Jun
Family Visits D.C. For Autism March
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to say that there is “no credible evidence to support the claim” that autism is caused by vaccines.
Dr. Susan Buttross, chief of child development and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, confirmed that the medical community is unwilling to make the link - yet.
From the Ranklin Ledger
Dana Sturdivant asked her son, Brennan, to say hello to visitors to their Reservoir area home.Instead, Brennan repeated the phrase, “I want to say,” several times, speaking only to his mother.
While most four-year-olds are starting to learn their usage of pronouns, Brennan is still learning simpler social interactions.
According to Sturdivant, Brennan was on his way to a full vocabulary, right along with his peers, but after receiving his final vaccination shot at 16 months, something changed.
“Within 24 hours he was running a fever of 105 degrees,” Sturdivant said. “He lost his words within 11 days and lost his ability to point.”
Not long after, Brennan was diagnosed with autism, a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication.
Although one in every 150 children is born with autism in the U.S. and symptoms of the disorder can appear at any point between birth and the age of three, Sturdivant is convinced that there is a correlation between the vaccine and the disorder.
She is not alone.
Sturdivant, a tireless advocate for her son since his diagnosis, joined more than 8,500 people, including actors Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, in Washington, D.C., earlier this month for the Green Our Vaccines rally.
The rally was held in the hope that toxins, such as mercury, would be eliminated from children’s vaccines and to encourage national health agencies to reassess mandatory vaccine schedules.
The group believes that toxins in the vaccines may cause not only autism but also other neurological disorders such as ADHD.
While the rally might not cause an immediate reaction, Sturdivant is hoping that it will at least raise the public’s awareness.
She also is quick to point out that she is not against vaccines; she just believes they could be administered more safely.
Still, it’s an uphill battle for Sturdivant. It’s a controversial position, one that the mainstream medical community has yet to embrace.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to say that there is “no credible evidence to support the claim” that autism is caused by vaccines.
Dr. Susan Buttross, chief of child development and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, confirmed that the medical community is unwilling to make the link - yet.
But she said it’s not being dismissed and is being studied carefully.
The problem, Buttross said, is that the last round of vaccinations happens at about the same time that symptoms of autism would begin to appear.
“They might seem related by time,” Buttross said. “That’s where parents often get confused.”
Either way, Sturdivant hopes the answers come soon. In the meantime, she’s also busy trying to find a treatment that will work for her son. Presently there is no cure for autism, only treatment to lessen the impact of its symptoms.
She’s eliminated soy, gluten and casein from Brennan’s diet and has seen a positive effect.
“We consider his diet to be crucial and mandatory now,” she said.
Sturdivant also has Brennan in applied behavioral therapy in Hattiesburg. She also has an infrared sauna in her home for detoxification purposes.
But not all of Brennan’s treatments can be produced in her home - at least not yet.
Sturdivant has been taking Brennan to Destin, Fla., for sessions inside a hyperbaric chamber.
Often used to treat the bends, a sickness suffered by deep sea divers who ascend too quickly, a hyperbaric chamber is a sealed chamber in which a high-pressure, oxygen-rich environment is used for treatment.
Brennan usually does 40 “dives” in the chamber over a three-week period, and Sturdivant says she sees progress each time.
“He has more words and makes more eye contact,” she says.
But trips to Destin have proven to be time-consuming and expensive, so Sturdivant wants to buy a portable chamber to put in her home.
The unit’s expensive - about $20,000 - but could save them some money in the long run.
Sturdivant has begun selling raffle tickets at five different locations of the Tire Depot, which her husband, Troy, co-owns.
“We want a unit for our house so that he can do all of his treatments here,” Sturdivant said. “We’ve spent over $100,000 so far.”
