Our Healing Journey Through ASD Part 4 : Evidence of Harm

By Jill Hardina

In December of 2005, David Kirby’s groundbreaking book, “Evidence of
Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy”
which I had been anxiously awaiting, appeared in Borders Bookstore (remember
Borders?). Kirby investigated the conspiracy theory that, not only did vaccines
contain mercury, but that the mercury was harmful. At the time, Big Pharma had
been denying both of these allegations. Kirby explains three areas in great detail: the
role of the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA, CDC, and Congress; the biochemistry
of vaccines on the body; and the effect of autism on children and families,
passionately describing the frustration and perseverance of parents. I read the book.
voraciously, getting up early to read for an hour before going to work. I cried as I
read that, yes, there was mercury in vaccines and that it was harmful, despite
claims otherwise.

I went back to work full time that year, but while I had been working,
time, I was referred by a coworker to a new pediatrician not far from us who only
required us to sign a waiver refusing vaccines. I immediately went to our old
pediatrician to get the manufacturers and lot numbers of all his vaccines. I then
called each manufacturer’s customer service and asked if those vaccines contained
mercury. The rep from Merck, which made the MMR nervous,  asked a lot of
questions about his development. The rep wasn’t happy when I told him that.
Nicholas was small in stature, but nothing was made by Merck, including the MMR.
contained mercury. Neither did Prevnar, Hib, or most of his IPV (polio) vaccines.

However, all doses of DTaP, by both Lederle and Sanofi Pasteur, did contain
mercury. The Acel Immune by Lederle, from which the first three doses were taken,
contained mercury. Sanofi Pasteur, who made his fourth dose of DTaP, would only
deal with pediatricians, so they sent a letter to our new pediatrician with the
information. Called Tripedia, it contained an amount way over any “safe” limit.
deemed by the EPA. He also had two by Aventis, IPV and DTaP, which did not contain mercury but did contain aluminum, formaldehyde, mycin, and polysorbate 80.

I contacted Robert Krakow, an autism attorney mentioned in the book.
Similar to Porter Bridges, the mother who contacted RFK Jr. with studies on
mercury in vaccines, I found his phone number and called him. He was quite
surprised that I would do this, but he did talk to me and suggested that I contact a
DAN (Defeat Autism Now) chiropractor on Long Island. I made an appointment.
with him as soon as possible.

DAN is an organization of practitioners and MDs who believe that autism
has environmental causes, not psychological causes, as previously thought. The
The DAN protocol originated in 1995 with the Autism Research Institute, which was
founded by Bernard Rimland. The practitioners came from different fields of
medicine, but all used biomedical treatments, including diet, detox, and nutritional
supplementation and chelation. In addition, some practitioners used chiropractic.
Cranio-sacral manipulation, Chinese medicine, and various forms of energy
medicine. (For more information, including a practitioner directory, see:
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/). Apparently, it was discontinued in 2010.
due to claims that its methods were unproven and potentially harmful.
(https://www.abtaba.com/blog/now-dan-protocol).

Dr. Alan Sherr, the DAN chiropractor, is the director of the Northport
Wellness Center on Long Island, NY. Our first visit was entirely different.
experience from anything I had experienced with the old pediatricians. At our first
consultation, we were given an extensive history to fill out that asked detailed
questions about Nicholas’ health, developmental history, and family history. Dr.
Sherr was attentive, listened to me, observed Nicholas, and seemed generally concerned. It has been almost twenty years, but I remember mailing stool tests to labs, something his pediatricians never did.

The results showed that Nicholas was sensitive to gluten and dairy, as opposed
to what we had been told by his previous doctors. There are three types of
antibodies: IgE, IgM, and IgG. I made up a mnemonic device to help me.
Remember them: IgE (mediate), IgM (moderate), and IgG (gradual). I can’t
find those results, but I believe he tested positive on the IgG. The fact that the
reaction happens slowly, which is why it is more difficult to diagnose, whereas an
An immediate reaction is easier to see. We went home with a new diet as well as a
regimen of supplements.

The carbohydrate-specific diet disallows grains, so not only could he not
have milk, cheese, or yogurt, but any milk, such as rice milk, that is made from
grains. By then, we had figured out that he could eat fruit other than apples, which
had caused the vomiting. He also became willing to eat a larger variety of foods.
and so was eating green vegetables.

He was already six, and I didn’t enjoy telling him that there would be no
more Friday nights at the pizza place or ice cream and cake at parties, so I made the
chiropractor, tell him. I set out to find whatever information I could on gluten-free
diets, but it was fairly easy as this diet was becoming more common. I found a
selection of gluten-free breads, pastas, and cereals at Whole Foods and a short time
later at Trader Joe’s. At the time, the breads that were available weren’t very good yet.
as they were made with rice flour, and we found them to crumble easily, but they
improved over the next few years.

He was also put on an extensive supplement protocol that was designed to
help with nutritional deficiencies as well as conditions that had been caused by his
vaccines, antibiotics, and whatever else he had taken. They included cod liver oil,
phosphatidylserine, TravaCor (?), theanine (for sleep), zeolite (chelates heavy
metals) and homeopathic preparations. The homeopathic preparations were for
bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses, all caused by vaccines. I had to make a
cocktail every day by measuring out drops of each to mix in with juice. This
Protocol is not cheap. We saw Dr. Sherr once a month to get a new supply of
supplements, which, in 2006, cost $250 a month.

When he started the gluten-free diet that spring, I noticed that he began to be
able to stay within the lines when coloring in a coloring book. Nicholas was at the
end of kindergarten when we started the supplement regimen, and I saw a change in
his balance and coordination soon after. The first time we went to the town pool,
He dove right in and swam across the pool, as opposed to the trepidation I had seen.
in previous years. At the end of that summer, he rode a two-wheeler without
training wheels for the first time, something I had thought he would never do.
The improvements continued. At the end of first grade, he was reading on
level, whereas his reading had been at the 26th percentile in kindergarten. Also,
While in kindergarten, his speech therapist had recommended that I take him for
myofunctional therapy for his tongue thrust (open mouth posture). Not many
Therapists were doing this at the time, and I wasn’t able to find a practitioner near
us. At the end of first grade, I mentioned to his speech therapist that I would be
able to take him over the summer. She had a quizzical look on her face as she
realized that the tongue thrust was gone and even said that she had never seen it.
disappear before.

We continued with the DAN protocol for three years, during which time he
made great progress but then leveled off. I had the restrictions written into his IEP.
and both his school and sitter abided by it. Parties could still be difficult. I sent in
gluten-free animal crackers from Trader Joe’s for parties, but I’m not sure if they’re
still available. I think he felt better when he stuck to the diet and complied with it.
surprisingly well. The only complaint came from one after-school teacher who
was upset by the crumbs from his rice cakes. However, I would recommend
keeping on top of reasons for reactions, in his case, misbehavior. Before putting
this into his IEP, a teacher had given him Fruit Loops to use in math while in
kindergarten, and a mother had given him an ice pop during Field Day, which
resulted in a bad behavior note from After School.
We weren’t out of the woods yet, but those improvements and seeing him
Moving in the right direction meant everything to me. As I skimmed through
“Evidence of Harm” now: I found names that meant nothing to me back then, but
Today I recognize Lyn Redwood, Laura Bono, Dr. Andy Wakefield, and J.B. Handley.

and Dr. Boyd Haley, among others. I happened to land on a couple of pages in
Lyn Redwood’s son was vomiting and had diarrhea, and she looked around her.
unkempt house, which she hadn’t had time to clean. Of course, their pediatrician
prescribed a suppository, which made the situation worse. When they started
chelation therapy, he made small improvements; maybe his language increased to
two-word sentences instead of just one word, and she was thrilled. I get it. All
autism parents do. If only the medical community did.
We eventually found a treatment that helped with his food sensitivities.
will detail next time.

Note: David Kirby passed away last year. He will always be remembered as a true
hero in this fight against government abuse.

Jill Hardina resides in the Poconos and is an advisor to the Pennsylvania Chapter of CHD. Jill was very fortunate to be able to retire from teaching in NYC after about thirty years—two years ago, when the DOE mandated the COVID shot. She knew not to get the shot because of prior experience with vaccines. She had a reaction to the DPT booster when she was twelve; as discussed here, her son was vaccine injured, and she saw the children in her class regress after getting the Swine Flu shot in 2009. She feels that these children are our sacrificial lambs. You can contact Ms. Hardina here.