Comments on: A Walk Across the Country

By: Roger

Roger — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:11:45 +0000

If you read the press release it says,in part:

“Elias suffered a severe vaccine reaction at the age of four months,and was later diagnosed with a seizure disorder and autism.”

One might conclude they are equating vaccines with autism,which is exactly what the National Autism Association promotes.See here for example:

http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/thimerosal.php

I would assume they spread the “anti-vaccine gospel” at every stop along the way.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:06:06 +0000

Jim and I have started talking about a “bike across New Jersey” trip this summer with Charlie…..

By: jypsy

jypsy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:55:35 +0000

Alex's Autistic Celebration Run, tip to tip run across PEI, was an awareness and fundraising venture *NOT* aimed at research. He runs *FOR* autism, not against it.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:39:42 +0000

Lately I have started to think, what autism fundraising is there that isn’t for “research” in certain areas, with certain goals—-fundraises like walks, rides, etc. all seem to contribute to such.

While on a walk later in the evening with Charlie, I started to get into (a highly speculative) planning mode for how Jim and Charlie could manage a cross-country bike ride—–maybe a bike ride through NJ first. They can go 12+ miles easily through a couple of towns, and more than a few people are still surprised o see Charlie pedaling off on his bike.

Yes, it would be a very different kind of “awareness.”

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:36:20 +0000

I knew the name was familiar, and when I clicked the link, I realized where it was from.
I know Jim and Charlie will be biking for a different type of awareness.

By: Emmanuel

Emmanuel — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:41:39 +0000

I was happy at first to see that the money raised through this walk will help families pay for treatment. A closer look at the article about Elias Tembenis and at the NAA website made me apprehensive about how the donations will be spent. It seems the focus is as much, if not more, on questionable treatments like chelation as on intervention like speech therapy and ABA.

the Tembenis family’s story is told in Jenny McCarthy’s “Mother Warriors” – a very bad sign. Unfortunately, they link their son’s autism and seizures to “a severe vaccine reaction”.