Hi!

I'm Cheryl: Proud momma to DJ, age 8 (NT), and Ryan, age 12 (dx Autism); and wife of 15 years to Pete.

I am currently a volunteer autism advocate having served on the Boards of several autism/disability advocacy organizations. Right now, I am working with some really great parents and professionals to build The Gottschall Autism Center in Massachusetts (www.gottschallcenter.com).

I also co-run a biomed support group for parents with kids on the spectrum called "Helping HANDS" (Helping Heal Autism & Neurobiological DisorderS).

But first and foremost, I work to heal my son Ryan. Ryan was vaccine injured at 13 months old. Here is our story:

Ryan is 11 and has full blown autism (or should I say a combination of symptoms that has been labeled as autism). Because he was born in 1996, Ryan got the full load of hg-containing vaccines including Hep B at birth.

Based on Ryan's medical records, he was injected with a total of 212.5 micrograms of mercury between birth, and through and including the date of the MMR & 4th Hib.

As an example, the Hep B he received at a day old (8lbs. 9oz.) put him at over 30 times the EPA's exposure limit for mercury. If you want to check out the toxic effects of thimerosal, check this link http://www.nomercury.org/msds.htm for links to some thimerosal Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

I can't believe that someone thought that injecting newborns (with immature immune systems) with a neurotoxin was a good idea….but back to the story.

Ryan was colicky as a baby, had multiple upper respiratory and ear infections, and was loaded up with various antibiotics for months on end.

Then came the MMR.

At 13 months old I brought him in for a checkup. He had just gotten off of antibiotics for yet another ear infection and was also recovering from the chicken pox (natural virus--not vaccine). Ped checks his ears. Yup, ear infection is back. Writes out a scrip for Augmentin (nasty, nasty stuff). Gives him his first MMR, along with the mercury-laden Hib. Sends us home. He is fussy, but ok.

A couple of days later, it hits: Erythema multiforme, Vasculitis, 105 degree temps. (See my Photo Gallery for a shocking picture of his vaccine reaction.) Ryan cannot eat, walk, talk, even hold up his head. He can only cry and moan. Docs are stumped, or so they say...not one person ever mentioned vax reaction to us. Ryan "recovers" from that episode but it's too late; he slides into the autism abyss.

After doing biomedical interventions for over 8 years, Ryan is MUCH improved. He is not recovered but has moved from the severe end of the autism scale to the more moderate/mild end. As we continue to heal and detoxify his body, he continues to make gains.

Some Treatment/Interventions used for Ryan:

• Speech
  
  
  
  
• PT
  
  
  
  
• OT
  
  
  
  
• APE
  
  
  
  
• Social Skills Group
  
  
  
  
• In-home Music Therapy
  
  
  
  
• ABA (ages 3-5)
  
  
  
  
• Dietary interventions have evolved GFCF to SCD over the course of 8 years
  
  
  
  
• Chelation (DMSA & DMPS)
  
  
  
  
• Valtrex
  
  
  
  
• Methyl B-12 injections and Folinic acid
  
  
  
  
• High dose Vitamin A
  
  
  
  
• Prescriptive and natural gut healing protocols
  
  
  
  
• Pancreatic enzymes
  
  
  
  
• Probiotics
  
  
  
  
• EFA's
  
  
  
  
• LDN
  
  
  
  
• Many vitamin & mineral supplements
  
  

The Title of this page is "Autism: The Quest to Heal my Child." And that is exactly what my life has been since diagnosis: A Quest. We have spent more money than I can count and, like Jenny McCarthy, I have a Ph.D. in Autism Research from Google.

Ryan is not yet recovered, but I'll never give up trying to make him as healthy and happy as I can. :-)