering parents with truth to help their children heal'
- HapiHealth.com - 'Generation Rescue: Helping Parents Heal Their Kids', Lisa and J.B. Handley
- Independent-Media.tv - 'Autism: Generation Rescue', Anne McElroy Dachel (June 8, 2005)
- Mothering.com - 'Is the American Academy of Pediatrics losing credibility with parents and pediatricians?' Bobby Manning, Mothering (October, 2005)
- NAA.org - 'National Autism Association'
- NoMercury.org - 'Supports removal of Thimerosal in vaccines through legislation'
- SafeMinds.org - 'Sensible Action For Ending Mercury Induced Neurological Disorders', Safe Minds
- ScienceDaily.com - 'The Age of Autism: Heavy metal', Dan Olmsted, UPI' (May 24, 2005)
- SFGate.com - 'A child's return from autism: Couple eager to share their conviction that mercury poisoning was the culprit' Leslie Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle (May 25, 2005)
