This is the third and final in a series regarding two leading proponents of GcMAF – David Noakes and Doug Jewell. In these articles we had direct quotes from Jewell and Noakes as well as some counter arguments from mothers who are autism advocates. Subsequently, this reporter received a series of emails from individuals quoted in the reports. Much of it contained accusations of what constitutes the human rights of children. The following is from David Noakes and used with permission:
“Autism seems to become a way of life for a few mothers. It is their identity – ‘I am an autistic child’s mum.’ It becomes their reason for existence. In a few cases its the martyrdom that makes them special. There are, in some countries, benefits available to an autism mum that are not available to other mums….”
“We had a meeting with the Chairwoman of Guernsey National Autism Society. We pointed out there was a good chance her three children could recover from autism. We immediately got the most savage attack in a meeting we had ever experienced. We got up to leave, but she calmed down a bit and we stayed. But she left us in no doubt that the last thing she ever wanted to see was any child cured of autism.
“To us that is an oppression of human rights – the autistic child deserves every chance to live a life just the same as every other child, and that is denied not just to her children, but to all those children of the mums in that local society.”
As in the 1950’s, it appears that Noakes represents a small faction that would like to suggest that it is the mothers who are to blame for their child’s ongoing autism. These mothers clearly don’t care enough because they are withholding treatments that could “cure” autism. They would have us believe that these women are the new refrigerator mothers of autism caring about themselves more than that of their children.
Refrigerator mother theory is a discarded theory that believed autism was caused by a lack of maternal warmth. It first written about by Leo Kanner in 1949. Current research indicates that genetic factors predominate in the cause of autism and it has nothing to do with the parents.
But still, some people are quick to blame the mothers using other arguments. Some, like Noakes, are clearly of the opinion that everything and anything should be tried by parents to cure their child.
The Various Opinions:
There are parents and organizations which continue to pursue a cure of autism. Autism Speaks is one such organisation that often comes under attack by autistics.
“Autism Speaks …dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders.”
However, there is a strong movement in which autistics and parents are advocating that autism is a natural part of being.
- The policy of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network opposes the use of behavioral programs that focus on normalization rather than teaching useful skills.
- One of the Âû the Âutistic Ûnion 10 points is the self advocacy goal of “Everything about us, with us.”
- A number of Facebook Communities have gained momentum. Parenting Autistic Children with Love & Acceptance with over 25,000 likes states for one thing “We don’t wish our children were not Autistic.”
The Facts:
- Mothers want the best for their children. They want children to be safe, happy and healthy.
- Mothers and fathers are not responsible for their children having autism.
- Autism is NOT a disease. Autism is a developmental disability that affects communication, social interaction, and sensory-motor systems.
- GcMAF is a live blood product made with both Human and Bovine blood depending on where you purchase it.
- GcMAF is unregulated and unlicensed and not proven to help Autistic people in any way.
- Consumers have been warned about illegal marketing of the substance over the internet.
But what treatments are appropriate and do parents have the say in using unproven methods?
While no one wishes to arbitrarily dismiss the claims of some who believe that GcMAF has “cured” them of cancer, the decision to take such a dangerous treatment is their prerogative. Cancer is a disease and often painful and fatal. It is not unusual for individuals to seek out alternative and questionable treatments when all other avenues have been pursued. However, using GcMAF for autism and on a child is another matter. Parents do have the legal right to make choices for those under aged, but they loose that right when it involves the endangerment of the child.
Refusing to give treatments like GcMAF to children is not only prudent but a moral obligation; not the other way around.
There’s no proven cure for autism as it’s a neurological difference. And if we are to follow the lead of autistics, then the very discussion of a cure is irrelevant. With appropriate therapies children can flourish; communication can be improved and sensory issues helped and if injurious, redirected.
Autism Daily Newscast advises that parents not to use anything not medically approved and to be safe only use medications prescribed from your doctor.
To Emma Dalmayne: You promised you would not misquote me. You broke that promise on this page when you said: “As in the 1950’s, it appears that Noakes represents a small faction that would like to suggest that it is the mothers who are to blame for their child’s ongoing autism. ” I said ” A few mothers” on this very page, and you’ve misquoted it on this very page. There is no doubt that a few mothers are determined that no one will be cured of autism. We’ve met some.
And scientific research papers state autism is a viral disease. That is our experience. Like most viral diseases, you can recover from it, and we have now done that for many children. The fact few are interested in these recoveries on this website suggests there are a few people who are determined no one will recover from autism.
Not quite so simple as asking one’s doctor. Doctors can, do, and potentially will, prescribe drugs such as risperidone for autism. This clearly, while useful to some, cannot be described as safe.
Without a doubt, cannabis is safer.
As I am better known for my calm reasonable arguments than aggression, it is a bit of a giggle giggle that David Noakes perceives my challenging him to substantiate his claims with valid scientific evidence as a ‘savage attack’. It is also somewhat ironic that he is complaining about being misquoted in an article in which he wilfully misrepresents both the motives and actions of someone else.
Mr Noakes dismisses my views as irrelevant because I am not a Dr or a Scientist. I am not sure that he has any idea what qualifications I have but I can assure him that I have a good basic understanding of the various types of scientific evidence and their value in determining the safety and efficacy of medicines . I also have a good working Knowledge of the regulations governing the health care industry.
I also have access to advice from people involved in various aspects of research in to autism. If there is one thing they all agree it is that we do not yet know what causes autism or even if autism is one condition or several. There does seem to be a strong genetic predisposition though the mechanism for this is not yet clear. There is absolutely no conclusive evidence to suggest that autism is a viral disease. There have been no full scale clinical trails in the use of GcMaf to treat autism, therefore nobody has a clue as to whether is has any efficacy . To suggest that sceptical parents like myself are oppressing our children’s rights because we want evidence and not anecdote before injecting heaven knows what into out children is quite frankly grotesque.
GcMAF is a live blood product made with both Human and Bovine blood depending on where you purchase it.
I don’t think that’s true. Products from David Noakes’ companies were originally based on human plasma, surplus to the requirements of the American Red Cross, put through a process of concentration and chromatography designed to extract proteins of the desired molecular weight. But other people claim that if you take milk or colostrum from cows (or camels in the case of Australian providers) and ferment it with the right bacteria, those bacteria transform some of the bovine milk proteins into GcMAF. Which can then be concentrated and filtered in the same way.
David wrote of a colostrum source when commenting on Part II, and has elsewhere spoken of ‘a substance that “mimics GcMAF”,’ so it would be a mistake to present GcMAF as necessarily blood-based.