Say, I should start a podcast to bitch about things that make me feel old. “But if you want to drag the doctors into it, that’s unfortunate. It’s a red-hot conflict, and you can’t help but get picked up by the mainstream press when you’re talking about the issue. (It’s also particularly rich that McCarthy is experiencing her latest burst of fame at a time when there has been yet another serious measles outbreak in the United States, one that researchers believe was fueled in part by deliberate disinformation around vaccine safety. Besides McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg, GR’s current board members also include Katie Wright, who is the daughter of Bob and Suzanne Wright, the couple who founded the influential organization Autism Speaks. Patel didn’t respond to a request for comment sent through OxyHealth.). I don't know anything about no Chun Li, Jezebel, or Mortal Kombat. THE SPIRIT OF JEZEBEL IS A PERSONALITY FLAW. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obscenity. McDonald served as Generation Rescue’s executive director for roughly 10 years, ending in October of 2018. Some of them could be unsafe. Generation Rescue was founded in the spring of 2005 by a businessman named J. Rikki Abzug is a professor of Management at the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College, and she’s studied and written about nonprofit management, best practices and ethics for years. “I don’t have any objection to giving your kids a regular multi-vitamin,” she says. I see this enough in medicine with medical supplements and useless procedures to make me sick. But sometimes we’re talking about 10 to 20 times the dose you see in a regular vitamin.”. A nonprofit should always have a clearly defined and publicly available code of conduct, she says, as well as an annual report to show their donors. Instead, organizations like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network say that ABA should focus on imparting skills that can genuinely make life easier for people with autism and developmental disabilities, like helping to cope with anxiety or sensory overload or improving social skills in children. Generation Rescue was founded in the spring of 2005 by a businessman named J. Generation Rescue also has a board of directors and numerous “angel investors,” brand partners, and “community partners.” The difference between those designations isn’t clearly delineated, either on their website or in their tax forms; however, many of the products these companies sell come in for glowing coverage by Generation Rescue in articles on their site. I actually can’t comment on the success rates, I don’t even know if they’re believable because I don’t see any data.”. Originally, Generation Rescue’s webpage claimed that vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, were giving children mercury poisoning, writing in 2005: Generation Rescue believes 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. (The word “toxin” is frequently used in an imprecise way in the world of alternative healing. As a doctor, I will never forgive Jenny McCarthy, ex-Dr. Andrew Wakefield, and people like this for disseminating such misinformation to the world and causing such a backwardness in the public scientific knowledge base. This is the lyric video for "Rescue" by Lauren Daigle. SafeMinds has also suggested that vaccines and autism are linked. (The metals are excreted in urine and feces.) (As of 2016, Wahlberg is also listed as an unpaid board member on Generation Rescue’s executive board. The medical experts and companies cited in this story who have partnered with GR in various forms were also contacted for comment. Not tomorrow. Referring to organizations like Generation Rescue, she says, “It appears as though they’re directing families away from those that are evidence-based in favor of those that are not. It’s a medically debunked and potentially very risky procedure for treating symptoms of autism. Today, Generation Rescue is known as a platform for Jenny McCarthy's autism related anti-vaccine advocacy.. Media campaign. Jezebel’s War with America reveals how the spirit of Jezebel is at work in the 21st century through sexual immorality, abortion, radical feminism and even the fascination with witchcraft and sorcery, and equips readers to defeat the spirit of Jezebel on a personal and national level. Thimerosal was taken out of most childhood vaccines by 2001 (not because it has any demonstrable negative health effects, but out of an abundance of caution by the CDC, and a desire not to give parents any reason to fear vaccinating their kids). ), McCarthy became president of Generation Rescue in 2008. The Mother of All Family Trees. By most available metrics, Generation Rescue’s footprint in the world of families affected by autism is large, as are their ambitions. That’s how we teach ethics in all organizations: If you’re not comfortable with sunlight, you need to rethink the ethics involved in what you’re doing.”. ), “They don’t necessarily encourage—nor do they discourage—some of these more evidence-based behavioral intervention,” Halladay says. A potential phone number for him appeared to be disconnected. ... darkness sweeping the earth. For Jezebel had betrayed me, but David had taught her to and it wasnt her fault. On their website, Generation Rescue claims that children who participate in their grant program show improvements, including a “43% improvement in sociability” and a “35% improvement in sensory and cognitive awareness.” But, as Halladay says, the source of those numbers, and how a percent improvement is actually measured, isn’t clear. She has a show that airs every weekday on Sirius XM. (McDonald didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in 2011, Generation Rescue hailed nasally-administered methyl B12 as something that could potentially treat symptoms of autism in autistic kids and even help with their “improvement of language.”, Candace McDonald—Generation Rescue’s immediate past executive director— lists herself as an “owner” of revitaPOP on her Facebook page. McCarthy coined the phrase “Mother Warrior”—also the title of her 2008 book—to refer to a kind of mother who fights everyone, including the medical establishment, to care for their child. For both McCarthy and the Handleys, a child with autism was a direct and permanent route to both anti-vaccine beliefs and a public role as self-appointed health advocates. She stepped down from that board, he says, when she became too busy with her own practice. It also appears that families who applied for Generation Rescue’s grant program were given supplements that included revitaPOPs. According to their 2016 tax filings, McDonald was paid her highest-ever salary, $158,000, that year along with a $51,000 bonus, what was referred to in the filings as “performance percentage” that was “contingent on the revenue of the organization.”. Over time, as Respectful Insolence demonstrates, the explanations GR provided shifted, attributing autism and other “environmental illnesses” to “heavy metals, live viruses, and bacteria,” as the site put it, a few years after its founding. In 2017, GR provided a glowing breakdown of the hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment, without mentioning the FDA says it’s unproven for treating symptoms in autistic kids, as well as potentially unsafe. ), Generation Rescue has, unsurprisingly, sold the revitaPOPs in their online store, though the page (and the entire store) was taken offline, apparently in the spring of 2017. He refers people visiting his webpage to contact Generation Rescue instead. ), But every career upswing for McCarthy is also accompanied by a reminder of her anti-vaccination beliefs, which have been the true centerpiece of her public life. Jezebel to Zorobabbel . If so, 2020 divided by 30 is about 66 generations, added to the old testament generations 42, I estimate that from Abraham to today is about 108 generations, remembering that going back to Noah, even … B. Handley and his wife Lisa, and they’ve said the organization was created as a result of their own child’s autism diagnosis. ), In 2011, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) filed a complaint against her, charging that she’d subjected a 7-year-old Chicago boy to a battery of unproven treatments, including chelation, hyperbaric oxygen chamber sessions, a hormone suppressor and, per the Chicago Tribune, “nearly three dozen vitamin, enzyme, mineral and dietary supplements.” The department’s complaint alleged she’d demonstrated an “extreme departure from rational medical judgment.”. NourishLife still sells a nutritional supplement called Speak, but has dialed down the claims about what it will do. It’s one of numerous products that has been sold at the Generation Rescue-run Autism Education Summit, and it’s credited with truly miraculous improvements in children’s health by parents who are quoted in glowing testimonials on the GR website. He’s also on Generation Rescue’s science advisory board, and he has a special connection to Dr. Usman: he was the other person sued in connection with the 7-year-old’s treatment. Those articles don’t mention that IonCleanse is a listed Generation Rescue sponsor, namely an “angel investor,” which GR says on their website is an organization that donates “at least $25,000 annually to our general fund.”. In two cases, Generation Rescue has heavily promoted products owned by past board members, at the time they served on the board: hyperbaric oxygen chambers and B12 lollipops, both of which have been presented on GR’s website as near-miraculous treatments for symptoms of autism. In a blog post she wrote in 2012, McCarthy described the kind of parent she had in mind: A Mother who hears there is no hope for her child and, instead of retreating and mourning, breaks down walls, weaves her way through Obstacles, follows her intuition even when people tell her she is crazy. Families can also apply for “grants” from Generation Rescue, which funnels them into receiving treatment—and buying more products—from handpicked naturopathic doctors and GR partner organizations. Behavioral interventions may also improve cognitive ability.”. “I do it. “They’re non-committal. But what a realistic and positive end goal is—how you define “helping” someone—is a genuine and ongoing controversy in the autism community. ... darkness sweeping the earth. according to one group for parents of autistic kids. Trust No One. (Patel was listed as a board member on the organization’s 2016 tax forms, but as of 2019 he’s no longer listed as a board member on the GR website; their most recent tax forms are not yet publicly available. Antoinette Yeboah writes: “ Women emasculating men (feminism) is a big wave. Which Made Politics Cool For a Skeptical Generation. But both the Handleys and McCarthy have also claimed that their children have functionally recovered from autism, which is a key difference between GR and most reputable autism-related organizations. After a social media outcry, the study was put back under review, and ultimately rejected, with the journal citing “severe limitations in the validity of the results.” (The study purported to show that unvaccinated kids had fewer allergies and neuro-developmental disorders, but it wasn’t remotely methodologically sound; it was, instead, an online anonymous survey completed by mothers in four states, who’d been forwarded the survey by homeschooling organizations. They’re by prescription and not over the top. The purported vaccine-autism connection also, as Handley explained to PBS in 2015, became their way of getting media attention: What you quickly realize when you’re trying to advocate for autism is the only thing that anybody wants to talk about is vaccines. A company called NourishLife was sued by the FTC in 2015 for claiming their supplements could help children with speech disorders, including those caused by autism, and that it was “clinically proven” to work. movement, created by an organization called the Autism Research Institute. I guess it's the younger generation's thing. When the music video ruled the world, it seemed like everything wanted to be one: movies, TV intros, commercials, and eventually voting PSAs. The Sparks family sued OxyHealth, alleging the company had provided inadequate information about the dangers of potential asphyxiation using their products, but a Florida court ultimately found the company not liable. Rossignol was alleged to have prescribed chelation treatments to the child over the phone, without having met him in person. GR has a habit of writing gushing blog posts about new “innovative therapies” without mentioning what, if any, scientific basis they might have. “In general, what I would say in terms of best practices is always going to be transparency,” she tells Jezebel. “There is zero scientific evidence that those with autism are more susceptible to gut parasites,” responds Alycia Halladay of the Autism Science Foundation. McDonald appears to be married to the other co-founder of revitaPOP, David Dobkin. And too often, the concept of “healing” or “reversing” autism is misleadingly held out as a realistic and widely achievable goal, one that families can reach if they simply dive headfirst into a dizzying array of regimens presented to them. Email us at tips@gizmodomedia.com, or contact us securely using SecureDrop. Let me rephrase the question. Generation Rescue Rebrands In The Politics of Autism, I look at the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. DAN! If treating the symptoms of nail-biting, dyslexia, ADHD, asthma, anxiety, depression, tinnitus, and a plethora of other disorders with a lollipop sounds far-fetched, that’s because it probably is. Instead of starting a GoFundMe, I'll simply disguise my begging as "donations" in exchange for fake producer credits and phony titles. As the science blog Left Brain Right Brain discovered in 2011, Kurtz also filed a patent application for a “methyl B12" nasal spray. Elijah accused Ahab of killing Naboth, using the words, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” (1 Kings 21:19), even though his wife, Jezebel, arranged for two other men to accomplish the evil action. B12 lollipops. (Rossignol did not respond to a request for comment sent to Rossignol Medical Group, his current practice.). Prometheus' torment by the eagle and his rescue by Heracles were popular subjects in vase paintings of the 6th to 4th centuries BC. The profit potential is huge—and so is the risk to children, some of them without the ability to communicate verbally, who could potentially be exposed to treatments that either won’t help at all or will cause them actual physical harm. Pray, pray, and pray again. I have written a book on the politics of autism policy. May they rot in hell. The organization has also recently enthused about CBD oil, another product that still hasn’t actually been evaluated as a potential treatment for autistic kids. “I would never criticize a parent,” she says. “The patient was not ill. Anna Merlan was a Senior Reporter at G/O Media until September 2019. The most eyebrow-raising is Dr. Anjum Usman, a physician based in Illinois who has been quoted as a medical expert on Generation Rescue’s website and other materials since at least 2011. DAN! Usman Singh signed a consent agreement that didn’t require her to admit fault; instead, she paid a $10,000 fine, and agreed to probation and to submit her charts for review to another physician 10 times a year. ), A 2012 study found that the IonCleanse apparently did no such thing: “Contrary to claims made for the machine, there does not appear to be any specific induction of toxic element release through the feet when running the machine according to specifications.”. Alycia Halladay of the Autism Science Foundation says the issue is potentially giving kids, be they autistic or neurotypical, an excessive dose of any one vitamin. In 2014, Usman Singh was also found by the DFPR to have failed to disclose that she had a financial interest in both the hyperbaric oxygen chamber company she used as well as the compounding pharmacy that filled her prescriptions. The Autism Science Foundation also notes that some vitamins, like Vitamin A, can be toxic when taken in high doses for a long period of time, and that children on the special casein-free diet that Generation Rescue frequently promotes have been found to have lower bone density than control groups, which could lead to osteoporosis. The biblical figure Jezebel died 3,000 years ago, but her spirit lives on today, and in fact, is at war with America and the American church. The first issue of Playboy was published in 1953 featuring Marilyn Monroe in a nude calendar shoot; it sold over 50,000 copies. Most did not reply. They’ve also, as mentioned, apparently discontinued their online store. Read the IEP 2. He’s listed elsewhere as a member of GR’s Science Advisory Board. There are studies looking at the colonies of microorganisms in the intestines, but scientists would never categorize them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at this point.”, Usman Singh hasn’t faced any further formal complaints, and her license to practice medicine is active. A self-reported survey doesn’t take the place of a real, rigorous, double-blind study.). What we can consider, instead, are the recommended best practices and generally-agreed on ethics for nonprofits. They take time and lots of effort by skilled clinicians. As previously mentioned, she also served as Generation Rescue’s executive director for 10 years, until October 2018. Soon after, McCarthy discovered Generation Rescue; Handley told PBS in 2015, “Within weeks of the sit… They have 39,000 followers on Facebook. Specifically, they have at least three times between 2014 and 2016 recommended products from a company called OxyHealth. Dr. Wakefield's study once showed a link between vaccinations and autism. This is quite frankly just as disturbing—maybe more so because the public will more likely believe a non-healthcare provider than a medical academic. Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. Nonetheless, Generation Rescue has been bullish on the foot baths, which run close to $2,000 for an at-home kit. The maker of these evidently miraculous B12 lollipops is a man named Stan Kurtz, a past president of Generation Rescue and the co-founder of a company called revitaPOP. (Jezebel asked if Generation Rescue has either of those things and could see them; it’s one of the questions that current executive director Zack Peter did not respond to.). And when one instinct, one gut feeling, one hoped-for quick fix doesn’t pan out, parents are encouraged by organizations like Generation Rescue to pin their hopes on the next new thing. Second, they’re all recommended by—and in some cases sold outright through—Generation Rescue, a charity for autistic kids and their families whose board president and most famous face is actress Jenny McCarthy. Most concur that a generation is about 30 years. (Wright is now, per her Twitter bio, also a board member with SafeMinds and the National Autism Association. In some ways, that’s their most insidious sales pitch of all. In 2016, well after all this was made public, NourishLife became a “corporate partner” with GenerationRescue. By Pam Sheppard. Chelation therapy. It will be increasingly thunderous and wreak havoc on families, the government and the church. Despite all this, GR has written about hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy for at least eight years, since 2011. The reason for that is that it’s a great media story. It’s a complementary system: a charity that directs parents to an organization that will, inevitably, direct parents back to other products, services and supplements that Generation Rescue recommends. Generation Rescue never at any point disclosed that they were recommending a product sold by a board member’s company. But the Association for Science in Autism Treatment calls hyperbaric oxygen therapy a “glaring example” of pseudoscience in autism treatment, pointing out that numerous other studies have shown mixed—at best—results for the therapy. (The father, James Coman, said through his attorney in 2014 that he had voluntarily dismissed the suit, but intended to refile it; it doesn’t appear he ever did.). And while they regularly hype a hot new thing—CBD, camel’s milk—it’s tough to imagine that parents would come away from their materials genuinely better informed about their options. During 2013, 2014 and 2015, Candyland Brands was also paid over $100,000 per year in consulting fees. Since then the organization has continued presenting slightly shifting explanations for how vaccines cause autism, as well as what to do about it. Paul taught the Galatians that witchcraft and idolatry are “works of the flesh.” A work of the flesh is simply a character flaw of the old sin nature BEFORE Christ that lingers on if … These days, Generation Rescue suggests, sells, and blogs about a dizzying range of potential autism “cures” and quick fixes: Very recently, it presented raw camel’s milk as a potential autism treatment. One of Generation Rescue’s often-cited medical experts, who’s appeared repeatedly at their conferences, is a past member of their medical advisory board, and is quoted more than once on their website, is a doctor who was placed on probation in 2011 for prescribing chelation and other questionable medical treatments to a 7-year-old child. A mother who never gives up when she keeps hitting dead ends. The more we allow prophetic ministry to develop in our lives and churches, the less place we will give to the Jezebel spirit. In response to a question from Jezebel, Singh said that Dr. Usman Singh does still prescribe hyperbaric oxygen therapy to some patients. Today, Generation Rescue is known as a platform for Jenny McCarthy's autism related anti-vaccine advocacy.. Media campaign. It is the Jezebel spirit that has seduced our present generation to commit fornication, whether sexual or political, to deny the prophets and has allowed the spirit in the mainstream, justifying it according to the mores of the times. Generation Rescue is a nonprofit organization that advocates the scientifically disproven view that autism and related disorders are primarily caused by environmental factors, particularly vaccines. She credits it with initiating the treatment for her son, who has recovered, and she’s been with us almost ever since.”. “They wouldn’t spend all this money on treatments—even ones that don’t work—if they were not trying to do the best they can for their kids.”. GR recommends a clinic in Mexico which claims to use stem cell therapies to treat autism. Know something we should know? “Science can disprove one theory and then Generation Rescue will just have another, and then that will be disproven and they’ll have another.”. (Reprinted with permission, article by Dr. Michael Brown.) (There’s no medical documentation that camel’s milk does that; there is, however, a patient report that was published in a medical journal in 2013, in which a mother claimed that she saw an “overnight improvement” in her son’s autism symptoms after she started giving him the milk.) In that world, reputable organizations can be difficult to distinguish from the ones selling snake oil, and harmless treatments appear alongside discredited or dangerous ones. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers. I think what started as naive search for a cause of autism has now been doubled down to make a profit off other people’s conditions. Toxicity is a serious issue that shouldn’t be ignored.”, Alycia Halladay, the chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, says that quick-fix treatments can be as alluring as they are misleading. Prayer binds Jezebel. Yet it’s one that GR has nonetheless repeatedly promoted, even though the American Academy of Pediatrics has said for at least 20 years that it’s unsafe and ineffective. The families could still receive occupational and speech therapy and be enrolled in ABA and also getting all these things [that Generation Rescue recommends] and seeing improvements in behavior.” But any reported improvements, she says, seem to be credited to GR products alone.