19 Jul 2007 - "They saved my child's life"
?They saved my child?s life?
Mother of autistic child backs doctors facing tribunal hearing over MMR link
AS a tribunal into the conduct of three Royal Free doctors at the centre of the MMR row began this week, the Belsize Park mother of an autistic child told the New Journal of her support for their work.
Doctors Andrew Wakefield, Professor John Walker Smith and Professor Simon Murch are facing a General Medical Council hearing into charges relating to their research into a possible link between the triple jab, autism and bowel disease.
But single mum Celia Forrest, a jet-setting executive before giving birth in 1993 to her son Adam ? 14 weeks early ? is one parent who is grateful for their help.
Ms Forrest, of Fellows Road, gave up her lucrative job to care for her son in their one-bedroom flat. His progress was closely monitored by staff from the Royal Free hospital, whose notes were later relied on when the MMR case came under scrutiny.
Ms Forrest said: ?Adam thrived as a premature infant. He was full of joy, bright, talking early, counting, playing number games with me at 15 months and seeking eye contact. There was no sign of autism at all at that stage.?
In March 1995, Adam was given the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) triple jab.
Ms Forrest said: ?Normally they stagger vaccinations for premature babies but with Adam they didn?t. I thought I should look into this because he?s vulnerable but I was pressurised by doctors and told I would be irresponsible because a common complication of measles was a form of pneumonia which could kill him. I had it done and that?s the worst thing I could ever have done to my child.?
Over the next few months Adam changed from being a happy boy to being totally withdrawn, she said: ?You couldn?t make eye contact with him, there was no interaction, he was in a world of his own.?
Adam also suffered for 18 months from recurring bowel problems, but she claimed doctors failed to take his complaints seriously, until she met Dr Wakefield.
She contacted Dr Wakefield after reading about him in a newsletter, which detailed a list of symptoms Adam was suffering from.
She said: ?He sent Adam down for an X-ray and found he had an obstruction in his bowel the size of a baby?s head. This was one day after a different doctor told me he was not constipated. Without those doctors Andrew would probably be dead.
?We spent months getting him to dissolve this awful matter in his bowel and we were invited to come in and look at what the underlying problem was.
?He was scheduled for a colonoscopy. The tribubal claims that they gave children colonoscopies unnecessarily. My child?s life was saved by this.?
She added: ?As far as I?m concerned they transformed Adam from a child in absolute agony, who was sick most of the time, to a child who?s well. I think Dr Wakefield knew in his heart he was inviting opposition. That makes him very brave.
?All he did was listen to the parents and the establishment were going to be very upset about this.?
Ms Forrest?s own dogged studies of medical journals have also greatly helped Adam. She noticed a pattern in children with autism who had had the triple jab ? many also had heavy metal poisoning.
So, after battling with doctors, Adam was given a chelation drug, which cleansed his blood, and led to a massive improvement in his behaviour. His IQ went from 40 to 140, although he still had behavioural problems.
She said she fears for the future of other children in Adam?s position after being once told by a leading doctor who supports the MMR jab, ?It?s OK to damage the few for the sake of the many?.
http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/071907/health071907.html
Mother of autistic child backs doctors facing tribunal hearing over MMR link
AS a tribunal into the conduct of three Royal Free doctors at the centre of the MMR row began this week, the Belsize Park mother of an autistic child told the New Journal of her support for their work.
Doctors Andrew Wakefield, Professor John Walker Smith and Professor Simon Murch are facing a General Medical Council hearing into charges relating to their research into a possible link between the triple jab, autism and bowel disease.
But single mum Celia Forrest, a jet-setting executive before giving birth in 1993 to her son Adam ? 14 weeks early ? is one parent who is grateful for their help.
Ms Forrest, of Fellows Road, gave up her lucrative job to care for her son in their one-bedroom flat. His progress was closely monitored by staff from the Royal Free hospital, whose notes were later relied on when the MMR case came under scrutiny.
Ms Forrest said: ?Adam thrived as a premature infant. He was full of joy, bright, talking early, counting, playing number games with me at 15 months and seeking eye contact. There was no sign of autism at all at that stage.?
In March 1995, Adam was given the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) triple jab.
Ms Forrest said: ?Normally they stagger vaccinations for premature babies but with Adam they didn?t. I thought I should look into this because he?s vulnerable but I was pressurised by doctors and told I would be irresponsible because a common complication of measles was a form of pneumonia which could kill him. I had it done and that?s the worst thing I could ever have done to my child.?
Over the next few months Adam changed from being a happy boy to being totally withdrawn, she said: ?You couldn?t make eye contact with him, there was no interaction, he was in a world of his own.?
Adam also suffered for 18 months from recurring bowel problems, but she claimed doctors failed to take his complaints seriously, until she met Dr Wakefield.
She contacted Dr Wakefield after reading about him in a newsletter, which detailed a list of symptoms Adam was suffering from.
She said: ?He sent Adam down for an X-ray and found he had an obstruction in his bowel the size of a baby?s head. This was one day after a different doctor told me he was not constipated. Without those doctors Andrew would probably be dead.
?We spent months getting him to dissolve this awful matter in his bowel and we were invited to come in and look at what the underlying problem was.
?He was scheduled for a colonoscopy. The tribubal claims that they gave children colonoscopies unnecessarily. My child?s life was saved by this.?
She added: ?As far as I?m concerned they transformed Adam from a child in absolute agony, who was sick most of the time, to a child who?s well. I think Dr Wakefield knew in his heart he was inviting opposition. That makes him very brave.
?All he did was listen to the parents and the establishment were going to be very upset about this.?
Ms Forrest?s own dogged studies of medical journals have also greatly helped Adam. She noticed a pattern in children with autism who had had the triple jab ? many also had heavy metal poisoning.
So, after battling with doctors, Adam was given a chelation drug, which cleansed his blood, and led to a massive improvement in his behaviour. His IQ went from 40 to 140, although he still had behavioural problems.
She said she fears for the future of other children in Adam?s position after being once told by a leading doctor who supports the MMR jab, ?It?s OK to damage the few for the sake of the many?.
http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/071907/health071907.html