Consolidated SBS Articles

[Guest guest]

[note: information not to be publically posted]

re: shaken baby syndrome

To

Ruth Sackman

Foundation For Advancement In Cancer Therapies

POB 1242

Old Chelsea Sta.

New York, NY 10113

212-741-2790 phone

212-924-3634 fax

<mailto:factltd@...>factltd@...

Dear Ruth,

Attached please find the compiled and updated articles and general info on

Shaken Baby Syndrome. You can copy the two file attachments to a floppy

disk and give it to the lawyer you found who is considering taking the Alan

Yurko case in Florida.

The files can be opened on any platform of OS. I removed all non-essential

formatting. But you may still have to adjust word wrapping or set margins

to zero, depending on the text editor being used.

Articles and stories are arranged in sequential order separated by

" ======= " lines. This will afford you to do word searches from within one

document (easier than doing it for mult. docs).

Any section of articles may be copy, pasted, and printed out. But because

of the great size of the files, printing out all the articles just to read

them may just waste paper. So, To avoid eye strain, I suggest you format

the text to facilitate reading from the video monitor. Here's how: Once the

file is opened in whatever text editor being used, you should select all

text set the fonts to Ariel or Helvetica Bold in black, and set the

background to medium gray or cyanish green. Then set the zoom to the

maximum viewable page width and then set the font size (again by selecting

" all " ) to about 12 to 16 points---whatever you find suitable for reading

off the screen.

thanks,

Please acknowledge reciept of this email

Coalition For Informed Choice. Krasner, Director

188-34 87th Drive, #4B, Hollis, NY 11423

fax/phone: 718-479-2939, email: <mailto:gk-cfic@...>gk-cfic@...

" Protect your rights! Become an advocate and inform others "

COMPILATION OF ARTICLES ON THE INTRUSION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES BY MEDICAL

MANDATES, AND THE GROWING USE OF CRIMINAL SANCTIONS AGAINST CHILD

CAREGIVERS TO DIVERT MEDICAL RESPONSIBILTY

THIS DOCUMENT: CASES SPECIFIC TO ALAN YURKO, CONVICTED OF SHAKEN BABY

SYNDROME (SBS)

-By Krasner, CFIC

Coalition For Informed Choice. Krasner, Director

188-34 87th Drive, #4B, Hollis, NY 11423

fax/phone: 718-479-2939, email: gk-cfic@...

Text is formatted to facilitate reading from the video monitor. To avoid

eye strain, try setting the fonts to Ariel or Helvetica Bold in black, and

set the background to medium gray or cyanish green.

The articles are in sequential order to facilitate word searches, and are

separated by a " ======================= " line.

=========================================================

=========================================================

Introductory Letter From Alan Yurko:

Alan R Yurko AX13917

Washington Correctional Institution

4455 Sam Drive

Chipley

FL 32428-3501

USA

Dear Friend

Vaccines are licensed for use in healthy individuals only. My son, Alan,

was vaccinated despite several contra-indications. He was a premature baby,

weighing only 5lb 8oz at birth. My wife's pregnancy was complicated with

maternal gestational diabetes, and group B streptococcal infection (which

in itself poses a high risk of infant death). My son suffered, in his short

life, from pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and hyper-

bilirubinemia. Despite all of this, he was given a cocktail of vaccines at

eight weeks of age.

The day after he was vaccinated, my baby developed a fever and started to

fuss. Ten days later he elicited a high pitched scream. We were told to

expect this and not to worry. A couple of days later he stopped breathing.

I rushed my baby to the hospital where he died after several severe

iatrogenics took place (iatrogenic diseases are those caused by physicians).

Because we could not explain his injuries, and because I was the last adult

alone with him, I was charged with aggravated child abuse and first degree

murder. We could not afford counsel; our lawyers were public defenders.

If that wasn't enough, our four-year-old daughter was taken by the

authorities to 'protect her' from me-the accused who was in a maximum

security facility without bond. She was used by the police and authorities

to threaten and blackmail my wife to help them fabricate evidence and

testify against me. My wife adamantly refused to do this. She was charged

as an accessory to murder and our daughter was placed in extended custody.

Here, she was sexually battered and molested when her 'protectors' left her

unsupervised with two boys who had a history of deviant behaviour. My

wife's charges were dismissed after great effort and cost, and our daughter

was returned. They both fight every day to bring our family together, and

have been fighting since 1997.

More recently, we discovered that one of the vaccines given to my

son-DTAP-was from a batch of vaccines that stands as the number one ranking

in deaths, the number one ranking in non-recoveries, and the fourth ranking

in total events reported. DTAP 7H81507, which was given to my baby, was a

Hot Lot.

I am serving a life sentence in Florida without the possibility of parole.

I did not kill my son. His death was the result of the medical treatment he

received, and a fatal reaction to his childhood immunisations.

Since my conviction, I have rallied the support of an armada of scientists,

doctors, and organisations which support my innocence. Doctors and

scientists from 15 countries, including the US, have stood up to support

us; some of these are listed overleaf. We have numerous reports from

experts who, after record review, have declared my innocence. Many are up

in arms at the iatrogenic implications shown in the records.

One of the many reports, by independent scientists who have dedicated

tireless hours of research, is attached to this letter. This report, by Drs

Harold E Buttram and F Yazbak, represents nearly 2,000 hours of

review and research of the case. Several organisations have started legal

fund campaigns. The International Chiropractic Association has established

a fund which will not only help us defray the phenomenol costs of justice,

but will help others in similar straits. CHC, a veterinarian-based health

concern organisation in the United Kingdom, has also started a fund to help

us. Other organisations such as PAVE (Parents Advocating Vaccine Education)

and AVN (Australian Vaccination Network) are helping us in an effort to

raise funds.

In addition, groups and organisations involved in health freedom and

awareness are taking a stand to help us show this injustice and maybe

prevent it from happening to others. There are many other families, like

mine, who are being destroyed.

We pray that you take interest and offer any assistance you can, whether it

be financial, professional or spiritual. This is not just about one

family's injustice. It is about hundreds of families who have and will

experience such tragedy.

In earnest, Alan R Yurko

Family and Supporters

Harold E Buttram MD, FAAEM

Greg , BS

F Yazbak, MD, FAAP

, IRONI

W Dodds, DVM

Alan Scohy, MD

N Megson, MD, FAAP

Kris Gaublomme, MD

Viera Scheibner, PhD

Watt, MSc

Coulter, PhD

Toni Blake, MA, JD

R Shanklin, MD, PhD, FRSM

Warren Bruhl DC, DICCP

Dr.med. Barbara Kramer

O'Driscoll, pres. CHC

Archivides Kalokerimos, MB, BS, Ph.D

Walene , founder VACLIB

Moskowitz, MD

Meryl Dorey, pres. AVN

Horace B Gardner, MD, JD

Jillani, pres. PAVE

Diodati, MA

Edda West, pres. VRAN

Mike Godfrey, MD, FACNAM

Ingri Cassel, pres. VacLib-NIC

Carley, MD

Don Harkins, ed. IO

Jana Shiloh, MA, CCH

Colin R. Paterson, MD

Judith Coates, DI hom

Maxine McMullen, DC, FICCP

Culbert, DSc, NHF, ICHF

Molly Rangnath, ed. ICA Rev.

Marvin , MD, FAAP, FACMG

L. Mirkin, MD, FAAP, FASCP

TWO LEGAL FUNDS:

(US tax deductable)

CHC Yurko Family Fund

c/o O'Driscoll

PO Box 1

Longnor

SK17 OJD

UK

tel 01382 320467

email CODriscll@...

_______________________

Chiropractors Hero Fund

C/o Warren Bruhl, DC, DICCP

630 Vernon Avenue, Suites F & H

Glencoe, Illinois 60022

USA

tel (847) 835 4700

email Dc4kids@...

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Francine Yurko (wife of Alan)

PO Box 585965

Orlando, FL 32858-5965

800-388-8035 ext. 8470

Franswrld@...

Dr. Harold Buttram

Woodlands Healing Research Center

Family, Environmental & Preventive Medicine

5724 Clymer Rd. Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-1890 * 800-517-9545

Fax 215-529-9034 * Email: foffice@...

Web Page- http://www.woodmed.com

WEB INFO ON YURKO CASE:

Dr. Harold Buttram

hbuttram@...

www.woodmed.com/ShakenBabyAlan.htm

-------

alan@...

www.freeyurko.bizland.com

=====================================================

Shaken Baby Syndrome or Vaccine Induced Encephalitis:

The Story of Baby Alan

By Harold E. Buttram, M.D. & F. Yazbak, M.D.

Date: 05/25/2000

The shaken baby syndrome (SBS), as reviewed in the Journal of the Royal

Society of Medicine and other journals,(l-4) commonly describes a

combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal

injury (DAI) as the triad of diagnostic criteria. The basic issue to be

addressed in this review is whether or not in some instances, where a

father has been accused of causing the death of his child from the shaken

baby syndrome, the true cause of death was from a catastrophic vaccine

reaction. The present reviewers believe that the demise of Baby Alan fits

with such a vaccine reaction, and that the father was falsely accused and

convicted of the murder of his son based on a mistaken diagnosis.

By definition, the word " syndrome " refers to a group of signs and symptoms

that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality. The question

in the present instance is whether or not the criteria of SBS may have more

than one possible cause.

Vera Scheibner, Ph.D., Australian researcher, in an article reviewing the

shaken baby syndrome,(5) stated her opinion that many of the cases

attributed to this cause have actually been vaccine-related injuries or

deaths. After having reviewed the medical records of the present case, she

came to the same conclusion. She offered the following comment in support

of this opinion:

" Indeed, vaccines like pertussis are actually used to induce encephalitis

(experimental allergic encephalomyelitis) in laboratory animals.(6) This is

characterized by brain swelling and hemorrhaging of an extent similar to

that caused by mechanical injuries.(7,8)

In a bulletin from the National Vaccine Information Center, similar

instances of mistaken diagnoses were sited; that is, instances where

vaccine injuries were mistakenly diagnosed as SBS, resulting in

imprisonments.(9) One of the instances was reviewed in the article:

" Dr. Schweller, a San Diego pediatric neurologist, who testified (in

a case in which a father was accused of brain injuring his child) that the

brain damage from interior bleeding was likely triggered by the DPT shot,

stressed this in a Gannett New Service Interview: is a tendency in some

medical arenas to discount completely the history provided by the family if

you find evidence of subdural hematoma - no matter what history is

provided. Even a three-foot fall can cause fractures. It doesn't need to

come from a shaking event. I'm always leery in medicine of saying something

is always due to some factor, or that something is 100 percent. " '

In the present case it is important to point out that a vaccine reaction

was never mentioned by any witness as a possible factor in the baby Alan's

death.

Instances of shaken baby syndrome, tragically, do occur, but it is also

tragic when fathers or other family members are falsely accused and

imprisoned as the result of mistaken diagnosis, where the true cause of the

brain injuries arose from vaccines.

The present case, which the authors have carefully reviewed, will be used

as a model. Let the facts, as we understand them, speak for themselves.

The Story of Baby Alan: Baby Alan was born on September 16, 1997. Due to a

deficiency of amniotic fluid on an ultrasound test, which suggested a

possible premature rupture of the membranes, labor was induced at 35 weeks

gestation. The admitting officer did note that premature rupture of

membranes had taken place, as the indication for the induction of labor.

However, it should be stressed that the mother had not noted leakage of her

amniotic fluid, as she later recalled, only a moisture at the vaginal

outlet, which raises the possibility that the mother did have chronic or

prolonged oligohydramnios (lack or deficiency of aminiotic fluid). (More

will be said of this later.) Other conditions which placed the baby into a

high risk setting included maternal gestational diabetes, anemia, group B

Streptococcal vaginal infection, chronic maternal E coli urinary tract

infection with proteinuria, as well as nicotine and caffeine during

pregnancy by the mother.

In addition, the mother had suffered from colon problems for many years and

had been advised not to become pregnant, as this problem might predispose

her to toxemia of pregnancy. After becoming pregnant, she became sick and

remained so during her pregnancy, often to the point of dehydration, losing

from her original weight of 130 pounds down to 120 pounds at one point and

finally coming back to her original weight of 132 pounds at time of

delivery, a net weight gain of 2 pounds. She said she was too sick to take

her prenatal vitamins. When one considers that the currently recommended

weight gain for pregnancy is 25 to 30 pounds, this type of situation would

place the fetus at high risk for a wide spectrum of nutritional

deficiencies and retarded development.

It should be stressed that each one of these conditions alone would have

placed the baby in a high-risk category, so that in their totality they

placed a guarded prognosis on the baby at time of birth.

The birth weight was 5 Ibs, 8 ounces; APGAR scores were 8 and 9. However,

following birth, respiratory distress of the baby was immediately evident

(as shown on birth video) with grunting respirations with marked rib and

sternal retractions. The mother observed a persistent grayish color

following birth. At approximately 2 hours following birth an

Accu-Chek was 37; a follow-up blood glucose was 32. Arterial blood gasses

on room air revealed severe hypoxia and acidosis with pH 7.38, C02 42, pO2

43, and bicarbonate 21. The BUN of 8.0 and creatinine of 0.4, were

unusually low, probably from protein lack as a phase of malnutrition The

infant was placed in an oxyhood with 50% 02; he was started on ampicillin

and gentamycin.

The baby's 7-day hospital course was complicated by continued respiratory

distress, spending 3 days in the intensive care unit. 3 daily chest X-rays

during this time showed persistent pulmonary infiltrates. Persistantly low

serum CO2's indicated continued acidosis throughout hospitalization. Also

the baby had neonatal jaundice with a maximum bilirubin of 17.4 and a

decrease to 13.2 before discharge. Liver enzymes were elevated with an ALT

of 58 and LDH of 520.

According to the mother, symptoms of chest congestion and difficulty

breathing never did clear following discharge from the hospital, with

grunting and raspy breathing patterns, and with occasional brief periods of

apnea. Also, the baby remained grossly jaundiced for a month after

returning home, much longer than would have been expected from benign

neonatal jaundice.

Of special importance as related to the rib fractures, which will be

discussed below, on no occasion during weekly visits to the pediatric

clinic following discharge from the hospital, and one visit to a hospital

emergency room, were there any reports of external injuries or bruises, nor

of acute pain or discomfort, both of which almost certainly would have been

noticed by an examining physicians and nurses had these injuries occurred

after being taken home by the mother.

On November 11, 1997, at approximately 8 weeks age (but only 43 weeks true

gestational age), the baby was simultaneously given 6 vaccines including

DPT, Hib, OPV, and hepatitis B. Within 24 hours of the immunizations the

baby developed intermittent diarrhea, irritability, and feverishness, a

pattern which progressed into the terminal illness.

As related by the mother, about 10 or 11 days following the vaccines the

baby developed a high-pitched cry, and its skin became warmer to the touch.

Having been forewarned during the previous office visit that these things

might ensue following the vaccines, she did not become overly alarmed.

However, she also noticed an increasing lethargy and a falling off of the

baby's feeding patterns, which had been a combination of breast and formula.

This pattern continued for 3 days until the morning of November 24, when

the father was alone at home with the baby and his 4-year old sister. In

rapid succession the father observed that the baby began wheezing, then

spit up, then stopped breathing. In efforts to restart breathing the father

first lightly slapped the baby's face, then began spanking the baby's

bottom while holding him by the heels, all without success. After delays

from unsuccessful attempts to revive the baby, and from running to a

neighbor's house to borrow the neighbors car, the father then rushed the

baby to the Princeton Hospital of Orlando, where the baby was successfully

resuscitated. However, according to family estimates, the baby must have

been apneic a minimum of 20 minutes, considering the delays and the

distances, before resuscitation was accomplished. Incidentally, emergency

room records recorded 5 minutes of apnea, presumably the time between

arrival in the E.R. and resuscitation. Initial laboratory tests in the

Princeton Hospital showed anemia with a hemoglobin of 7.8, Hct 25.3, RBC's

2.61, elevated white blood count of 20,900 (with 61% lymphocytes, 26%

neutrophils, 5% bands, and 8% mononuclears), platelets 571,000, markedly

elevated liver enzymes, bilirubin 0.6, blood sugar of 337, mildly prolonged

prothrombin time (a bleeding study), and elevated split fibrin products. A

blood culture reported light growth of gram positive cocci, coagulase

negative, probably a contaminant.

It should be pointed out that the predominance of lymphocytes (61%) in the

white blood count is a hallmark of a pertussis reaction (10).

The patient was transferred to the Florida Hospital, Orlando, where he was

placed on life support. Admitting temperature was 105 degrees. A brain Ct

scan was interpreted as showing a small right subdural hematoma and one or

two sites of intraparenchymal bleeding. Chest Xray showed bilateral

pulmonary infiltrates (bilateral pneumonitis) and healing fractures of the

6th and 7th ribs on the left.. A spinal tap was not done due to the

difficulties and hazards of performing a tap while the baby was on

life-support.

Intravenous heparin was administered 3 hours post-admission and was

continued after the brain CT scan revealed intracerebral hemorrhages.

Following a hospital admission of 75 hours, the baby was pronounced dead,

being 10 weeks of age at time of death.

Post-Mortem Findings (Performed by the medical examiner for Orange and

Osceola Counties): Findings included minor contusions of both temporal

areas of the head and a small bruise of the right lower eyelid. The brain

was grossly edematous, (which may have been the precipitating factor of the

apnea preceding hospital admission). There were large, fresh subdural

hemorrhages, right and left hemispheres, predominantly right; also

hemorrhages at the base of the brain and over some areas of the spinal

cord. The brain was grossly edematous. There was a small focus of bleeding

in the right eye (bleeding absent in the left eye). In addition there were

old, healing fractures in the 5th, 6th 7th nd 10th ribs, all posterior on

the left. The lungs were mildly hemorrhagic and were congested with

scattered inflammatory cells, indicating an interstitial pneumonitis. (The

heart, liver, pancreas, small intestines, gall bladder, and spleen had been

surgically harvested before death for organ donations).

Based on these findings, it was the medical examiner's conclusion that the

baby had died from the shaken baby syndrome.

As previously mentioned, the brain CT scan done soon after hospital

admission showed only a relatively small subdural hemorrhage on the right,

none on the left. This being the case, it can be assumed that the left

subdural hemorrhage commenced following hospital admission, indicating a

non-traumatic etiology. It is possible or even probable that the

intravenous heparin, started 3 hours following hospitalization, may have

caused or contributed to the massive bleeding found at autopsy.

As another important point, the medical examiner testified during the trial

that he found no evidence of meningitis on autopsy (an important point to

keep in mind in view of subsequent testimony from another witness, who

described heavy inflammatory cell infiltration in the meninges); but while

denying the presence of meningitis, at the same time he admitted that he

had not examined the spinal fluid, nor was there any description of the

meninges in the autopsy report.

In regards to postmortem findings in the kidneys, the defense witness

pointed out during his testimony that the presence of renal lobulations and

the failure of renal tubules to detach from the renal capsules (from which

they are genetically derived) was an indication of delayed development or

" failure to thrive " of the baby.

Jury Trial:

At the subsequent jury trial, taking place from February 22 to 24, 1999,

the state attorney provided four major witnesses testifying for the state,

including the medical examiner, who had performed the autopsy, and a

neuropathologist. Against these the defense provided a single witness, a

neuropathologist. More than this, two of the state

witnesses were called for repeat testimonies following that of the defense

witness, making a total of six witness hearings for the state, one for the

defense.

It is of concern to the writers of this review that, as far as can be

determined from the court transcripts of the trial, none of the state

witnesses had sought nor studied the medical records from the neonatal

hospitalization of the baby; at least no mention was made of them.

Thereforeone must wonder if they had any awareness of the multiple

complications surrounding the neonatal period including severe

hypoglycemia, severe hypoxia, critical hyperbilirubinemia, and ongoing

respiratory distress during and following release from the hospital.

Any one of these neonatal complications (severe hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and

critical hyperbilirubinemia) may have caused brain damage, but the 3

together almost certainly did cause such damage, damage which of necessity

had a profound effect on the subsequent course of events and which must

have been the true cause for some of the post-mortem findings, rather than

the shaken baby syndrome.

The apparent unawareness of the state witnesses concerning these earlier

complications places serious question about their understanding of the case

and the sequence of events leading to the baby's death, which we believe

led to faulty conclusions. At least one of the state witnesses was

compelled to admit, under oath, that he had neither sought nor read the

newborn hospital records. Another state witness, the neuropathologist,

denied that he saw any evidence of neonatal hypoxia in his review of

postmortem findings. In our opinion, no doctor who had carefully read the

baby's previous medical records would have made such a statement, with

their overwhelming evidence that hypoxic damage could have taken place

during or following birth.

Still another area of concern is that, in not a single instance, did a

state witness mention the prolonged apnea of the baby preceding the

terminal hospital admission, or that the apnea in and of itself could have

resulted in the complications and pathologic findings later described by

the neuropathologist, including the acute degenerative changes of the brain

cells with reddish discoloration and swelling of the blood vessels. One

wonders whether or not the connection between these findings and the apneic

period ever occurred to the state witnesses, and if it did, why they did

not mention it, as clearly it was a matter of major importance in the

interpretation of the findings and the outcome of the case.

During the trial, all of the state witnesses agreed with the medical

examiner that the father was guilty of child abuse, and the baby had died

of the shaken baby syndrome. The defense witness disagreed with this

conclusion. It was his opinion that the baby had died from " natural causes. "

Although there were a number of issues raised during the trial, for the

most part, guilt or innocence of the father revolved around five major

issues: the rib fractures, the unitaleral retinal hemorrhage, the cerebral

hemorrhages, diffuse axonal (brain cell) injury, and meningitis. These as

well as other issues will be addressed in the following:

The Issue of the Birth Weight: It is well known that newborn infants of

diabetic mothers tend to be larger and plumper (macrosomia) than

nondiabetic mothers, a response to increased nutrient supply and

hypersecretion of insulin by the fetal pancreas. However, a large

retrospective review by Dr. e Rey of Montreal has also found that

infants born from mothers with gestional diabetes have higher rates of

newborns who are large-for-gestional-age, in addition to having

complications of hypoglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia;(11) (both of these

latter complications were present following birth in baby Alan). For this

reason, the recorded birth weight for Baby Alan of 5 pounds and 8 ounces

may have been falsely elevated, with an increased proportion of adipose

tissue in relation to other tissues and organs.

The Issue of Hyperbilirubinemia: The term, hyperbilirubinemia, denotes an

excess of bilirubin, a condition which is potentially neurotoxic.

Kernicterus is a neurologic sysndrome resulting from deposition of

unconjugated bilirubin in the brain. It can occur at much lower levels of

serum bilirubin in sick or premature infants than in healthy, full-term

babies. While toxic levels for healthy infants is listed at or above 25

mgs/dL in current pediatric texts, levels as low or lower than l0 mgs/dL

can cause brain damage in a sick or premature infant.(12) Other

predisposing factors to kernicterus include acidosis, hypoxia,

administration of free fatty acids (administered by nasogastric tube in the

newborn intensive care unit), salicylates (aspirin) and antibiotics (both

administered during newborn hospitalization), and pitocin (the mother's

labor was induced with pitocin).

The Issue of the Rib Fractures: At autopsy four rib fractures were found,

all on the posterior left. All witnesses agreed that these fractures were

old, as indicated by callus formation.

The state witnesses tried to suggest that, as one callus was larger than

another, this was an indication that the rib fractures had occurred at

different times, thus indicating a pattern of child abuse.

There are several considerations that strongly mitigate against this

interpretation. First, neither the mother, grandparents nor baby-sitter

noted any bruising or indication of damage surrounding the ribs following

discharge from neonatal hospitalization, nor were there

any indications of injury found during weekly outpatient visits to the

pediatrician. Next, different sizes of callus might just as well have

indicated a difference in severity of the injuries rather a difference in

time of occurrence. In addition, strong evidence weighing against child

abuse is found in the Journal of Trauma, (1990) in an article entitled,

" rib fractures in children: a marker of severe trauma.(13) The article

reviewed a study of 2,080 children seen at a pediatric trauma center in

1985-1988. Among 33 of these children, who were found to have multiple rib

fractures, these injuries were accompanied by severe internal thoracic

injuries in 85% of the cases. Evidence of such injuries were notably absent

in the present case, before death and at autopsy.

It was the suggestion of the defense witness that the rib fractures took

place during labor, prior to birth. This hypothesis would tend to be

supported by the work of Marvin , M.D., with the Children's Medical

Center, Dayton, Ohio, who reviewed 26 cases of infants with multiple

unexplained fractures that fit the criteria of a recently described

condition, the temporary brittle bone disease (TBBD).(14,15) The results of

this study showed a striking association between TBBD and decreased fetal

movement during pregnancy, something observed by the mother of Baby Alan

during her pregnancy.

As an interesting sidelight, the medical examiner testified during the

court trial that a " bone had broken while handling " during the autopsy.

This would tend to corroborate the assumption that the bones were extremely

fragile and prone to spontaneous fractures.

There is also a possible and plausible role of advanced vitamin C

deficiency in predisposing to rib the fractures, which will be discussed

further on in a section dealing with scurvy.

The Issue of Chronic Oligohydramnios: Perhaps the strongest argument that

the rib fractures took place either during the pregnancy and/or the

mechanical stresses of labor is based on the probability that the mother

had chronic oligohydramnios (deficiency of amniotic fluid) as a result of

the multiple complications of her pregnancy. The reduced amniotic fluid, in

turn, would have constricted fetal movements (the mother did note a lack of

fetal movement during pregnancy), this in turn leading to " temporary

brittle bone disease " discussed above. 's Textbook of Pediatrics has

this to say about oligohydramnios:

" Oligohydramnios is associated with congenital anomalies, intrauterine

growth retardation, and severe renal anomalies. . . This becomes most

evident after 20 wk gestation, when fetal urination is the major source of

amniotic fluid. . . The most serious complication of chronic

oligohydramnios is pulmonary hypoplasia. . .(16)

In other words, the presence of chronic oligohydramnios would have

explained the complications that followed birth including the rib

fractures, the retarded development of the kidneys found on autopsy slides,

(to be described later) and the pulmonary hypoplasia. In regards to the

pulmonary hypoplasia, a video of the birth scene vividly displayed marked

retraction of the ribs and sternum on the baby's first cries, a finding

virtually diagnostic of the reduced lung capacity, which is characteristic

of hypoplastic lungs. (With reduced lung capacity, and the lungs unable to

fill the chest cavity, the chest wall would necessarily be sucked in as the

diaphragm contracts during inspirations). It should be remembered that the

admitting physician for the mother's maternity hospitalization was under

the impression that there had been premature rupture of the membranes, as

an indication for inducing labor. However, birth records recorded that

membranes ruptured 9 minutes before birth which would tend to rule out

premature rupture.

It is true that an ultrasound on August 22, 1997, 4 and 1/2 weeks before

delivery, reported normal level of amniotic fluid (15 cm). However, given

the fact that, following 20 weeks gestation, fetal urination becomes the

major source of amniotic fluid, it is highly probable that the mother did

have chronic oligohydramnios throughout much of her pregnancy because of

the finding on post-mortem slides that the kidneys showed definite markers

of " failure to thrive, " or retarded development (see below), and because of

the constant sickness of the mother during her pregnancy with a total lack

of weight gain, malnutrition, dehydration, and gestational diabetes. With

the combination of these conditions, it is doubtful that the fetal kidneys

would have been able to maintain a normal volume of amniotic fluid

throughout the latter portion of pregnancy.

Issue of the Cerebral Hemorrhages:

The defense witness held steadfastly to the view that the cerebral

hemorrhages were not the result of trauma but were due to a combination of

insults to the blood vessels, including the prolonged period of apnea

preceding the terminal hospital admission, the presence of brain edema

noted at autopsy, and the presence of advanced and extensive meningitis

(described below), both of which would result in swelling of the blood

vessels with increased friability and fragility, making them prone to

spontaneous bleeding.

The hemorrhages described by the defense witness were all fresh, in his

estimation taking place hours or at most within 24 hours of death, as

indicated by a lack of inflammatory cell infiltration in and around the

hemorrhages and by the freshness in the appearance of the red blood cells.

This would necessarily place the timing of these hemorrhages to have taken

place following hospitalization. A possible or probable contributory

factor to fresh hemorrhages following admission was the administration of

the blood thinner, heparin, as previously reviewed.

Both state witnesses, in contrast (the medical examiner and the

neuro-pathologist consultant), attributed the bleeding to trauma. The

former estimated that the bleeding was 2 to 3 days old, the latter 2 to 5

days. Although both attributed the initial bleeding to trauma before

hospital admission, these figures imply an admission of the possibility

that the major hemorrhages could have started following the terminal

hospital admission.

As previously mentioned, neither state witness mentioned the possible role

of the apneic episode preceding hospitalization and the role it could have

played in the pathologic findings, as did the defense witness.

The Issue of Meningitis:

During his testimony the defense witness described in some detail his

finding of extensive meningeal membrane infiltrations with inflammatory

cells, which he felt represented meningitis, possibly viral in origin. Due

to the degenerative appearances of the nerve cells, he said that it was

necessarily an old process, perhaps weeks in duration, certainly present

before the final hospital admission.

The medical examiner, during his court testimony as a state witness, denied

any findings indicating meningitis. However, as previously pointed out, he

admitted that he had not examined the spinal fluid, nor was there any

description of the meninges in his pathological report.

The neuro-pathologist consultant, the second state witness, when asked

about the presence of meningitis, replied that there are three possible

types: (1) bacterial, or purulent, which was clearly not present in the

baby, (2) viral, in the form of aseptic meningitis, and (3) homogenic, the

result of meningeal irritation from the hemorrhages. This witness stated

that, in his opinion, meningeal inflammation in the present case was the

result of the latter. However, from his own statement, that " we don't see

homogenic meningitis for 3 or 4 days following hemorrhage, " he tended to

contradict his claim that the meningeal inflammation was homogenic, or from

blood irritation. As we understand his statements, he agreed that most of

the hemorrhages found at autopsy were fresh, too fresh to result in

inflammatory reactions. Also, the subdural and ependymal bleeds noted on

the brain Ct scan when first admitted to the hospital were small and

limited, presumably too small to cause extensive reactions. There were also

suggestions of small intraparenchymal bleeds on the CT scan.

Once again, neither defense nor state witnesses mentioned the possibility

that these same findings could represent a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis.

The Issue of Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI):

One of the pivotal issues in the case was the timing of the brain cell

damage described by both the defense witness and the state witnesses, the

former contending that the damage was old, almost certainly taking place

during the neonatal period, the latter insisting that it was due to shaken

baby syndrome.

For background information, early descriptions of diffuse traumatic white

matter damage (DAI) suggested that the responsible mechanism for injury was

a shearing of nerve fibers at time of injury followed by swelling of the

nerve axons and later by varying degrees of nerve cell death, with most of

the injuries taking place in the mid and hind-brain areas and upper

cervical spinal cord.(17-19) However, recent reviews of the subject have

stressed that pathologic findings from traumatic axonal injury may be

indistinguishable from those brought about by hypoxic events.(20,21)

Quoting from a conclusion from the article by Kaur and Rutty: " Axonal

bulbs... may occur in the presence of hypoxia and in the absence of head

injury. The role of hypoxia, raised intracranial pressure, oedema, shift

effects, and ventilatory support in the formation of axonal bulbs is

discussed. The presence of axonal bulbs cannot necessarily be attributed

to shearing forces alone. " (20)(Emphasis ours) The article by J.F. Geddes

says much the same thing, as indicated by the following quotation:

" Because of potential confusion with hypoxic axonal injury, we suggest that

DAI is never used as a neuropathological diagnosis in medicolegal cases,

without the aetiology of the damage being made clear. On occasion it may

be impossible to be certain of the cause of axonal damge... " (21)(Emphasis

ours)

As previously reviewed, under direct questioning during the trial, one of

the state witnesses testified that he found no evidence of neonatal hypoxia

on the pathology slides. In the view of the writers of this article, it is

extremely unlikely that he would have made such an unqualified statement

had he been aware of events surrounding the neonatal period, during which

there was a combination of hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and critical

hyperbilirubinemia, the combination of which almost certainly would have

caused brain damage.

The defense witness, in contrast, described extensive old nerve damage in

areas of the brain and in a slide of the spinal cord. In the slide of the

spinal cord, in addition to the nerve damage, he identified the presence of

extensive revascularization (formation of new blood vessels). Since the

revascularization would necessarily have been a slow process, this

necessitated the conclusion that the process was old, probably taking place

during labor and/or the neonatal period.

The Issue of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC): It should be

pointed out that the supposed presence of acute DIC, allegedly brought

about by the shaking of the infant by the father immediately preceding the

terminal hospital admission, was one of the cornerstones of the case of the

prosecuting attorney brought against the father, as testified by one of the

state witnesses, the neuropathologist. According to the laboratory

parameters for acute DIC outlined in a review by Cunningham in July of

1999,(22) one of the prime requirements for the diagnosis of acute DIC is

that of a reduced platelet count. There is no equivocation on this in the

Cunnihgham article. Far from being reduced, baby Alan's platelet count was

markedly elevated at 571,000 on the terminal hospitalization, which would

be more compatible with the timing of a vaccine-induced injury, taking

place a number of days before hospital admission:(23)

Defense Witness's Summation:

In the defense witness's conclusion that the baby had died from natural

causes, he based this conclusion on several findings:

The baby was admitted to the hospital during its terminal illness with two

advanced and long-standing conditions: bilateral pneumonia and meningitis.

According to his words, either one might have been fatal, but both

together would in certainty have caused death.

The brain hemorrhages were in all probability spontaneous, due to the

combination of meningitis and a prolonged period of apnea preceding the

terminal hospitalization, as described above.

The baby had several features of " failure to thrive, " including immaturity

of the kidneys (renal lobulations, persistent attachment of renal tubules

to the renal capsule), and a failure in real weight gain. He hypothesized

that this may have been due to prolonged pneumonia and also a neonatal

hypoxic event, as indicated by extensive nerve degeneration in the spinal

column with extensive revascularization, the latter necessarily reflecting

an old process and placing the timing around birth. (We now know that

almost certainly such an event did take place around the neonatal period

from a combination of severe hypoxia, severe hypoglycemia, and

hyperbilirubinemia). Also, the defense witness's contention that there was

brain/spinal injury near or at birth tends to be supported by the presence

of nucleated red blood cells reported on blood counts for 3 days following

birth(24) and elevated liver enzymes.(25)

Trial Conclusion:

In spite of a brilliant presentation by the defense witness, in our opinion

correct in every particular from birth to death of the baby, the jury found

the defendant guilty of murder. As for the reasons for this verdict, the

descriptions by the defense witness were highly technical, and the jury may

have understood little of it. Also, the defense witness had only one

appearance before the jury, while the state witnesses had a total of six.

In this case it would appear that numbers did count.

Since the defendant had refused to plea-bargain, maintaining his innocence,

the laws mandated a life sentence, and the court had no choice but to

impose this sentence. In our view, the refusal of the father to

plea-bargain for a lesser sentence was a courageous act, one which would

have been made only by a person conscious of his own innocence.

Review and Discussion:

Very clearly, the infant remained seriously ill following discharge from

the hospital following his newborn period. Three serial chest X-rays in the

hospital showed persistent pulmonary infiltrates, which were again found at

postmortem examination, indicating a persistent, bilateral pneumonia, which

had been present since birth. In addition, there were indications of brain

damage from neonatal hypoxia and of failure to thrive, as pointed out and

described by the defense witness. The baby was

born prematurely. Not to be dismissed were the mother's observations that

the baby's chest congestion never did clear after being taken home from the

hospital.

Under these and other severely compromised conditions the baby was

administered a total of 6 vaccines, including the DPT, Hib, OPV, and

hepatitis B. at approximately 8 weeks of life. A serious, possibly

catastrophic reaction to the vaccines would have been predictable under

these circumstances. Almost certainly a medical consensus would agree that

vaccinations would have been contraindicated and should not have been

given. In this regards, The Physicians ' Desk Reference provides warnings

or precautions for all of these vaccines to inquire into the health of the

recipient before their administration. For the DPT there is a warning that

immunizations should be deferred during an acute infection, the clear

implication being that there are heightened risks of reactions in the

presence of infection or serious illness. Prematurity has also been listed

as a contraindication to vaccines in early infancy.(26)

Rationale that Baby Alan's Death was Vaccine-Related:

There are two possible mechanisms, either separately or in combination, by

which the vaccines could have initiated a train of events culminating in

death. The first would have been that of an " immune paralysis " from the

vaccines, which could have resulted in a fulminating spread of the lung

infections (pneumonia) to other parts of the body, including the brain. As

the inflammatory cells were described to the court as lymphocytes, this

would of necessity have been a viral infection, not bacterial.

The second mechanism would have been a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis,

of which the pertussis, hepatitis B. and Hemophilus influenza bacillus

vaccines would have been prime suspects, either individually or in

combination. This requires an acceptance of the validity of the 10 or 11

day latent period in the present case, the time period between the vaccines

and the onset of signs of encephalitis and/or meningitis. It is freely

admitted that this flies in the face of the 3 to 7 day limitations

(depending on the vaccine), imposed by current guidelines of the

Congressional Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, whereby symptoms of

encephalitis must occur within these time periods for the vaccines to be

recognized as a cause of the encephalitis. However, based on recent medical

literature, some of which will be reviewed here, there are grounds for

believing that these time limitations are outdated and unrealistic. It

should also be noted that minor symptoms did appear the day following

immunizations as noted by the parents and grandparents, including

feverishness, irritability, and diarrhea as well as feeding problems.

However, there is one piece of information which outweighs all others and

which carries the vaccine issue to a level of virtual certainty; that is,

that the vaccines did cause the death of baby Alan. Not discovered until

December, 2000 because of careless and incorrect nurse's notes in recording

the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, as " DTP " rather than " DTaP, "

(acellular), the latter being the vaccine that was actually given to the

baby, as confirmed by the doctor's order sheet and also the mother's

vaccine records. Further investigation has revealed that this vaccine

(Connaught Labs, DTaP 7H81507) belongs to the " hottest " lot on record,

according to VAERS files, ranking highest in infant deaths among more the

800 vaccine lots.

" Immune Paralysis " from Vaccines, a Possible Role in Spread of Infection:

There is a small but firm body of medical literature that vaccines can

bring about a form of immune paralysis, opening the way for invasion by

micro-organisms which the body may be harboring, micro-organisms which

otherwise might remain relatively harmless. One of the most intriguing of

these was reported from Germany in 1986 in a little noted

Letterto-the-Editor to the New England Journal of Medicine.(27) In the

study, a significant though temporary drop of T-helper lymphocytes was

reported in 11 healthy adults following routine tetanus vaccinations.

Special concern rests in the fact that, among 4 of the subjects, the

T-helper lymphocytes dropped to levels seen in active AIDS patients.

Parenthetically, if such results ensued from a single vaccine in healthy

adults, it is frightening and sobering to think of the possible

consequences of the multiple vaccines given to this vulnerable infant.

Although this study has never been repeated (as far as we are aware) a new

text by Teddy H. Spence(28) provides 20 references of studies or case

reports showing immune suppression following various vaccines, four of

which are cited here.(29-32)

Historically, one of the earliest reports of spread of disease following

vaccines is found in an older book, The Hazards of Immunization, by Sir

Graham .(33) Although not necessarily opposed to vaccines, the author

did give an extensive review of the potential side effects from the

vaccines, including a chapter entitled, " Provocation Disease, " in which he

described certain complications, including paralysis from poliomyelitis in

an arm into which vaccines had been given. Significantly, this was noted

most frequently following the DPT vaccine.(34) In more recent times, a

similar phenomenon was observed in Oman during a polio epidemic, in which

it was found that a significantly higher proportion of the polio cases had

received the DPT vaccine within 30 days before paralysis than did

controls.(35)

It is known that the baby had a smoldering bilateral pneumonia at time of

the vaccines, as well as failure to thrive. The defense witness, we believe

correctly, testified that the baby had had neurologic damage from neonatal

hypoxia. The immunological suppression from multiple vaccines into a highly

vulnerable infant might well have resulted in a fulminating spread of the

lung infection to other parts of the body, including the brain.

Vaccines as a Potential Source for Cerebral Hemorrhage, Autoimmunity, and

Vasculopathies:

In a collection of abstracts from Med-line research from 1990 to October,

1997, on adverse reactions from the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, Dr.

Valeri of Italy catalogued a total of 45 different types of

reactions in the world literature.(36) Among these were necrotizing

vasculitis,(37) vaccine induced autoimmunity,(38) and segmentary occlusion

of the central retinal vein.(39) In a report of 18 deaths of neonates

following the hepatitis B vaccine by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting

System, 1991-1998, hemorrhagic phenomena were common including 2 with

cerebral hemorrhages, 4 with pulmonary bleeding, 1 with bloody diarrhea,

and several with blood in upper airway passages.(40) A report in

PostGraduate Medicine in 1973 on acute hemorrhagic encephalitis cites

vaccines as one of the possible causes.(41)

As early as 1975 Urbaschek described the role of bacterial endotoxin (in

this instance the pertussis endotoxin) in bleeding and coagulation

disorders.(42) More recently McCuskey et al described the initial responses

to endotoxemia as microvascular inflammation with activation of endothelium

from its normal anticoagulation state to a procoagulation state.(43)

However, in this instance blood coagulation tests may have been skewed by

the administration of heparin soon after hospital admission.

In a study devised to provide an animal model for the systemic and

neurological complications observed following the pertussis vaccine in

children, Steinman and coworkers discovered a lethal shock-like syndrome in

mice after immunization with B pertussis vaccine and sensitization to

bovine serum albumin. Post-mortem examination of the brains revealed

diffuse vascular congestion and hemorrhages in both cortex and white

matter. (emphasis ours)(44)

In the case of Baby Alan, the encephalomyelopathy could have predisposed to

hemorrhagic consequences due to (1) increased friability of the blood

vessels, (2) brain edema with resultant shearing effects, and (3) slight

but possibly significant prolongation of prothrombin time. Of passing

interest, as related to retinal hemorrhages, was a study of 20 children

resuscitated following events other than trauma such as near drowning,

asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and other causes in which it was

found that 2 children (10%) were found to have retinal

hemorrhages.(45)Thus, there are exceptions to the current belief that SBS

is the sole cause of retinal hemorrhages.

A New Syndrome Emerging from Tragedy?:

As yet based largely on observation and a limited but suggestive body of

medical literature, in many cases thought to represent SBS it appears that

we may be witnessing the adverse effects from interactions of highly potent

vaccines given in combination, which potentially include: Hepatitis B

(hemorrhagic vasculopathies, autoimmune reactions, neuropathies),

Hemophilus influenza (Hib) (hypersensitization), tetanus

(hypersensitization), and pertussis (hypersensitization, brain edema, and

hypercoagulability with vascular inflammation from endotoxin). A study by

Terpstra found the Hib vaccine to exceed even the pertussis vaccine in the

latter's sensitizing potencies.(46) Usually within a period of 12 days

these interactions bring about a combination of brain edema,

hypercoagulability of the blood, and inflammation of blood vessels, these

in turn resulting in a shearing effect on subdural blood vessels and

subdural hematomas, thus mimicking what is now thought to represent the SBS.

If this does in time prove to be a newly recognized syndrome, then it

should have a name. In our opinion, none could be more fitting than the

" Yurko Syndrome, " in honor of baby Alan Joe Yurko.

Vaccines, Scurvy, and Hemorrhagic Diatheses:

In the 1970's a major contribution was made to medicine by the Australian,

Archivides Kalokerinos, M.D. in his work among the Australian aborigines.

After working a number of years among these people, Dr. Kalokerinos became

appalled by the very high infant mortality rate, in some areas approaching

50%. Having observed cases of scurvy among the children, who were living on

very poor diets of processed foods; and noting that infants frequently died

following immunizations, especially if they had colds, he intuitively made

a connection between vitamin C deficiency and deaths following vaccines.

After improving nutrition and adding regular vitamin C supplementation,

infant mortality was virtually abolished.(47,48) As a result of this work

he was awarded the Australian Medal of Merit in 1978.

One of the primary roles of vitamin C being the production and maintenance

of connective tissues in the body, Dr. Kalokerinos hypothesized that, in

infants nutritionally deficient of vitamin C, with viral infections further

depleting their limited reserves, the administration of the pertussis

vaccine would often throw the children into fulminating scurvy with its

hemorrhagic complications, with vitamin C being consumed at enormous rates

in neutralizing the pertussis toxin.

In the present case, we have earlier reviewed the stormy course of the

mother's pregnancy, with a total lack of weight gain from beginning to end

of the pregnancy. This consideration, together with the fact that she was

unable to take her vitamins, almost certainly would have resulted in gross

nutrient deficiencies in the baby, especially vitamin C, resulting in

heightened vulnerability to the vaccines. It could also have played a role

in the rib fractures. Vitamin C deficiency may have contributed to

inadequate connective tissue formation in the bones before birth, making

them susceptible to " green stick " fractures during the stresses of the

birth process. As well, vitamin C deficiencies are linked to anemic

conditions.

In his writings, Dr. Kalokerinos referred to a case with which he was

involved,(49) a case with uncanny similarity to that of Baby Alan including

rib fractures, retinal and subdural hemorrhages. In referring to the case,

Dr. Kalokerinos quoted from a text dealing with scurvy,(50) which described

fractures at the costochondral junction, including those of the ribs to the

spine. In his words: " Scurvy disrupts these areas (constochondral

junctions), the bone breaks down and the ribs may 'override,' forming in

typical cases 'beads.' Then healing commences with new bone formation

looking just like true healing fractures. Furthermore, not all the ribs may

be involved in this process and the changes will not all occur at the same

time - giving the impression of multiple fractures of different ages.

Having heard about the case of Baby Alan and doing a review of the records,

Dr. Kalokerinos offered to testify in the father's behalf, believing with a

virtual certainty that the baby's death was vaccine related.

The Controversy of the Latent Period following Immunizations:

As previously reviewed, there was a latent period of 10 or 11 days in Baby

Alan between administration of the vaccines and the onset of signs of

encephalitis and/or meningitis. Not to be discounted, though, were the

minor reactions noted within 24 hours of vaccines, as previously mentioned.

If we think in terms of a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis, most of the

earlier literature deals with the pertussis vaccine. Flexner (1930) noted a

strong tendency for the nervous system manifestations to declare themselves

between the 10th to 13th days.(51) In a review of 108 cases recorded before

1929 by Gorter (1933), the onset of encephalitis as " strikingly constant, "

usually observed between the 10th and 12th days following vaccination,

commonly with a febrile period on the 7th and 8th days, followed by

recovery until onset of encephalitis.(52) In 1929 an editorial in the

Journal of the American Medical Association reported on an increase in

severe neurological complications following infections and inoculations,

occurring on about the 11th day after vaccination.(53) Over 50 years later

Munoz (1984), in a mice study of experimental encephalomyelitis elicited by

injection of pertussigen, found the same latent period of 11 to 13 days.(54)

In contrast, literature since the 1970's has reported an entirely different

pattern, with the onset of encephalopathy largely falling within a 3 day

period following vaccines.(55-57) We can only speculate as to this changing

pattern. Perhaps it could be attributed to the fact that, in those early

years, children were given only the DPT vaccine or at most DPT with the

oral polio vaccine, whereas in more recent years they have been receiving

the hepatitis B and Hib vaccines in addition. As previously reviewed, the

hepatitis B has been implicated in hemorrhagic diatheses, autoimmune

disorders and other complications; the Hib has been shown to have unusually

high hypersensitizing qualities.

In the text, Vaccinations and Behavior Disorders, by Greg

(publication pending), the author made the following comment in regards to

the latent period:(58)

" Today the latent period is rarely mentioned in connection with

neurological complications of immunization. . . Contemporary studies on the

pertussis vaccine select an arbitrary time limit in which reactions have to

occur to be considered as vaccine related. This time limit is usually from

3 to 7 days.

Perhaps the only study which explores the dynamics of post DPT reactions is

an independent Australian study by Karlsson and Scheibner which, with a

monitor which followed breathing volumes, found particular times of

stress-induced breathing following DPT injections: "

'Of special importance (for stress) are days 2, 5, 6, and 8, 11, 13-16 and

18-21. (Scheibner, 1991).(59)

Dr. Scheibner's findings do have some support in two studies which showed a

fairly high incidence of cardiorespiratory complications in premature

infants following vaccinations.(60,61) Unfortunately, these studies were of

limited duration (48 hours in one instance).

Another study throwing light on the latent period is one coming from Japan,

from which it was found that increased histamine sensitivity in mice,

brought about by the pertussis vaccine, showed two peaks, one on the 4th

day following vaccination, and a second on the 12th day.(62)

In describing the mechanism of these cardiac and respiratory failures,

Reisinger stated that the platelet injury by endotoxin may result in a

dramatic rise in serotonin, which can initiate coronary chemoreflex causing

bradycardia, hypotension and cardiac collapse.(63) Reisinger also commented

that the hemorrhagic complications from the " black plague " of the Middle

Ages were simply due to an unusually virulent form of endotoxemia from

Pasteurella pestis, a property common to all disease-causing bacteria.(64)

In order to provide an overview of the latent period issue, there are two

basic classes of immune systems, the immoral or antibody producing system,

which tends to produce immediate-type reactions, and cellular immunity, in

which reactions are delayed. Either class is capable of producing

autoimmunity.(65) Obviously, the usual 3 or 7 day limitation, which now

stands as a medical-legal standard, excludes a recognition of the

delayed-type autoimmune reactions and, by inference, even denies their

existence. In an article by Cohen and Shoenfeld,(66) one dealing with

questions of vaccine-induced autoimmunity, the authors pointed out that it

is a subject about which relatively little is known, due to the

comparatively little attention it has received in clinical and laboratory

studies. In point of fact a more recent review on this subject cites a

temporal relationship of 2 to 3 months between vaccines and autoimmune

reactions.(67)

For this reason it is reasonable to assume that this is an area where large

numbers of adverse vaccine reactions may be taking place, unrecognized and

unreported because of this lack of study.

As a final comment about the latent period, in a letter to the British

Medical Journal, Rosemary Fox, secretary of Parents of Vaccine Damaged

Children, made the following comments:(68)

" Two years ago we started to collect details from parents of serious

reactions suffered by their children to immunizations of all kinds. In 65%

of the cases referred to us, reactions followed the triple vaccine

(diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus). The children in this group total 182 to

date; all are severely brain damaged, some are also paralyzed, and 5 have

died. Approximately 60% of reactions. . . occurred within 24 hours of

vaccination, 80% within 3 days, and all within 12 days. "

It is of importance to point out that a significant number (20%) of

reactions in this series did occur beyond the 3-day limit, which now serves

as the medical-legal standard for identification of pertussis-vaccine

reactions.

Lymphocytosis and Brain Edema following Immunization: Bringing back to mind

the imflammatory cell (lymphocytic) infiltrations in the retinal and

meningeal membranes in the present case, as described by the defense

witness, it is of interest to review the literature on this subject.

Greg pointed out that that around the turn of the 20th century it

was first noted that a marked leukocytosis and lymphocytosis occurred in

the blood of children with pertussis, which has been a marker for the

disease ever since. Cherry pointed out that the biologically active

component in pertussis is known as the " lymphocytosis promoting

factor. " (69) Perhaps the most telling report concerning the present case is

the previously reported case by Munoz,(70) in which an experimental

encephalomyelitis was elicited in mice by the injection of pertussigen, a

derivative of Bordetella pertussis, along with mouse spinal cord extract,

from which there were histological findings of perivascular infiltrates,

consisting largely of lymphocytes in the brain and spinal cord, findings

reminiscent of the present case of Baby Alan.

Although Munoz mentioned nothing about the presence or absence of brain

edema, the study of Iwasa stressed the finding of brain edema as a feature

of pertussis-induced encephalopathy.(71) It is of interest to point out

that there are human reports which support this finding: of infants which

developed increased intracranial pressure with bulging fontanelles

following DPT immunizations.(72-74)

With this information as a background, there is a basis for assuming the

likelihood that the meningitis described from the pathological slides, with

heavy infiltration of lymphcytes as well as brain edema, represents a

vaccine-induced process.

Allergic Sensitization Brought about by Vaccines: The increasing incidence

of allergic disorders in western nations is now universally recognized,

with every third child in industrialized societies having an allergic

disorder.(75) Since this trend coincides with vaccine programs, reports are

now appearing which address the question of a possible relation between

vaccines and increasing allergies. Among these are four controlled studies,

from widely separated geographic areas, showing a marked increase in

allergic disorders among fully immunized children as compared to those with

limited or no vaccines.(76-79) Further indications of the propensities of

vaccines, especially pertussis, to induce hypersensitivity reactions and/or

encephalitis are to be found in laboratory studies, the natures of which

are indicated by their titles:

" Pertussis adjuvant prolongs intestinal hypersensitivity.(80)

" Anaphylaxis or so-called encephalopathy in mice sensitized to an antigen

with the aid of

pertussigen (pertussis toxin).(81)

" Immunoglobulin E and G responses to pertussis toxin after booster

immunization in

relation to atopy, local reactions and aluminum content in the vaccines.(82)

" Comparison of vaccination of mice and rats with Haemophilus influenzas and

Bordetella pertussis as models of atopy.(83)

" Sensitization to thimerosal in atopic children.(84)

Regarding the Hemophilus influenza vaccine, possibly a result of its

unusually high sensitization potential (85), it has been found that most

children and adults experience a temporary decrease in the antibody to the

capsule of the Hemophilus influenza bacillus following Hib vaccination.

The authors cautioned that this decrease might transiently increase the

risk of invasive disease if it happened during an asymptomatic colonization

with H influenza type b.

Finally, in a 1991 report by the National Institute of Medicine, the

committee did find evidence of a causal relation between the DPT vaccine

and anaphylaxis, a potentially lifethreatening allergic reaction.(86)

Intriguing Studies in the Older Medical Literature: Among other reasons, we

must be thankful to Greg and his previously mentioned book for

bringing to light some of the older studies on vaccine reactions, studies

now largely forgotten.

As previously reviewed, studies of Flexner and Gorter reviewed the more

prolonged latent periods between pertussis vaccine and onset of

encephalitis observed in earlier decades than those reported in more recent

times. Concerned reports by Byers and Moll(87) in 1948 and Toomey (88) in

1949 showed no reluctance to report on adverse reactions they observed from

the pertussis vaccine, and to advise searches for greater safety in its use.

Of all the earlier reports, perhaps none is more intriguing than that of

Low (Chicago, 1955), who reported a study in which he performed

electroencephalograms on 83 children before and after pertussis

vaccinations.(89) In 2 of these children the encephalograms turned abnormal

following the vaccines without signs or symptoms of abnormal reactions.

From these he concluded, " This study shows that mild but possibly

significant cerebral reactions occur in addition to the reported very

severe neurological changes. "

The implications of this study are enormous. At a time when myriads of our

children are suffering from minimal brain dysfunction or related disorders,

it is possible that unrecognized vaccine reactions may be occurring on a

large scale and may be contributing to this pool of unfortunate children.

As Greg commented:

" studies such as Low's, which closely examine individual children, are

extremely rare in the study of vaccine reactions and virtually non-existent

in today's literature. "

It is as if there has been a silent ban on studies which might reveal

adverse side effects from the vaccines, and in the revealing raise

questions as to whether or not, among some of the present vaccines, harmful

effects may outweigh the benefits.

It is not quite true that there have no other similar studies since that of

Low. There is a report from Japan in which 116 immunizations were given to

61 children with a history of febrile seizures or epilepsy, who had not had

a seizure for one year. It was found that " epileptic spikes (among the

children) reappeared after 10 and increased among 10 out of 73 vaccine

(administrations) given for DTP or DT or BCG vaccines. " (90)

Conclusion: From all of the studies quoted above, especially the German

study showing significant drops in T-helper lymphocytes in healthy adults

following tetanus booster injections, and the study of Low just quoted

(neither of which have had follow-up studies in the United States, as they

should have had), a large number of adverse reactions may be taking place

unsuspected and unrecognized. The adverse events from vaccines that have

been reported may represent the tip of the iceberg, as compared with a much

larger number that are actually taking place. All of this, we believe, has

a direct bearing on the case of Baby Alan.

We have previously observed that the train of events in the present case,

culminating in death, could be explained by the presence of pneumonia

together with a viral meningitis and/or a vaccine-induce encephalitis.

Shaken baby syndrome has never caused pneumonia and meningitis. Baby Alan

died of a vaccine reaction.

Harold E. Buttram, M.D. & F. Yazbak, M.D.

Woodlands Healing Research Center

Family, Environmental & Preventive Medicine

5724 Clymer Rd. Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-1890 * 800-517-9545

Fax 215-529-9034 * Email: foffice@...

Web Page- http://www.woodmed.com

Footnote: For those who may wish to contact the wife of the prisoner or the

prisoner himself, they may be reached as follows:

Mrs. Francine Yurko

Email: FRANSWRLD@...

PO Box 585965, Orlando, Florida 32858-5965

Mr. Alan Yurko, AX13917, Washington Correctional Institute, 4455 Sam

Drive,

Chipley. FL 32428-3501

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56 Menkes JH, (1990), Neurologic complications of pertussis vaccination,

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57 Cody CL et al. (Nov1981), Nature and rates of adverse reactions

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58 Vaccination and Behavior Disorders, a Review of the Controversy, Greg

, Tuntable Creek Publishing, PO Box 1448, Lismore NSW 2480,

Australia, 2000,

pages 48-49.

59 Karlsson L & Scheibner V. (1991), Association between non-specific

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60 Pourcyrous M et al, (March, 1998), Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein,

and abnormal cardiorespiratory responses to immunization in premature

infants, Pediatrics, 101(3):461.

61 Asztalos E et al, (1996) Incidence of adverse effects from routine

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63 Reisinger RC (1974) A final mechanism of cardiac and respiratory

failure, SIDS, 1974, Proc. Of Camps International Symp. On SID in infancy,

Also congressional Record S.1745, September 20,1973.

64 Personal communication

65 Immunobiology, A Janeway et al, Fourth Edition, Current Biology

Publications, New York, 1999, Page 495.

66 Cohen DC & Shoenfeld Y. (1996) Vaccine-induced autoimmunity, J

Autoimmunity, 9:699-703.

67 Shoenfeld Y & Aron-Maor A, (Feb., 2000) Vaccination and

autoimmunity-'vaccinosis': a dangerous liaison?, J Autoimmunitv, 14(1):1-10.

68 Fox R (Feb. 21. 1976). Letter, British Medical Journal.

69 Cherry ID et al, (1988), Report of the task force on pertussis and

pertussis immunization, Pediatrics, 81(6), Part ii Supplement: 940.

70 Refer to reference 54.

71 Refer to reference 7.

72 J & Manning F. (Feb1979), Increased intracranial pressure after

diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis immunization, J Dis Child, 133:217-218.

73 Gross TP et al. (Mar., 1989) Bulging fontanelle after immunization with

diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis

vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus vaccine, J Pediatr, 114(3):423-425.

74Mathur R Kumari S. (June, 1981) Bulging fontanel following DPT, Indian

Pediatr, 18(6):417-418.

75 The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

Steering Committee: Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of

asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema, Lancet, 1998.

351:1225-1232.

76 Odent MR (1994). Pertussis vaccine and asthma, is there a link? JAMA,

271:229-231.

77 Alm JS et al, (May 1, 1999). Atopy in children with anthroposophic

lifestyle, Lancet, 353:1485-1488.

78 Kemp T et al, (Nov., 1997), Is infant immunization a risk factor for

childhood asthma or allergy?, Epidemiologv, 8(6):678-680.

79 Hurwitz EL & Morgenstern H. (2000), Effects of

diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and

allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the

United States, J Manipulative Physiol Therapy, 23:1-10.

80 Kosecka U et al, (July,1999), Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 119(3):205-211.

81 Munoz JJ et al, (April, 1987). Infect lmmunol, 55(4):1004-1008.

82 Odelram H et al, (May, 1994), Pediat Allergy Immunol, 5(2):8-123.

83 (Refer to reference 41).

84 Patrizi A (Fete 1999), Contact Dermatitis, 40(2):94-97.

85 Daum RS et se, (May, 1999), Decline in serum antibody to the capsule of

the Hemophilus influenza type b in the immediate post immunization period,

J. Pediatrics, 114(5):742-747.

86 Institute of Medicine, Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella

Vaccines, National Academy Press, 1991.

87 Byers RK & Moll FC, (1948), Encephalopathies following prophylactic

pertussis vaccine, Pediatrics, 1(4):437 457.

88 Toomey J. (1949), Reactions to pertussis vaccine, JAMA, 139(7):448-450.

89 Low NL, (1955), Electroencephalographic studies following pertussis

immunization, J. Pediatrics, 47:35-39.

90 Nouno S et al, (Aug., 1990) Adverse effects on EEG and clinical

condition after immunizing children with convulsive disorders, Acta

Paediatr Japan, 32(4):357-360.

=====================================

NON-TRAUMATIC RIB INJURIES

A Logical and Statistical Conclusion in the Case of Alan Yurko

At first blush, a superficial review of the case of Alan Yurko might lead

to the conclusion that the rib callus formations resulted from

non-accidental trauma. However, a deeper review of the facts in the case,

as will be shown here, will lead to an opposite conclusion. A simple

knowledge of physics and minimal knowledge of anatomy will be utilized to

demonstrate that, from a statistical standpoint, the probability of

non-accidental trauma (child abuse) in this case approaches the vanishing

point. The true etiology of the callus formation may never be known with

certainty due to inadequacies in the medical records, but whatever the

cause, it was not traumatic.

Post-mortem findings revealed callus formations in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and

l0th ribs, all posterior on the left. Chest X-rays showed callus

formations in the 6th and 7th ribs. Also, upon autopsy, a pale ovoid

bruise noted laterally on the left over the lower ribs. Other bruises were

also noted. No internal thoracic injuries were found or reported from the

autopsy. During the trial the medical examiner testified that the l0th rib

had " been broken while handling, " something to be kept in mind, as will be

explained later.

Bruises and Internal Thoracic Injuries: an Analysis:

The bruising is of special importance. Bruising would normally suggest

trauma. According to a study by V.F. et al, (l990) titled, " Rib

fractures in children: a marker for severe trauma, " Journal of Trauma,

30:695-700, of the 2080 children studied, 33 had multiple rib fractures.

Among these 33, the injuries were accompanied by severe (emphasis mine)

internal thoracic injuries in 85% of the cases. (Remember, no thoracic

injuries were reported in the present case). This leaves a l5% margin for

internal thoracic injuries not to have happened.

Bruising and cutaneous injuries occur with a similar statistical frequency

in traumatic fractures, especially in child abuse cases. My son had a

bruise over callus rib formations in various stages of healing or growth.

Does this indicate trauma at home, prior to the terminal hospital

admission? Not so for the following reasons:

The bruises could hardly have occurred during the six or seven weeks

between hospitalizations save for the bruise under the right lower eyelid,

which will be discussed. Baby Alan had weekly visits to a pediatrician

during the intervening weeks when he was at home. During these visits he

was given reflexive tests, pokes, pushes, and other forms of routine

examinations by pediatricians trained to watch for signs of abuse. Not

only did these weekly visits fail to reveal bruising, but there was a

similar lack of such when examined during an emergency room visit. Not

only did doctors and nurses fail to find and report cutaneous evidence of

trauma, but Grandma and Grandpa, who lived not l0 doors away and who cared

for, doted over, and changed diapers every single day, failed to note any

bruises. His mother never noted them, nor did the baby's older sister,

Devry. The same can be said of frequent visits from doting relatives,

neighbors, neighbor's children, and friends.

The bruise under the right eyelid occurred when the sister lost control of

a feeding bottle. I was holding Alan in my lap when Devry, then age four,

now seven, lost her grip on the bottle, the edge of which " doinked " him on

the eye. The testimony of the mother, Francine, confirms this. Even more

convincing is the written opinion of Horace B Gardner, M.D., J.D., an

ophthalmologist who, after review of the records and the photographs of the

post-mortem slides, states that the lineality of and constricted scale of

this bruise would not be indicative of abuse, in that a blow by a hand or a

fist would cause a " shiner " or much more diffuse ecchymoses. Dr. Gardner

also pointed out that the causes for all other bruises reported at autopsy

must have been iatrogenic, possibly caused by procedures such as

resuscitation or handling after Alan was brought to the hospital.

Upon terminal admission, quite a few nurses, doctors, and members of child

protection teams did thorough examinations in which evidence of trauma,

such as bruises, cuts, etc., were avidly sought. This is standard protocol

when children are brought in with unexplained injuries. All reports on

initial day of hospitalization failed to mention bruises or cutaneous

injury except that involving the lower eyelid. Dr. Ben Guedes, the

attending (terminal) physician, testified that the only bruise noted at

admission and before autopsy was the eyelid. Thus the other bruises over

the ribs and temporal area of the head had to have been iatrogenic,

occurring while under the care of hospital staff.

Applied Statistics:

Returning now to the matter of internal thoracic injuries, there were no

findings of internal injuries in the lungs or any of the remaining internal

organs, (a number of organs had been " harvested " as donor organs before

death). It is here that the previously quoted article comes into play.

If these rib callus formations, indicative of healing fractures at various

stages of healing, denoted multiple incidents occurring at different times,

were traumatic or non-accidental, then I, the convicted, would have been

very lucky after a single traumatic event to have hit the 15% margin

previously discussed, without causing severe internal thoracic injury.

However, the state experts at trial testified that these alleged fractures

happened at different times. If these assertions are accepted, it would

mean that I had to hit that 15% margin four times in a row! That carries

the statistical probability of a traumatic etiology to considerably LESS

than l%, or the same probability of hitting 1 through 15 on a roulette

wheel four times in a row.

The 15% margin is narrowed considerably when one considers that infants

have great osseous plasticity and that their bones are extremely pliable

due to immature ossification. If, as alleged by state witnesses, I caused

the alleged fractures by squeezing, a great deal of pressure would be

required. This same pressure, in all likelihood, would have caused damage

to the lungs or other internal organs. This did not happen. It did not

happen four times in a row. Also, if the ribs were fractured at different

times, as contended by the state witnesses, when a second rib was

fractured, it would have been a virtual certainty that rib fracture #1,

already weakened, would have been re-fractured a second time. If each of

the four ribs was fractured sequentially, then almost certainly, rib

fractures #l would have been re-re-re-fractured three times, rib fracture #

2 re-re-fractured two times, and so on. In the re-fracturing, it is highly

probable that the fractured fragments in at least one instance would have

taken on dagger-like dimensions pointed into the internal vital organs.

This also narrows the less than 1% margin for abuse-type trauma even

further, exponentially so. Surely such a pattern of fractures would have

caused internal thoracic injury and/or cutaneous injury, BUT THIS DID NOT

TAKE PLACE.

Remember, Alan was a tiny baby, premature, only 48 centimeters long. If I

squeezed him, why are all of the fractures only on the left side? Did I

squeeze him only on one side? That in itself is a physical improbability,

I would venture to say. I have doctors who agree that it would take a team

of super-orthopedic surgeons to reproduce those fractures in model and not

cause thoracic or cutaneous injury. I doubt that any trauma could

reproduce these alleged fractures without bruising or internal injuries,

especially not four times in a row, not even once.

Pain:

Rib fractures are attributed to be among the most painful of fractures,

with no sure means of stabilization, and with constant moving and

breathing. Once again, doctors, nurses, child-protection team members,

grandmother, grandfather, mother, sister, neighbors, neighbors' children,

relatives, and friends never reported any indication of pain in the baby.

If these had been traumatic rib fractures, surely there would have been

some indication during feedings, diaper-changes, bathing, holding,

swaddling, and so on.

It could not have gone unnoticed. Surely pediatric examinations, with all

the proddings and pokings would have elicited pain. THEY DIDN'T. On the

whole, Alan was a tranquil baby. He took his feedings quietly and seemed

content aside from problems of alternating constipation and diarrhea, and

excluding the irritability which followed immunizations.

A Metabolic Explanation for rib Fractures:

We now come to an anomaly in the alleged rib fractures, in that they

occurred near the posterior costochondral junctions between ribs and spine,

sometimes also referred to as metaphyseal plates. This is an unusual

location for traumatic fractures, as reviewed in a study by H.G. Hiller,

M.D., entitled: " Battered or Not - a Reappraisal of Metaphyseal Fragility,

(American Journal of Roentgenology, Radio-therapy, and Nuclear Medicine,

February, l972, Vol ll4(2):241-246) In this study, a group of 145 children

admitted to a pediatric trauma center for traumatic fractures were

reviewed. Not one case

of metaphyseal plate (costochondral junction) type was found. The study

also looked at five cases of metaphyseal plate fractures from another

hospital, where in all five cases the bones had a chalky appearance on

X-rays. Of the two cases available for microscopic evaluation and bone

scan, both revealed abnormal bone formation and were ruled non-traumatic.

In his discussion the author observed that this type of trauma is common in

scurvy without undue trauma to the child, and that green-stick fractures

are equally common in rickets. Hiller interpreted these findings as

casting doubt on the advisability of accepting multiple epiphyseal plate

fractures as definite roentgenologic evidence of battering, and that they

are in need of close reappraisal.

The fact that the l0th rib broke " while handling " during the autopsy, as

testified to by the medical examiner, would tend to confirm an unusual

fragility of the bones and a vulnerability to spontaneous fractures.

In the present case, considering that the fractures occurred at or near the

epiphyseal plates, that there were no observations of bruising or cutaneous

injury by trained experts, that a chalky appearance was indeed described by

experts (but was attributed to overlay), and that it would be virtually

impossible to bring about sequential rib fractures at different times

without causing internal thoracic injury, as reflected in a statistical

application of the study - in consideration of these things, the

probability of a non-traumatic, metabolic etiology of the rib fractures

becomes compelling.

Additional supporting evidence in the case for non-traumatic etiology of

the bone fractures would be that of temporary brittle bone disease, as

described by Marvin , M.D., Ph.D., in his publications, in which he

showed that unusually close uterine confinement, which reduces fetal

movement, resulted in increased fetal bone fragility and vulnerability to

spontaneous fractures. As outlined by and cited by ,

reduced movement in such instances delays fetal neo-ossification, which is

controlled by a bone " mechanostat " mechanism. The history of the mother's

pregnancy is suggestive of such a process, in that she was constantly sick,

suffering from recurrent urinary (E coli) infections and other

complications during her pregnancy. She gained only a net of two pounds,

unable to take proper nourishment or even her prenatal vitamins.

Lastly, one of the strongest points in differential diagnosis is found in

the work of the Australian, Archivide Kalokerinos, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., noted

for his work among the Australian aborigines, in which he reduced an infant

morality rate approaching 50% to virtually zero. Noting features of scurvy

among some of the infants and children, and observing that many deaths

followed vaccinations, he hypothesized that the vaccinations provoked death

by throwing the infants into fulminating scurvy. Based on these

observations, he improved the nutrition of the children, provided generous

amounts of vitamin C, and avoided vaccines when children were ill with

colds or other minor infections. As a result of this work he was awarded

the Australian Medal of Merit in l978.

Dr. Kalokerinos also observed rib lesions attributed to scorbutic factors

which healed with callus formations which could be mistaken (as in the

present case) for healing rib fractures.

CONCLUSION:

Logic, science, clinical presentation, and history, combined with a

statistical application, and above all, common sense, commands the

conclusion of a non-traumatic etiology in the respect of callus rib

formations found in the case of Alan Yurko. This fact lends great credence

to the other issues of the case which have also been adjudged

non-traumatic. I did not murder my baby.

Alan R Yurko

References:

Buttram, HE & Yazbak FE, Shaken-Baby Syndrome, or Vaccine-Induced

Encephalitis?

The Story of Baby Alan, http://www.woodmed.com

Florida Hospital, (1997) Medical records of Alan ph Ream-Yurko.

VF et al, (1990), Rib fractures in children: a marker for severe

trauma, J Trauma, 30:695-700.

Gardner HB, (2000) Preliminary draft report of analysis of the lid and

other bruises found in the case of Alan Yurko.

Hiller HG, (l972) Battered or not: a reappraisal of metaphyseal fragility,

Amer J Roentgen Radiotherapy & Nucl Med, 114(2):241-246.

Kalokerinos A, (2000) The case of Alan Yurko, an introduction and explanation

Kalokerinos A, l981, Every Second Child, New Canaan, Conn, Keats Publ.

Kalokerinos A, an autobiography, publication pending

ME, (1999) Temporary brittle bone disease, a true entity? Sem in

Perinatol, 23(2):174-182.

ME & Handgartner TN, (1999) Temporary brittle bone disease:

associated with decreased fetal movement and osteopenia, Calcif Tiss Int,

64:137-143.

State of Florida vs Alan R Yurko (1999), complete trial transcripts,

depositions, and court records.

=======================================================

From: Francine Yurko -FRANSWRLD@...

KURTS31@...

Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 12:55:32 EDT

Thanks for the email response in reference to some info you've looked over

about our son. , bare with me for a moment, I have spoken to soo many

people requesting many things, some times it's hard to recall who has what.

So, what information have you reviewed, do you have my medical package?

What medical field are you in again? I have some medical records in my

possession but not all. Because my son is dead, I have to pay for his

records. For five days of records the cost was $230.00, there's at least 6

more days of record out there but between purchasing slides, copying,

telephone calls, mailouts etc., I really can't afford the rest of the

records right now.

As far as the info on me during pregnancy, I'm getting the actual records

as we speak. I'm waiting for the hospital to contact me when they're done,

so for now I have to go off memory. Here we go....

I was not aware of the regeneration of amnionic fluids as you spoke of, all

I know is when I went in for the last ultrasound 9/15/97 they told me I

virtually had no fluid left. So little fluid that they didn't even want to

do that needle in the belly test to see if the lungs were mature enough for

delivery. They said seeing that they didn't know how long I'd been leaking

they didn't want to take a chance prolonging pregnancy for risk of

infections and other complications. So, that day they admitted me into the

hospital to induce labor the next morning. I do not know why I was leaking

fluids and can only guess maybe a week or so that I'd been leaking. I

figured the wettness was normal pregnancy secretions. I did mention this to

my doctor and that I was experiencing a gurgeling sensation in the vaginal

area like I was leaking but, it was disregarded as being nothing to worry

about.

As for risk factors during pregnancy, here's some info whether or not

they're considered risk factors: I started out at 130 lbs before pregnant,

dropped down to 120 and when I gave birth at 35wks was back up to my

original weight. At about 5mos into my pregnancy I began to not be able to

breath and had no en ergy at all, I would get very dizzy and light headed.

I was getting so weak that I couldn't work anymore. At this point is when I

began seeing a doctor (7mos). It was discovered that I had gestational

diabetes, but they didn't know what caused the not being able to breath,

dizzy spells etc.-no tests were done. In records it states that my diabetes

was controlled by diet-my diabetes was never controlled, I was crashing all

the time!

I have genital warts if that means anything, got em when I was 18yrs

old-have not had an breakout since but I know that virus never leaves your

body. Come to find out going through the medical records that I'm GBS

positive, no one ever told me. I guess they did this test upon delivery-I

was never aware. I also had a urinary tract infection during delivery. I do

know that they gave me one shot of penicillin for the urinary infection. I

do not know if I had a fever (as I said I'm getting those records-didn't

realize that my records and baby's was seperate). No previous history of

GBS in my daughter that I'm aware of but I delivered with a midwife for

her, not in a hospital. She had no complications except that her little

breast area was really inflammed for about a month.

I really didn't eat/drink right during pregnancy nor did I take my vitamins

properly-I was so sick all the time (I couldn't). They had me on a 1200

calorie diet for my diabetes, I tried to eat like they suggested but never

having diabetes like this before I really didn't know much about it. When I

had diabetes during the pregnancy of my daughter it didn't seem this

severe. I only had diabetes during pregnancy and it goes away, although I

believe I am possibly having problems now at this point but haven't gone in

to check.

I only know that I was given something in my IV bag to induce labor around

7am in the morning of 9/16 and gave birth at 2pm. Some time before actual

delivery they gave me something for the pain-I had back labor too. The meds

they gave only dulled my mind not the pain, it was so weird I can't even

really explain. I had a vaginal delivery, no forks (or whatever they're

called to help pull the baby out) were used. The records say that fluids

were clear but when my water broke there was blood that came out too and it

was not-as I delivered, it was some time before actual delivery. I have a

birthing tape of the entire event-all the way til he was transfered to

another hospital for his RDS. I do not know about internal monitoring? what

is that? I wasn't told about alot of stuff from the hospital. I didn't even

know he was born hypoglycemic or dehydrated until goin through the records

or that his bilirubin was up to 17.4. There was other stuff too in

reference to his lab work that was really high or really low.

Yes I both breast and bottle fed. I still have some breast milk that has

remained frozen since then (may be silly, but it's something else left of

him-so to speak) I had concerns about my milk not being enough or not being

full strength (like skim milk) because I had that problem with my daughter.

I'm checking to see if any slides were done on the placenta. I had wanted

to save it for possible future needs but the hospital didn't do that sort

of thing, so I abandoned the thought. He was circumcised, I believe the day

before his release from the hospital. He was in neonatal for a

week-discharged on 9/23.

When he was born he weighed 5lbs 9oz, when he was discharged from the

hospital he weighed 5-3 (just FYI, when he died he weighed 9lbs-from ME

report). The records reflect he was pink in color but he was grey (the tape

proves it) then later in records it says pink but jaundis-is that a

conflict? We were never sent home with a monitor like he had in the

hospital. I was on medicaid at the time (prego before insurance kicked in)

and medicaid doesn't pay for monitors-I checked into it. He had episodes

throughout his 2.5 months of life where he would stop breathing briefly and

restart, my doctor said he'd outgrow that from the RDS (he never did).

He was having congestion problems his entire 2.5 months as well, but the

pediatrician said he'd outgrow that too, that maybe it was from the tubes

that were in his nose from birth. He began having constipation and vomiting

problems, the pediatrician told me to use prune juice and try changing

formula's. His belly was bloating (like a frog) but the pediatrician said

that was okay, nothing to worry about. Our child had been taken into the

doctor basically ever week since he was born til the time he died.

Nov 2nd we took him into emergency because bright red blood was on his burp

cloth after we fed and burped him. The night before I noticed matter on his

burp cloth that resembled old blood (being a woman with a cycle) but

thought it could be prune juice and when we saw bright red blood the next

day I knew something was wrong. At the emergency room they didn't do any

tests just observed his physical appearance and said he probably had a

scratch on the inside of his nose and to keep his nails trim. We did keep

his nails trim and he didn't move his arms or hands around to get a scratch

in his nose, so I should have persued the issue.

Nine days later from the emergency visit he had his shots, all four DTP,

OPV, HepB and Hib. At this point he was 2months old (only a month past

gestation) still having breathing and congestion problems and weighed about

8lbs. Ten days later he developed problems of not eating, he would suckle

and whine, suckle and whine (really congested), not eating even half

normal. He developed a high pitched cry unlike any cry I've ever heard

before, he was lethargic and alittle warm, but he was a warm baby to begin

with. My mother even tried to tell me his face/head looked like it was

swollen but I disregarded it as he was growing. Three days later he collapsed.

Our pediatrician had told us we could expect to see all of those syptoms

from the shots and that they'd clear up so we disregarded them. We never

got any warnings or information on the shots to know what problems occur or

when and how long they last. That Monday of his collapse we were going to

take him into the hospital if the problems did not subside because

something did not feel right but we never got the chance.

I hope this answers some of your questions to start with, and as I said I'm

in the process of getting more records. Come to find out there are medical

records mysteriously missing from the hospital and from the file. I may

have left some information out as a result of trying to remember as much as

I can to give you some insight, all at once. Never fails, just when you

think you've said it all, you remember something else later however, this

is all I have at this point.

Any other questions or information needed just give a call or email me

again. Thank you again for your interest and any assistance.

Best Regards,

Francine.

=========================================

COMPILATION OF ARTICLES ON THE INTRUSION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES BY MEDICAL

MANDATES, AND THE GROWING USE OF CRIMINAL SANCTIONS AGAINST CHILD

CAREGIVERS TO DIVERT MEDICAL RESPONSIBILTY (90% OF THE MATERIAL IS SBS CASES).

-By Krasner, CFIC

Coalition For Informed Choice. Krasner, Director

188-34 87th Drive, #4B, Hollis, NY 11423

fax/phone: 718-479-2939, email: gk-cfic@...

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=========================================================

=========================================================

Shaken Baby Syndrome or Vaccine Induced Encephalitis:

The Story of Baby Alan

By Harold E. Buttram, M.D. & F. Yazbak, M.D.

Date: 05/25/2000

The shaken baby syndrome (SBS), as reviewed in the Journal of the Royal

Society of Medicine and other journals,(l-4) commonly describes a

combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal

injury (DAI) as the triad of diagnostic criteria. The basic issue to be

addressed in this review is whether or not in some instances, where a

father has been accused of causing the death of his child from the shaken

baby syndrome, the true cause of death was from a catastrophic vaccine

reaction. The present reviewers believe that the demise of Baby Alan fits

with such a vaccine reaction, and that the father was falsely accused and

convicted of the murder of his son based on a mistaken diagnosis.

By definition, the word " syndrome " refers to a group of signs and symptoms

that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality. The question

in the present instance is whether or not the criteria of SBS may have more

than one possible cause.

Vera Scheibner, Ph.D., Australian researcher, in an article reviewing the

shaken baby syndrome,(5) stated her opinion that many of the cases

attributed to this cause have actually been vaccine-related injuries or

deaths. After having reviewed the medical records of the present case, she

came to the same conclusion. She offered the following comment in support

of this opinion:

" Indeed, vaccines like pertussis are actually used to induce encephalitis

(experimental allergic encephalomyelitis) in laboratory animals.(6) This is

characterized by brain swelling and hemorrhaging of an extent similar to

that caused by mechanical injuries.(7,8)

In a bulletin from the National Vaccine Information Center, similar

instances of mistaken diagnoses were sited; that is, instances where

vaccine injuries were mistakenly diagnosed as SBS, resulting in

imprisonments.(9) One of the instances was reviewed in the article:

" Dr. Schweller, a San Diego pediatric neurologist, who testified (in

a case in which a father was accused of brain injuring his child) that the

brain damage from interior bleeding was likely triggered by the DPT shot,

stressed this in a Gannett New Service Interview: is a tendency in some

medical arenas to discount completely the history provided by the family if

you find evidence of subdural hematoma - no matter what history is

provided. Even a three-foot fall can cause fractures. It doesn't need to

come from a shaking event. I'm always leery in medicine of saying something

is always due to some factor, or that something is 100 percent. " '

In the present case it is important to point out that a vaccine reaction

was never mentioned by any witness as a possible factor in the baby Alan's

death.

Instances of shaken baby syndrome, tragically, do occur, but it is also

tragic when fathers or other family members are falsely accused and

imprisoned as the result of mistaken diagnosis, where the true cause of the

brain injuries arose from vaccines.

The present case, which the authors have carefully reviewed, will be used

as a model. Let the facts, as we understand them, speak for themselves.

The Story of Baby Alan: Baby Alan was born on September 16, 1997. Due to a

deficiency of amniotic fluid on an ultrasound test, which suggested a

possible premature rupture of the membranes, labor was induced at 35 weeks

gestation. The admitting officer did note that premature rupture of

membranes had taken place, as the indication for the induction of labor.

However, it should be stressed that the mother had not noted leakage of her

amniotic fluid, as she later recalled, only a moisture at the vaginal

outlet, which raises the possibility that the mother did have chronic or

prolonged oligohydramnios (lack or deficiency of aminiotic fluid). (More

will be said of this later.) Other conditions which placed the baby into a

high risk setting included maternal gestational diabetes, anemia, group B

Streptococcal vaginal infection, chronic maternal E coli urinary tract

infection with proteinuria, as well as nicotine and caffeine during

pregnancy by the mother.

In addition, the mother had suffered from colon problems for many years and

had been advised not to become pregnant, as this problem might predispose

her to toxemia of pregnancy. After becoming pregnant, she became sick and

remained so during her pregnancy, often to the point of dehydration, losing

from her original weight of 130 pounds down to 120 pounds at one point and

finally coming back to her original weight of 132 pounds at time of

delivery, a net weight gain of 2 pounds. She said she was too sick to take

her prenatal vitamins. When one considers that the currently recommended

weight gain for pregnancy is 25 to 30 pounds, this type of situation would

place the fetus at high risk for a wide spectrum of nutritional

deficiencies and retarded development.

It should be stressed that each one of these conditions alone would have

placed the baby in a high-risk category, so that in their totality they

placed a guarded prognosis on the baby at time of birth.

The birth weight was 5 Ibs, 8 ounces; APGAR scores were 8 and 9. However,

following birth, respiratory distress of the baby was immediately evident

(as shown on birth video) with grunting respirations with marked rib and

sternal retractions. The mother observed a persistent grayish color

following birth. At approximately 2 hours following birth an

Accu-Chek was 37; a follow-up blood glucose was 32. Arterial blood gasses

on room air revealed severe hypoxia and acidosis with pH 7.38, C02 42, pO2

43, and bicarbonate 21. The BUN of 8.0 and creatinine of 0.4, were

unusually low, probably from protein lack as a phase of malnutrition The

infant was placed in an oxyhood with 50% 02; he was started on ampicillin

and gentamycin.

The baby's 7-day hospital course was complicated by continued respiratory

distress, spending 3 days in the intensive care unit. 3 daily chest X-rays

during this time showed persistent pulmonary infiltrates. Persistantly low

serum CO2's indicated continued acidosis throughout hospitalization. Also

the baby had neonatal jaundice with a maximum bilirubin of 17.4 and a

decrease to 13.2 before discharge. Liver enzymes were elevated with an ALT

of 58 and LDH of 520.

According to the mother, symptoms of chest congestion and difficulty

breathing never did clear following discharge from the hospital, with

grunting and raspy breathing patterns, and with occasional brief periods of

apnea. Also, the baby remained grossly jaundiced for a month after

returning home, much longer than would have been expected from benign

neonatal jaundice.

Of special importance as related to the rib fractures, which will be

discussed below, on no occasion during weekly visits to the pediatric

clinic following discharge from the hospital, and one visit to a hospital

emergency room, were there any reports of external injuries or bruises, nor

of acute pain or discomfort, both of which almost certainly would have been

noticed by an examining physicians and nurses had these injuries occurred

after being taken home by the mother.

On November 11, 1997, at approximately 8 weeks age (but only 43 weeks true

gestational age), the baby was simultaneously given 6 vaccines including

DPT, Hib, OPV, and hepatitis B. Within 24 hours of the immunizations the

baby developed intermittent diarrhea, irritability, and feverishness, a

pattern which progressed into the terminal illness.

As related by the mother, about 10 or 11 days following the vaccines the

baby developed a high-pitched cry, and its skin became warmer to the touch.

Having been forewarned during the previous office visit that these things

might ensue following the vaccines, she did not become overly alarmed.

However, she also noticed an increasing lethargy and a falling off of the

baby's feeding patterns, which had been a combination of breast and formula.

This pattern continued for 3 days until the morning of November 24, when

the father was alone at home with the baby and his 4-year old sister. In

rapid succession the father observed that the baby began wheezing, then

spit up, then stopped breathing. In efforts to restart breathing the father

first lightly slapped the baby's face, then began spanking the baby's

bottom while holding him by the heels, all without success. After delays

from unsuccessful attempts to revive the baby, and from running to a

neighbor's house to borrow the neighbors car, the father then rushed the

baby to the Princeton Hospital of Orlando, where the baby was successfully

resuscitated. However, according to family estimates, the baby must have

been apneic a minimum of 20 minutes, considering the delays and the

distances, before resuscitation was accomplished. Incidentally, emergency

room records recorded 5 minutes of apnea, presumably the time between

arrival in the E.R. and resuscitation. Initial laboratory tests in the

Princeton Hospital showed anemia with a hemoglobin of 7.8, Hct 25.3, RBC's

2.61, elevated white blood count of 20,900 (with 61% lymphocytes, 26%

neutrophils, 5% bands, and 8% mononuclears), platelets 571,000, markedly

elevated liver enzymes, bilirubin 0.6, blood sugar of 337, mildly prolonged

prothrombin time (a bleeding study), and elevated split fibrin products. A

blood culture reported light growth of gram positive cocci, coagulase

negative, probably a contaminant.

It should be pointed out that the predominance of lymphocytes (61%) in the

white blood count is a hallmark of a pertussis reaction (10).

The patient was transferred to the Florida Hospital, Orlando, where he was

placed on life support. Admitting temperature was 105 degrees. A brain Ct

scan was interpreted as showing a small right subdural hematoma and one or

two sites of intraparenchymal bleeding. Chest Xray showed bilateral

pulmonary infiltrates (bilateral pneumonitis) and healing fractures of the

6th and 7th ribs on the left.. A spinal tap was not done due to the

difficulties and hazards of performing a tap while the baby was on

life-support.

Intravenous heparin was administered 3 hours post-admission and was

continued after the brain CT scan revealed intracerebral hemorrhages.

Following a hospital admission of 75 hours, the baby was pronounced dead,

being 10 weeks of age at time of death.

Post-Mortem Findings (Performed by the medical examiner for Orange and

Osceola Counties): Findings included minor contusions of both temporal

areas of the head and a small bruise of the right lower eyelid. The brain

was grossly edematous, (which may have been the precipitating factor of the

apnea preceding hospital admission). There were large, fresh subdural

hemorrhages, right and left hemispheres, predominantly right; also

hemorrhages at the base of the brain and over some areas of the spinal

cord. The brain was grossly edematous. There was a small focus of bleeding

in the right eye (bleeding absent in the left eye). In addition there were

old, healing fractures in the 5th, 6th 7th nd 10th ribs, all posterior on

the left. The lungs were mildly hemorrhagic and were congested with

scattered inflammatory cells, indicating an interstitial pneumonitis. (The

heart, liver, pancreas, small intestines, gall bladder, and spleen had been

surgically harvested before death for organ donations).

Based on these findings, it was the medical examiner's conclusion that the

baby had died from the shaken baby syndrome.

As previously mentioned, the brain CT scan done soon after hospital

admission showed only a relatively small subdural hemorrhage on the right,

none on the left. This being the case, it can be assumed that the left

subdural hemorrhage commenced following hospital admission, indicating a

non-traumatic etiology. It is possible or even probable that the

intravenous heparin, started 3 hours following hospitalization, may have

caused or contributed to the massive bleeding found at autopsy.

As another important point, the medical examiner testified during the trial

that he found no evidence of meningitis on autopsy (an important point to

keep in mind in view of subsequent testimony from another witness, who

described heavy inflammatory cell infiltration in the meninges); but while

denying the presence of meningitis, at the same time he admitted that he

had not examined the spinal fluid, nor was there any description of the

meninges in the autopsy report.

In regards to postmortem findings in the kidneys, the defense witness

pointed out during his testimony that the presence of renal lobulations and

the failure of renal tubules to detach from the renal capsules (from which

they are genetically derived) was an indication of delayed development or

" failure to thrive " of the baby.

Jury Trial:

At the subsequent jury trial, taking place from February 22 to 24, 1999,

the state attorney provided four major witnesses testifying for the state,

including the medical examiner, who had performed the autopsy, and a

neuropathologist. Against these the defense provided a single witness, a

neuropathologist. More than this, two of the state

witnesses were called for repeat testimonies following that of the defense

witness, making a total of six witness hearings for the state, one for the

defense.

It is of concern to the writers of this review that, as far as can be

determined from the court transcripts of the trial, none of the state

witnesses had sought nor studied the medical records from the neonatal

hospitalization of the baby; at least no mention was made of them.

Thereforeone must wonder if they had any awareness of the multiple

complications surrounding the neonatal period including severe

hypoglycemia, severe hypoxia, critical hyperbilirubinemia, and ongoing

respiratory distress during and following release from the hospital.

Any one of these neonatal complications (severe hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and

critical hyperbilirubinemia) may have caused brain damage, but the 3

together almost certainly did cause such damage, damage which of necessity

had a profound effect on the subsequent course of events and which must

have been the true cause for some of the post-mortem findings, rather than

the shaken baby syndrome.

The apparent unawareness of the state witnesses concerning these earlier

complications places serious question about their understanding of the case

and the sequence of events leading to the baby's death, which we believe

led to faulty conclusions. At least one of the state witnesses was

compelled to admit, under oath, that he had neither sought nor read the

newborn hospital records. Another state witness, the neuropathologist,

denied that he saw any evidence of neonatal hypoxia in his review of

postmortem findings. In our opinion, no doctor who had carefully read the

baby's previous medical records would have made such a statement, with

their overwhelming evidence that hypoxic damage could have taken place

during or following birth.

Still another area of concern is that, in not a single instance, did a

state witness mention the prolonged apnea of the baby preceding the

terminal hospital admission, or that the apnea in and of itself could have

resulted in the complications and pathologic findings later described by

the neuropathologist, including the acute degenerative changes of the brain

cells with reddish discoloration and swelling of the blood vessels. One

wonders whether or not the connection between these findings and the apneic

period ever occurred to the state witnesses, and if it did, why they did

not mention it, as clearly it was a matter of major importance in the

interpretation of the findings and the outcome of the case.

During the trial, all of the state witnesses agreed with the medical

examiner that the father was guilty of child abuse, and the baby had died

of the shaken baby syndrome. The defense witness disagreed with this

conclusion. It was his opinion that the baby had died from " natural causes. "

Although there were a number of issues raised during the trial, for the

most part, guilt or innocence of the father revolved around five major

issues: the rib fractures, the unitaleral retinal hemorrhage, the cerebral

hemorrhages, diffuse axonal (brain cell) injury, and meningitis. These as

well as other issues will be addressed in the following:

The Issue of the Birth Weight: It is well known that newborn infants of

diabetic mothers tend to be larger and plumper (macrosomia) than

nondiabetic mothers, a response to increased nutrient supply and

hypersecretion of insulin by the fetal pancreas. However, a large

retrospective review by Dr. e Rey of Montreal has also found that

infants born from mothers with gestional diabetes have higher rates of

newborns who are large-for-gestional-age, in addition to having

complications of hypoglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia;(11) (both of these

latter complications were present following birth in baby Alan). For this

reason, the recorded birth weight for Baby Alan of 5 pounds and 8 ounces

may have been falsely elevated, with an increased proportion of adipose

tissue in relation to other tissues and organs.

The Issue of Hyperbilirubinemia: The term, hyperbilirubinemia, denotes an

excess of bilirubin, a condition which is potentially neurotoxic.

Kernicterus is a neurologic sysndrome resulting from deposition of

unconjugated bilirubin in the brain. It can occur at much lower levels of

serum bilirubin in sick or premature infants than in healthy, full-term

babies. While toxic levels for healthy infants is listed at or above 25

mgs/dL in current pediatric texts, levels as low or lower than l0 mgs/dL

can cause brain damage in a sick or premature infant.(12) Other

predisposing factors to kernicterus include acidosis, hypoxia,

administration of free fatty acids (administered by nasogastric tube in the

newborn intensive care unit), salicylates (aspirin) and antibiotics (both

administered during newborn hospitalization), and pitocin (the mother's

labor was induced with pitocin).

The Issue of the Rib Fractures: At autopsy four rib fractures were found,

all on the posterior left. All witnesses agreed that these fractures were

old, as indicated by callus formation.

The state witnesses tried to suggest that, as one callus was larger than

another, this was an indication that the rib fractures had occurred at

different times, thus indicating a pattern of child abuse.

There are several considerations that strongly mitigate against this

interpretation. First, neither the mother, grandparents nor baby-sitter

noted any bruising or indication of damage surrounding the ribs following

discharge from neonatal hospitalization, nor were there

any indications of injury found during weekly outpatient visits to the

pediatrician. Next, different sizes of callus might just as well have

indicated a difference in severity of the injuries rather a difference in

time of occurrence. In addition, strong evidence weighing against child

abuse is found in the Journal of Trauma, (1990) in an article entitled,

" rib fractures in children: a marker of severe trauma.(13) The article

reviewed a study of 2,080 children seen at a pediatric trauma center in

1985-1988. Among 33 of these children, who were found to have multiple rib

fractures, these injuries were accompanied by severe internal thoracic

injuries in 85% of the cases. Evidence of such injuries were notably absent

in the present case, before death and at autopsy.

It was the suggestion of the defense witness that the rib fractures took

place during labor, prior to birth. This hypothesis would tend to be

supported by the work of Marvin , M.D., with the Children's Medical

Center, Dayton, Ohio, who reviewed 26 cases of infants with multiple

unexplained fractures that fit the criteria of a recently described

condition, the temporary brittle bone disease (TBBD).(14,15) The results of

this study showed a striking association between TBBD and decreased fetal

movement during pregnancy, something observed by the mother of Baby Alan

during her pregnancy.

As an interesting sidelight, the medical examiner testified during the

court trial that a " bone had broken while handling " during the autopsy.

This would tend to corroborate the assumption that the bones were extremely

fragile and prone to spontaneous fractures.

There is also a possible and plausible role of advanced vitamin C

deficiency in predisposing to rib the fractures, which will be discussed

further on in a section dealing with scurvy.

The Issue of Chronic Oligohydramnios: Perhaps the strongest argument that

the rib fractures took place either during the pregnancy and/or the

mechanical stresses of labor is based on the probability that the mother

had chronic oligohydramnios (deficiency of amniotic fluid) as a result of

the multiple complications of her pregnancy. The reduced amniotic fluid, in

turn, would have constricted fetal movements (the mother did note a lack of

fetal movement during pregnancy), this in turn leading to " temporary

brittle bone disease " discussed above. 's Textbook of Pediatrics has

this to say about oligohydramnios:

" Oligohydramnios is associated with congenital anomalies, intrauterine

growth retardation, and severe renal anomalies. . . This becomes most

evident after 20 wk gestation, when fetal urination is the major source of

amniotic fluid. . . The most serious complication of chronic

oligohydramnios is pulmonary hypoplasia. . .(16)

In other words, the presence of chronic oligohydramnios would have

explained the complications that followed birth including the rib

fractures, the retarded development of the kidneys found on autopsy slides,

(to be described later) and the pulmonary hypoplasia. In regards to the

pulmonary hypoplasia, a video of the birth scene vividly displayed marked

retraction of the ribs and sternum on the baby's first cries, a finding

virtually diagnostic of the reduced lung capacity, which is characteristic

of hypoplastic lungs. (With reduced lung capacity, and the lungs unable to

fill the chest cavity, the chest wall would necessarily be sucked in as the

diaphragm contracts during inspirations). It should be remembered that the

admitting physician for the mother's maternity hospitalization was under

the impression that there had been premature rupture of the membranes, as

an indication for inducing labor. However, birth records recorded that

membranes ruptured 9 minutes before birth which would tend to rule out

premature rupture.

It is true that an ultrasound on August 22, 1997, 4 and 1/2 weeks before

delivery, reported normal level of amniotic fluid (15 cm). However, given

the fact that, following 20 weeks gestation, fetal urination becomes the

major source of amniotic fluid, it is highly probable that the mother did

have chronic oligohydramnios throughout much of her pregnancy because of

the finding on post-mortem slides that the kidneys showed definite markers

of " failure to thrive, " or retarded development (see below), and because of

the constant sickness of the mother during her pregnancy with a total lack

of weight gain, malnutrition, dehydration, and gestational diabetes. With

the combination of these conditions, it is doubtful that the fetal kidneys

would have been able to maintain a normal volume of amniotic fluid

throughout the latter portion of pregnancy.

Issue of the Cerebral Hemorrhages:

The defense witness held steadfastly to the view that the cerebral

hemorrhages were not the result of trauma but were due to a combination of

insults to the blood vessels, including the prolonged period of apnea

preceding the terminal hospital admission, the presence of brain edema

noted at autopsy, and the presence of advanced and extensive meningitis

(described below), both of which would result in swelling of the blood

vessels with increased friability and fragility, making them prone to

spontaneous bleeding.

The hemorrhages described by the defense witness were all fresh, in his

estimation taking place hours or at most within 24 hours of death, as

indicated by a lack of inflammatory cell infiltration in and around the

hemorrhages and by the freshness in the appearance of the red blood cells.

This would necessarily place the timing of these hemorrhages to have taken

place following hospitalization. A possible or probable contributory

factor to fresh hemorrhages following admission was the administration of

the blood thinner, heparin, as previously reviewed.

Both state witnesses, in contrast (the medical examiner and the

neuro-pathologist consultant), attributed the bleeding to trauma. The

former estimated that the bleeding was 2 to 3 days old, the latter 2 to 5

days. Although both attributed the initial bleeding to trauma before

hospital admission, these figures imply an admission of the possibility

that the major hemorrhages could have started following the terminal

hospital admission.

As previously mentioned, neither state witness mentioned the possible role

of the apneic episode preceding hospitalization and the role it could have

played in the pathologic findings, as did the defense witness.

The Issue of Meningitis:

During his testimony the defense witness described in some detail his

finding of extensive meningeal membrane infiltrations with inflammatory

cells, which he felt represented meningitis, possibly viral in origin. Due

to the degenerative appearances of the nerve cells, he said that it was

necessarily an old process, perhaps weeks in duration, certainly present

before the final hospital admission.

The medical examiner, during his court testimony as a state witness, denied

any findings indicating meningitis. However, as previously pointed out, he

admitted that he had not examined the spinal fluid, nor was there any

description of the meninges in his pathological report.

The neuro-pathologist consultant, the second state witness, when asked

about the presence of meningitis, replied that there are three possible

types: (1) bacterial, or purulent, which was clearly not present in the

baby, (2) viral, in the form of aseptic meningitis, and (3) homogenic, the

result of meningeal irritation from the hemorrhages. This witness stated

that, in his opinion, meningeal inflammation in the present case was the

result of the latter. However, from his own statement, that " we don't see

homogenic meningitis for 3 or 4 days following hemorrhage, " he tended to

contradict his claim that the meningeal inflammation was homogenic, or from

blood irritation. As we understand his statements, he agreed that most of

the hemorrhages found at autopsy were fresh, too fresh to result in

inflammatory reactions. Also, the subdural and ependymal bleeds noted on

the brain Ct scan when first admitted to the hospital were small and

limited, presumably too small to cause extensive reactions. There were also

suggestions of small intraparenchymal bleeds on the CT scan.

Once again, neither defense nor state witnesses mentioned the possibility

that these same findings could represent a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis.

The Issue of Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI):

One of the pivotal issues in the case was the timing of the brain cell

damage described by both the defense witness and the state witnesses, the

former contending that the damage was old, almost certainly taking place

during the neonatal period, the latter insisting that it was due to shaken

baby syndrome.

For background information, early descriptions of diffuse traumatic white

matter damage (DAI) suggested that the responsible mechanism for injury was

a shearing of nerve fibers at time of injury followed by swelling of the

nerve axons and later by varying degrees of nerve cell death, with most of

the injuries taking place in the mid and hind-brain areas and upper

cervical spinal cord.(17-19) However, recent reviews of the subject have

stressed that pathologic findings from traumatic axonal injury may be

indistinguishable from those brought about by hypoxic events.(20,21)

Quoting from a conclusion from the article by Kaur and Rutty: " Axonal

bulbs... may occur in the presence of hypoxia and in the absence of head

injury. The role of hypoxia, raised intracranial pressure, oedema, shift

effects, and ventilatory support in the formation of axonal bulbs is

discussed. The presence of axonal bulbs cannot necessarily be attributed

to shearing forces alone. " (20)(Emphasis ours) The article by J.F. Geddes

says much the same thing, as indicated by the following quotation:

" Because of potential confusion with hypoxic axonal injury, we suggest that

DAI is never used as a neuropathological diagnosis in medicolegal cases,

without the aetiology of the damage being made clear. On occasion it may

be impossible to be certain of the cause of axonal damge... " (21)(Emphasis

ours)

As previously reviewed, under direct questioning during the trial, one of

the state witnesses testified that he found no evidence of neonatal hypoxia

on the pathology slides. In the view of the writers of this article, it is

extremely unlikely that he would have made such an unqualified statement

had he been aware of events surrounding the neonatal period, during which

there was a combination of hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and critical

hyperbilirubinemia, the combination of which almost certainly would have

caused brain damage.

The defense witness, in contrast, described extensive old nerve damage in

areas of the brain and in a slide of the spinal cord. In the slide of the

spinal cord, in addition to the nerve damage, he identified the presence of

extensive revascularization (formation of new blood vessels). Since the

revascularization would necessarily have been a slow process, this

necessitated the conclusion that the process was old, probably taking place

during labor and/or the neonatal period.

The Issue of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC): It should be

pointed out that the supposed presence of acute DIC, allegedly brought

about by the shaking of the infant by the father immediately preceding the

terminal hospital admission, was one of the cornerstones of the case of the

prosecuting attorney brought against the father, as testified by one of the

state witnesses, the neuropathologist. According to the laboratory

parameters for acute DIC outlined in a review by Cunningham in July of

1999,(22) one of the prime requirements for the diagnosis of acute DIC is

that of a reduced platelet count. There is no equivocation on this in the

Cunnihgham article. Far from being reduced, baby Alan's platelet count was

markedly elevated at 571,000 on the terminal hospitalization, which would

be more compatible with the timing of a vaccine-induced injury, taking

place a number of days before hospital admission:(23)

Defense Witness's Summation:

In the defense witness's conclusion that the baby had died from natural

causes, he based this conclusion on several findings:

The baby was admitted to the hospital during its terminal illness with two

advanced and long-standing conditions: bilateral pneumonia and meningitis.

According to his words, either one might have been fatal, but both

together would in certainty have caused death.

The brain hemorrhages were in all probability spontaneous, due to the

combination of meningitis and a prolonged period of apnea preceding the

terminal hospitalization, as described above.

The baby had several features of " failure to thrive, " including immaturity

of the kidneys (renal lobulations, persistent attachment of renal tubules

to the renal capsule), and a failure in real weight gain. He hypothesized

that this may have been due to prolonged pneumonia and also a neonatal

hypoxic event, as indicated by extensive nerve degeneration in the spinal

column with extensive revascularization, the latter necessarily reflecting

an old process and placing the timing around birth. (We now know that

almost certainly such an event did take place around the neonatal period

from a combination of severe hypoxia, severe hypoglycemia, and

hyperbilirubinemia). Also, the defense witness's contention that there was

brain/spinal injury near or at birth tends to be supported by the presence

of nucleated red blood cells reported on blood counts for 3 days following

birth(24) and elevated liver enzymes.(25)

Trial Conclusion:

In spite of a brilliant presentation by the defense witness, in our opinion

correct in every particular from birth to death of the baby, the jury found

the defendant guilty of murder. As for the reasons for this verdict, the

descriptions by the defense witness were highly technical, and the jury may

have understood little of it. Also, the defense witness had only one

appearance before the jury, while the state witnesses had a total of six.

In this case it would appear that numbers did count.

Since the defendant had refused to plea-bargain, maintaining his innocence,

the laws mandated a life sentence, and the court had no choice but to

impose this sentence. In our view, the refusal of the father to

plea-bargain for a lesser sentence was a courageous act, one which would

have been made only by a person conscious of his own innocence.

Review and Discussion:

Very clearly, the infant remained seriously ill following discharge from

the hospital following his newborn period. Three serial chest X-rays in the

hospital showed persistent pulmonary infiltrates, which were again found at

postmortem examination, indicating a persistent, bilateral pneumonia, which

had been present since birth. In addition, there were indications of brain

damage from neonatal hypoxia and of failure to thrive, as pointed out and

described by the defense witness. The baby was

born prematurely. Not to be dismissed were the mother's observations that

the baby's chest congestion never did clear after being taken home from the

hospital.

Under these and other severely compromised conditions the baby was

administered a total of 6 vaccines, including the DPT, Hib, OPV, and

hepatitis B. at approximately 8 weeks of life. A serious, possibly

catastrophic reaction to the vaccines would have been predictable under

these circumstances. Almost certainly a medical consensus would agree that

vaccinations would have been contraindicated and should not have been

given. In this regards, The Physicians ' Desk Reference provides warnings

or precautions for all of these vaccines to inquire into the health of the

recipient before their administration. For the DPT there is a warning that

immunizations should be deferred during an acute infection, the clear

implication being that there are heightened risks of reactions in the

presence of infection or serious illness. Prematurity has also been listed

as a contraindication to vaccines in early infancy.(26)

Rationale that Baby Alan's Death was Vaccine-Related:

There are two possible mechanisms, either separately or in combination, by

which the vaccines could have initiated a train of events culminating in

death. The first would have been that of an " immune paralysis " from the

vaccines, which could have resulted in a fulminating spread of the lung

infections (pneumonia) to other parts of the body, including the brain. As

the inflammatory cells were described to the court as lymphocytes, this

would of necessity have been a viral infection, not bacterial.

The second mechanism would have been a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis,

of which the pertussis, hepatitis B. and Hemophilus influenza bacillus

vaccines would have been prime suspects, either individually or in

combination. This requires an acceptance of the validity of the 10 or 11

day latent period in the present case, the time period between the vaccines

and the onset of signs of encephalitis and/or meningitis. It is freely

admitted that this flies in the face of the 3 to 7 day limitations

(depending on the vaccine), imposed by current guidelines of the

Congressional Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, whereby symptoms of

encephalitis must occur within these time periods for the vaccines to be

recognized as a cause of the encephalitis. However, based on recent medical

literature, some of which will be reviewed here, there are grounds for

believing that these time limitations are outdated and unrealistic. It

should also be noted that minor symptoms did appear the day following

immunizations as noted by the parents and grandparents, including

feverishness, irritability, and diarrhea as well as feeding problems.

However, there is one piece of information which outweighs all others and

which carries the vaccine issue to a level of virtual certainty; that is,

that the vaccines did cause the death of baby Alan. Not discovered until

December, 2000 because of careless and incorrect nurse's notes in recording

the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, as " DTP " rather than " DTaP, "

(acellular), the latter being the vaccine that was actually given to the

baby, as confirmed by the doctor's order sheet and also the mother's

vaccine records. Further investigation has revealed that this vaccine

(Connaught Labs, DTaP 7H81507) belongs to the " hottest " lot on record,

according to VAERS files, ranking highest in infant deaths among more the

800 vaccine lots.

" Immune Paralysis " from Vaccines, a Possible Role in Spread of Infection:

There is a small but firm body of medical literature that vaccines can

bring about a form of immune paralysis, opening the way for invasion by

micro-organisms which the body may be harboring, micro-organisms which

otherwise might remain relatively harmless. One of the most intriguing of

these was reported from Germany in 1986 in a little noted

Letterto-the-Editor to the New England Journal of Medicine.(27) In the

study, a significant though temporary drop of T-helper lymphocytes was

reported in 11 healthy adults following routine tetanus vaccinations.

Special concern rests in the fact that, among 4 of the subjects, the

T-helper lymphocytes dropped to levels seen in active AIDS patients.

Parenthetically, if such results ensued from a single vaccine in healthy

adults, it is frightening and sobering to think of the possible

consequences of the multiple vaccines given to this vulnerable infant.

Although this study has never been repeated (as far as we are aware) a new

text by Teddy H. Spence(28) provides 20 references of studies or case

reports showing immune suppression following various vaccines, four of

which are cited here.(29-32)

Historically, one of the earliest reports of spread of disease following

vaccines is found in an older book, The Hazards of Immunization, by Sir

Graham .(33) Although not necessarily opposed to vaccines, the author

did give an extensive review of the potential side effects from the

vaccines, including a chapter entitled, " Provocation Disease, " in which he

described certain complications, including paralysis from poliomyelitis in

an arm into which vaccines had been given. Significantly, this was noted

most frequently following the DPT vaccine.(34) In more recent times, a

similar phenomenon was observed in Oman during a polio epidemic, in which

it was found that a significantly higher proportion of the polio cases had

received the DPT vaccine within 30 days before paralysis than did

controls.(35)

It is known that the baby had a smoldering bilateral pneumonia at time of

the vaccines, as well as failure to thrive. The defense witness, we believe

correctly, testified that the baby had had neurologic damage from neonatal

hypoxia. The immunological suppression from multiple vaccines into a highly

vulnerable infant might well have resulted in a fulminating spread of the

lung infection to other parts of the body, including the brain.

Vaccines as a Potential Source for Cerebral Hemorrhage, Autoimmunity, and

Vasculopathies:

In a collection of abstracts from Med-line research from 1990 to October,

1997, on adverse reactions from the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, Dr.

Valeri of Italy catalogued a total of 45 different types of

reactions in the world literature.(36) Among these were necrotizing

vasculitis,(37) vaccine induced autoimmunity,(38) and segmentary occlusion

of the central retinal vein.(39) In a report of 18 deaths of neonates

following the hepatitis B vaccine by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting

System, 1991-1998, hemorrhagic phenomena were common including 2 with

cerebral hemorrhages, 4 with pulmonary bleeding, 1 with bloody diarrhea,

and several with blood in upper airway passages.(40) A report in

PostGraduate Medicine in 1973 on acute hemorrhagic encephalitis cites

vaccines as one of the possible causes.(41)

As early as 1975 Urbaschek described the role of bacterial endotoxin (in

this instance the pertussis endotoxin) in bleeding and coagulation

disorders.(42) More recently McCuskey et al described the initial responses

to endotoxemia as microvascular inflammation with activation of endothelium

from its normal anticoagulation state to a procoagulation state.(43)

However, in this instance blood coagulation tests may have been skewed by

the administration of heparin soon after hospital admission.

In a study devised to provide an animal model for the systemic and

neurological complications observed following the pertussis vaccine in

children, Steinman and coworkers discovered a lethal shock-like syndrome in

mice after immunization with B pertussis vaccine and sensitization to

bovine serum albumin. Post-mortem examination of the brains revealed

diffuse vascular congestion and hemorrhages in both cortex and white

matter. (emphasis ours)(44)

In the case of Baby Alan, the encephalomyelopathy could have predisposed to

hemorrhagic consequences due to (1) increased friability of the blood

vessels, (2) brain edema with resultant shearing effects, and (3) slight

but possibly significant prolongation of prothrombin time. Of passing

interest, as related to retinal hemorrhages, was a study of 20 children

resuscitated following events other than trauma such as near drowning,

asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and other causes in which it was

found that 2 children (10%) were found to have retinal

hemorrhages.(45)Thus, there are exceptions to the current belief that SBS

is the sole cause of retinal hemorrhages.

A New Syndrome Emerging from Tragedy?:

As yet based largely on observation and a limited but suggestive body of

medical literature, in many cases thought to represent SBS it appears that

we may be witnessing the adverse effects from interactions of highly potent

vaccines given in combination, which potentially include: Hepatitis B

(hemorrhagic vasculopathies, autoimmune reactions, neuropathies),

Hemophilus influenza (Hib) (hypersensitization), tetanus

(hypersensitization), and pertussis (hypersensitization, brain edema, and

hypercoagulability with vascular inflammation from endotoxin). A study by

Terpstra found the Hib vaccine to exceed even the pertussis vaccine in the

latter's sensitizing potencies.(46) Usually within a period of 12 days

these interactions bring about a combination of brain edema,

hypercoagulability of the blood, and inflammation of blood vessels, these

in turn resulting in a shearing effect on subdural blood vessels and

subdural hematomas, thus mimicking what is now thought to represent the SBS.

If this does in time prove to be a newly recognized syndrome, then it

should have a name. In our opinion, none could be more fitting than the

" Yurko Syndrome, " in honor of baby Alan Joe Yurko.

Vaccines, Scurvy, and Hemorrhagic Diatheses:

In the 1970's a major contribution was made to medicine by the Australian,

Archivides Kalokerinos, M.D. in his work among the Australian aborigines.

After working a number of years among these people, Dr. Kalokerinos became

appalled by the very high infant mortality rate, in some areas approaching

50%. Having observed cases of scurvy among the children, who were living on

very poor diets of processed foods; and noting that infants frequently died

following immunizations, especially if they had colds, he intuitively made

a connection between vitamin C deficiency and deaths following vaccines.

After improving nutrition and adding regular vitamin C supplementation,

infant mortality was virtually abolished.(47,48) As a result of this work

he was awarded the Australian Medal of Merit in 1978.

One of the primary roles of vitamin C being the production and maintenance

of connective tissues in the body, Dr. Kalokerinos hypothesized that, in

infants nutritionally deficient of vitamin C, with viral infections further

depleting their limited reserves, the administration of the pertussis

vaccine would often throw the children into fulminating scurvy with its

hemorrhagic complications, with vitamin C being consumed at enormous rates

in neutralizing the pertussis toxin.

In the present case, we have earlier reviewed the stormy course of the

mother's pregnancy, with a total lack of weight gain from beginning to end

of the pregnancy. This consideration, together with the fact that she was

unable to take her vitamins, almost certainly would have resulted in gross

nutrient deficiencies in the baby, especially vitamin C, resulting in

heightened vulnerability to the vaccines. It could also have played a role

in the rib fractures. Vitamin C deficiency may have contributed to

inadequate connective tissue formation in the bones before birth, making

them susceptible to " green stick " fractures during the stresses of the

birth process. As well, vitamin C deficiencies are linked to anemic

conditions.

In his writings, Dr. Kalokerinos referred to a case with which he was

involved,(49) a case with uncanny similarity to that of Baby Alan including

rib fractures, retinal and subdural hemorrhages. In referring to the case,

Dr. Kalokerinos quoted from a text dealing with scurvy,(50) which described

fractures at the costochondral junction, including those of the ribs to the

spine. In his words: " Scurvy disrupts these areas (constochondral

junctions), the bone breaks down and the ribs may 'override,' forming in

typical cases 'beads.' Then healing commences with new bone formation

looking just like true healing fractures. Furthermore, not all the ribs may

be involved in this process and the changes will not all occur at the same

time - giving the impression of multiple fractures of different ages.

Having heard about the case of Baby Alan and doing a review of the records,

Dr. Kalokerinos offered to testify in the father's behalf, believing with a

virtual certainty that the baby's death was vaccine related.

The Controversy of the Latent Period following Immunizations:

As previously reviewed, there was a latent period of 10 or 11 days in Baby

Alan between administration of the vaccines and the onset of signs of

encephalitis and/or meningitis. Not to be discounted, though, were the

minor reactions noted within 24 hours of vaccines, as previously mentioned.

If we think in terms of a vaccine-induced encephalomyelitis, most of the

earlier literature deals with the pertussis vaccine. Flexner (1930) noted a

strong tendency for the nervous system manifestations to declare themselves

between the 10th to 13th days.(51) In a review of 108 cases recorded before

1929 by Gorter (1933), the onset of encephalitis as " strikingly constant, "

usually observed between the 10th and 12th days following vaccination,

commonly with a febrile period on the 7th and 8th days, followed by

recovery until onset of encephalitis.(52) In 1929 an editorial in the

Journal of the American Medical Association reported on an increase in

severe neurological complications following infections and inoculations,

occurring on about the 11th day after vaccination.(53) Over 50 years later

Munoz (1984), in a mice study of experimental encephalomyelitis elicited by

injection of pertussigen, found the same latent period of 11 to 13 days.(54)

In contrast, literature since the 1970's has reported an entirely different

pattern, with the onset of encephalopathy largely falling within a 3 day

period following vaccines.(55-57) We can only speculate as to this changing

pattern. Perhaps it could be attributed to the fact that, in those early

years, children were given only the DPT vaccine or at most DPT with the

oral polio vaccine, whereas in more recent years they have been receiving

the hepatitis B and Hib vaccines in addition. As previously reviewed, the

hepatitis B has been implicated in hemorrhagic diatheses, autoimmune

disorders and other complications; the Hib has been shown to have unusually

high hypersensitizing qualities.

In the text, Vaccinations and Behavior Disorders, by Greg

(publication pending), the author made the following comment in regards to

the latent period:(58)

" Today the latent period is rarely mentioned in connection with

neurological complications of immunization. . . Contemporary studies on the

pertussis vaccine select an arbitrary time limit in which reactions have to

occur to be considered as vaccine related. This time limit is usually from

3 to 7 days.

Perhaps the only study which explores the dynamics of post DPT reactions is

an independent Australian study by Karlsson and Scheibner which, with a

monitor which followed breathing volumes, found particular times of

stress-induced breathing following DPT injections: "

'Of special importance (for stress) are days 2, 5, 6, and 8, 11, 13-16 and

18-21. (Scheibner, 1991).(59)

Dr. Scheibner's findings do have some support in two studies which showed a

fairly high incidence of cardiorespiratory complications in premature

infants following vaccinations.(60,61) Unfortunately, these studies were of

limited duration (48 hours in one instance).

Another study throwing light on the latent period is one coming from Japan,

from which it was found that increased histamine sensitivity in mice,

brought about by the pertussis vaccine, showed two peaks, one on the 4th

day following vaccination, and a second on the 12th day.(62)

In describing the mechanism of these cardiac and respiratory failures,

Reisinger stated that the platelet injury by endotoxin may result in a

dramatic rise in serotonin, which can initiate coronary chemoreflex causing

bradycardia, hypotension and cardiac collapse.(63) Reisinger also commented

that the hemorrhagic complications from the " black plague " of the Middle

Ages were simply due to an unusually virulent form of endotoxemia from

Pasteurella pestis, a property common to all disease-causing bacteria.(64)

In order to provide an overview of the latent period issue, there are two

basic classes of immune systems, the immoral or antibody producing system,

which tends to produce immediate-type reactions, and cellular immunity, in

which reactions are delayed. Either class is capable of producing

autoimmunity.(65) Obviously, the usual 3 or 7 day limitation, which now

stands as a medical-legal standard, excludes a recognition of the

delayed-type autoimmune reactions and, by inference, even denies their

existence. In an article by Cohen and Shoenfeld,(66) one dealing with

questions of vaccine-induced autoimmunity, the authors pointed out that it

is a subject about which relatively little is known, due to the

comparatively little attention it has received in clinical and laboratory

studies. In point of fact a more recent review on this subject cites a

temporal relationship of 2 to 3 months between vaccines and autoimmune

reactions.(67)

For this reason it is reasonable to assume that this is an area where large

numbers of adverse vaccine reactions may be taking place, unrecognized and

unreported because of this lack of study.

As a final comment about the latent period, in a letter to the British

Medical Journal, Rosemary Fox, secretary of Parents of Vaccine Damaged

Children, made the following comments:(68)

" Two years ago we started to collect details from parents of serious

reactions suffered by their children to immunizations of all kinds. In 65%

of the cases referred to us, reactions followed the triple vaccine

(diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus). The children in this group total 182 to

date; all are severely brain damaged, some are also paralyzed, and 5 have

died. Approximately 60% of reactions. . . occurred within 24 hours of

vaccination, 80% within 3 days, and all within 12 days. "

It is of importance to point out that a significant number (20%) of

reactions in this series did occur beyond the 3-day limit, which now serves

as the medical-legal standard for identification of pertussis-vaccine

reactions.

Lymphocytosis and Brain Edema following Immunization: Bringing back to mind

the imflammatory cell (lymphocytic) infiltrations in the retinal and

meningeal membranes in the present case, as described by the defense

witness, it is of interest to review the literature on this subject.

Greg pointed out that that around the turn of the 20th century it

was first noted that a marked leukocytosis and lymphocytosis occurred in

the blood of children with pertussis, which has been a marker for the

disease ever since. Cherry pointed out that the biologically active

component in pertussis is known as the " lymphocytosis promoting

factor. " (69) Perhaps the most telling report concerning the present case is

the previously reported case by Munoz,(70) in which an experimental

encephalomyelitis was elicited in mice by the injection of pertussigen, a

derivative of Bordetella pertussis, along with mouse spinal cord extract,

from which there were histological findings of perivascular infiltrates,

consisting largely of lymphocytes in the brain and spinal cord, findings

reminiscent of the present case of Baby Alan.

Although Munoz mentioned nothing about the presence or absence of brain

edema, the study of Iwasa stressed the finding of brain edema as a feature

of pertussis-induced encephalopathy.(71) It is of interest to point out

that there are human reports which support this finding: of infants which

developed increased intracranial pressure with bulging fontanelles

following DPT immunizations.(72-74)

With this information as a background, there is a basis for assuming the

likelihood that the meningitis described from the pathological slides, with

heavy infiltration of lymphcytes as well as brain edema, represents a

vaccine-induced process.

Allergic Sensitization Brought about by Vaccines: The increasing incidence

of allergic disorders in western nations is now universally recognized,

with every third child in industrialized societies having an allergic

disorder.(75) Since this trend coincides with vaccine programs, reports are

now appearing which address the question of a possible relation between

vaccines and increasing allergies. Among these are four controlled studies,

from widely separated geographic areas, showing a marked increase in

allergic disorders among fully immunized children as compared to those with

limited or no vaccines.(76-79) Further indications of the propensities of

vaccines, especially pertussis, to induce hypersensitivity reactions and/or

encephalitis are to be found in laboratory studies, the natures of which

are indicated by their titles:

" Pertussis adjuvant prolongs intestinal hypersensitivity.(80)

" Anaphylaxis or so-called encephalopathy in mice sensitized to an antigen

with the aid of

pertussigen (pertussis toxin).(81)

" Immunoglobulin E and G responses to pertussis toxin after booster

immunization in

relation to atopy, local reactions and aluminum content in the vaccines.(82)

" Comparison of vaccination of mice and rats with Haemophilus influenzas and

Bordetella pertussis as models of atopy.(83)

" Sensitization to thimerosal in atopic children.(84)

Regarding the Hemophilus influenza vaccine, possibly a result of its

unusually high sensitization potential (85), it has been found that most

children and adults experience a temporary decrease in the antibody to the

capsule of the Hemophilus influenza bacillus following Hib vaccination.

The authors cautioned that this decrease might transiently increase the

risk of invasive disease if it happened during an asymptomatic colonization

with H influenza type b.

Finally, in a 1991 report by the National Institute of Medicine, the

committee did find evidence of a causal relation between the DPT vaccine

and anaphylaxis, a potentially lifethreatening allergic reaction.(86)

Intriguing Studies in the Older Medical Literature: Among other reasons, we

must be thankful to Greg and his previously mentioned book for

bringing to light some of the older studies on vaccine reactions, studies

now largely forgotten.

As previously reviewed, studies of Flexner and Gorter reviewed the more

prolonged latent periods between pertussis vaccine and onset of

encephalitis observed in earlier decades than those reported in more recent

times. Concerned reports by Byers and Moll(87) in 1948 and Toomey (88) in

1949 showed no reluctance to report on adverse reactions they observed from

the pertussis vaccine, and to advise searches for greater safety in its use.

Of all the earlier reports, perhaps none is more intriguing than that of

Low (Chicago, 1955), who reported a study in which he performed

electroencephalograms on 83 children before and after pertussis

vaccinations.(89) In 2 of these children the encephalograms turned abnormal

following the vaccines without signs or symptoms of abnormal reactions.

From these he concluded, " This study shows that mild but possibly

significant cerebral reactions occur in addition to the reported very

severe neurological changes. "

The implications of this study are enormous. At a time when myriads of our

children are suffering from minimal brain dysfunction or related disorders,

it is possible that unrecognized vaccine reactions may be occurring on a

large scale and may be contributing to this pool of unfortunate children.

As Greg commented:

" studies such as Low's, which closely examine individual children, are

extremely rare in the study of vaccine reactions and virtually non-existent

in today's literature. "

It is as if there has been a silent ban on studies which might reveal

adverse side effects from the vaccines, and in the revealing raise

questions as to whether or not, among some of the present vaccines, harmful

effects may outweigh the benefits.

It is not quite true that there have no other similar studies since that of

Low. There is a report from Japan in which 116 immunizations were given to

61 children with a history of febrile seizures or epilepsy, who had not had

a seizure for one year. It was found that " epileptic spikes (among the

children) reappeared after 10 and increased among 10 out of 73 vaccine

(administrations) given for DTP or DT or BCG vaccines. " (90)

Conclusion: From all of the studies quoted above, especially the German

study showing significant drops in T-helper lymphocytes in healthy adults

following tetanus booster injections, and the study of Low just quoted

(neither of which have had follow-up studies in the United States, as they

should have had), a large number of adverse reactions may be taking place

unsuspected and unrecognized. The adverse events from vaccines that have

been reported may represent the tip of the iceberg, as compared with a much

larger number that are actually taking place. All of this, we believe, has

a direct bearing on the case of Baby Alan.

We have previously observed that the train of events in the present case,

culminating in death, could be explained by the presence of pneumonia

together with a viral meningitis and/or a vaccine-induce encephalitis.

Shaken baby syndrome has never caused pneumonia and meningitis. Baby Alan

died of a vaccine reaction.

Harold E. Buttram, M.D. & F. Yazbak, M.D.

Woodlands Healing Research Center

Family, Environmental & Preventive Medicine

5724 Clymer Rd. Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-1890 * 800-517-9545

Fax 215-529-9034 * Email: foffice@...

Web Page- http://www.woodmed.com

Footnote: For those who may wish to contact the wife of the prisoner or the

prisoner himself, they may be reached as follows:

Mrs. Francine Yurko

Email: FRANSWRLD@...

PO Box 585965, Orlando, Florida 32858-5965

Mr. Alan Yurko, AX13917, Washington Correctional Institute, 4455 Sam

Drive,

Chipley. FL 32428-3501

References:

1 TJ. (November.1999), Shaken baby (shaken impact) syndrome:

non-accidental head injur in infancy. Royal Soc Med,Vol 99:556-561.

2 Weston IT, (1968) The pathology of child abuse, in:Heifer RE, Kempe CH,

editors, The Battered Child, University of Chicago Press, pp 77-100.

3 Caffey J (l972), On the theory and practice of shaking infants; its

potential residual effects of permanent brain damage and mental

retardation, Am J Dis Child, 124:161-169.

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8 Steinman L et al, (Oct., l982) Murine model for pertussis vaccine

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11 Rey E, (1996) Carbohydrate intolerance in pregnancy: incidence and

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12 See reference l0, pages 517-519.

13 VF et al, (1990), Rib fractures in children: a marker for severe

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associated with decreased fetal movement and osteopenia, Calcif Tissue Int,

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16 Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th Edition, Behrman, Kliegman, Jenson

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17 Oppenheimer DR, (1968) Microscopic lesions in the brain following head

injury, J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 31:299-306.

18 Strich SJ, (1956) Diffuse degeneration of the cerebral white matter in

severe dementia following head injury, J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry,

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20 Kaur B, Rutty GN, & Timperley WR, (1999) The possible role of hypoxia in

the formation of axonal bulbs, J Clin Path, 52:203-209.

21 Geddes JF et al, (2000) Traumatic axonal injury: practical issues for

diagnosis in medicolegal cases, Neuropath & Applied Neurobiol, 26:105-116.

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endotoxemia. Cardiovascular Res, 32(4):752-763.

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perinatal brain damage, Am J Obst Gyn, 181:1500-1505

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26 TheNew Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia, Volume One, Ferguson

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28 Vaccination Deception, Teddy H Spence, Truth Seekers Press, 3060 Main

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30 Munyer et al. (July-.1975) Depressed lymphocyte function after

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33 The Hazards of Immunization, Sir Graham , The Athlone Press. The

University of London, 1967.

34 Ibid, pages 265-280.

35 Sutter RW et al, (1992), Attributable risk of DTP (diphtheria and

tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccines) injections in provoking paralytic

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36 Contact Dr. Valeri 01139-0535-26454, public section: phone-fax

0039-30-20.90.288 ( Carla)

37 Kerleau JM et al. (1997),La Vaccinazione anti-hepatite B e una nuova

cause di vasculite necrotizzante? (lettera) Rev Med lnterne, 18(6):491-492.

38 Cohen AD. Shoenfeld Y. (Dec., 1996), Autoimmunita indotta dai vaccini, J

Autoimmunity, 9(6):699-703.

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retina dopo vaccinazione antihepatite B con vaccino ricombinante. Presse

Med, 26(2):62-65.

40 Niu MT et al, (Dec1999) Neonatal Deaths after hepatitis B Vaccine, Arch

Pediatr Adolesc Med, 153: 1279-1282.

41 Behan PO et al. (Oct.,1973). Acute necrotizing encephalopathy,

PostGraduate Medicine, 54(4):154-160.

42 Urbaschek. (Aug.14.1975) Fortschr Med, 93(22-23):1067-1071.

43 McCuskey et al. (Oct1996) Review: the microcirculation during

endotoxemia. Cardiovascular Res, 32(4):752-763.

44 Steinman L et al, Murine model for pertussis vaccine encephalopathy:

linkage to H-2, Nature, 299(21);Oct., l982:738-740.

45 Goetting MG & Sowa B. (April. 1990), Retinal hemorrhage after

cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children: an etiologic reevaluation.

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46 Terpstra OK et al, (March-April, 1979), Comparison of vaccination of

mice and rats with Hemophilus influenzas and Bordetella pertussis as

models, Clin Exp Pharmac Physiol, 6(2):139-149.

47 Every Second Child, Archie Kalokerinos, M.D., , Australia,

1974.

48 Cadenas et al, (Jan.,1998), Endotoxin increases oxidative injury to

proteins in guinea pig liver: protection by dietary vitamin C, Pharmacol

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49 A Kalokerinos, Autobiography, publication pending.

50 Scurvy, Past and Present, Alfred F Hess, M.D., J. B. Lippincott Co.,

Philadelphia, 1920.

51 Flexner S (1930), Postvaccinal encephalitis and allied conditions, JAMA,

94(5):305-311.

52 Gorter E (1933), Postvaccinal encephalitis, JAMA, 101(24):1871-1874.

53 JAMA, (Editorial), (May, 1929), Postinfectious encephalitis, a problem

of increasing

importance, 92(18):1523-1524.

54 Munoz JJ et al, (1984), Elicitation of experimental encephalomyelitis in

mice with the aid of pertussigen, Cellular lmmunology, 83(1):92-100.

55 Menkes JH and Kinsbourne M, (1990), Workshop on neurologic complications

of pertussis and pertussis vaccination, Neuropediatrics, 21:171-176.

56 Menkes JH, (1990), Neurologic complications of pertussis vaccination,

Ann Neurology, 28:428.

57 Cody CL et al. (Nov1981), Nature and rates of adverse reactions

associated with DTP and DT immunization in infants and children,

Pediatrics, 68(5):650-660.

58 Vaccination and Behavior Disorders, a Review of the Controversy, Greg

, Tuntable Creek Publishing, PO Box 1448, Lismore NSW 2480,

Australia, 2000,

pages 48-49.

59 Karlsson L & Scheibner V. (1991), Association between non-specific

stress syndrome, DPT injections and cot death, paper presented to the 2nd

immunization conference, Canberra, May 27-29.

60 Pourcyrous M et al, (March, 1998), Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein,

and abnormal cardiorespiratory responses to immunization in premature

infants, Pediatrics, 101(3):461.

61 Asztalos E et al, (1996) Incidence of adverse effects from routine

vaccinations in premature infants, Pediatric Res, 39:293A

62 Horiuchi S et al. (1993), Two different histamine-sensitizing activities

of pertussis vaccine observed in mice on the 4th and 12th days of

sensitization. Japan J Med Sci Biol, 46:17-27.

63 Reisinger RC (1974) A final mechanism of cardiac and respiratory

failure, SIDS, 1974, Proc. Of Camps International Symp. On SID in infancy,

Also congressional Record S.1745, September 20,1973.

64 Personal communication

65 Immunobiology, A Janeway et al, Fourth Edition, Current Biology

Publications, New York, 1999, Page 495.

66 Cohen DC & Shoenfeld Y. (1996) Vaccine-induced autoimmunity, J

Autoimmunity, 9:699-703.

67 Shoenfeld Y & Aron-Maor A, (Feb., 2000) Vaccination and

autoimmunity-'vaccinosis': a dangerous liaison?, J Autoimmunitv, 14(1):1-10.

68 Fox R (Feb. 21. 1976). Letter, British Medical Journal.

69 Cherry ID et al, (1988), Report of the task force on pertussis and

pertussis immunization, Pediatrics, 81(6), Part ii Supplement: 940.

70 Refer to reference 54.

71 Refer to reference 7.

72 J & Manning F. (Feb1979), Increased intracranial pressure after

diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis immunization, J Dis Child, 133:217-218.

73 Gross TP et al. (Mar., 1989) Bulging fontanelle after immunization with

diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis

vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus vaccine, J Pediatr, 114(3):423-425.

74Mathur R Kumari S. (June, 1981) Bulging fontanel following DPT, Indian

Pediatr, 18(6):417-418.

75 The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

Steering Committee: Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of

asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema, Lancet, 1998.

351:1225-1232.

76 Odent MR (1994). Pertussis vaccine and asthma, is there a link? JAMA,

271:229-231.

77 Alm JS et al, (May 1, 1999). Atopy in children with anthroposophic

lifestyle, Lancet, 353:1485-1488.

78 Kemp T et al, (Nov., 1997), Is infant immunization a risk factor for

childhood asthma or allergy?, Epidemiologv, 8(6):678-680.

79 Hurwitz EL & Morgenstern H. (2000), Effects of

diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and

allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the

United States, J Manipulative Physiol Therapy, 23:1-10.

80 Kosecka U et al, (July,1999), Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 119(3):205-211.

81 Munoz JJ et al, (April, 1987). Infect lmmunol, 55(4):1004-1008.

82 Odelram H et al, (May, 1994), Pediat Allergy Immunol, 5(2):8-123.

83 (Refer to reference 41).

84 Patrizi A (Fete 1999), Contact Dermatitis, 40(2):94-97.

85 Daum RS et se, (May, 1999), Decline in serum antibody to the capsule of

the Hemophilus influenza type b in the immediate post immunization period,

J. Pediatrics, 114(5):742-747.

86 Institute of Medicine, Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella

Vaccines, National Academy Press, 1991.

87 Byers RK & Moll FC, (1948), Encephalopathies following prophylactic

pertussis vaccine, Pediatrics, 1(4):437 457.

88 Toomey J. (1949), Reactions to pertussis vaccine, JAMA, 139(7):448-450.

89 Low NL, (1955), Electroencephalographic studies following pertussis

immunization, J. Pediatrics, 47:35-39.

90 Nouno S et al, (Aug., 1990) Adverse effects on EEG and clinical

condition after immunizing children with convulsive disorders, Acta

Paediatr Japan, 32(4):357-360.

====================================

Vaccination Nation: Children On The Frontline

Reactions to vaccine match symptoms found in `shaken baby' cases

By JOHN HANCHETTE and SUNNY KAPLAN

Gannett News Service

The Detroit News Friday, September 4, 1998

Gray of smalltown Harrah, smack in the middle of Oklahoma,

likes country music and loud, action shows on television. He likes rolling

through the park in his wheelchair as his father jogs behind him, pushing.

He likes it when his father holds him in the swimming pool. , 9,

can hear and understand.

But he cannot walk. He cannot talk. He cannot see or swallow. He is fed

through a tube. His tongue keeps thrusting out of his mouth. He is still in

diapers.

He has daily seizures that no medicine yet can control, and he's been

having them since the day after his first DTP vaccination at the age of 6

weeks. A federal claims court has ruled the shot caused the brain damage.

This fall, will receive about $425,000 -- the first of possibly

$2 million in federal compensation payments to help him through the few

years that medical science says he has left.

For some, however, it wasn't always clear the vaccine caused 's

injuries. Soon after the inoculation in southern California where they

lived at the time -- and immediately after 's first signs of

brain damage -- his father, Larry Gray, was investigated on suspicion of

assaulting his son by shaking him.

The child was taken from his parents for six months, until a doctor quietly

told a police detective the DTP shot could do similar damage and the abuse

investigation was halted.

The accusations outraged Larry Gray in 1989, but many parents encounter

worse. Many have been jailed on the same criminal suspicions of causing

what is commonly known as shaken baby syndrome.

Today, these two seemingly unrelated segments of early childhood -- one of

them medical, the other legal -- have begun to bump into each other as

defendants are increasingly turning to vaccine reactions in explanation of

shaken baby charges.

As police and prosecutors frequently attribute infant mortality and injury

to brain damage from shaken baby syndrome -- and often blame parents for

the assaults -- defense attorneys in several cases are arguing the death or

disability may have been caused by the baby's recent vaccination.

Almost all Americans have to be vaccinated to enter society. You can't get

into day care centers, schools or the military without immunization. Most

properly view the disease-stopping shots as life-savers. But in

statistically rare circumstances, one out of 62,000 shots in the case of

the DTP vaccine, the consequences can be dire.

" I think vaccines are dandy, " said Gray's lawyer Curtis Webb.

" They save millions of lives. But I think we should look at the hundreds of

lives ruined and say, `How do we solve this?' We, as a society, are saying

it's acceptable to hurt some children on behalf of others. To me, that is

outrageous. The broader goal should be to encourage that vaccines be made

as safe as reasonably possible. "

While shaken baby syndrome is all too real -- and while many parents abuse

their infants -- some scientists think social workers, paramedics,

pediatricians, hospital emergency room doctors and law enforcement officers

may be mistaking vaccine reaction damage for evidence of parental abuse.

Dr. Schweller, a San Diego pediatric neurologist who testified in

the Gray hearing before the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program that the brain damage from interior bleeding was

likely triggered by the DTP shot, stressed this in a Gannett News Service

interview:

" There is a tendency in some medical arenas to discount completely the

history provided by the family if you find evidence of a subdural hematoma

-- no matter what history is provided. Even a three-foot fall can cause

fractures. It doesn't need to be some type of shaking event. I'm always

leery, in medicine, of saying something is always due to some factor, or

that something is 100 percent. "

In four months of research on various facets of childhood immunization, GNS

has discovered shaken baby cases in which the deaths and injuries in

question followed the infant vaccinations closely enough that medical

experts and pediatric scientists testified under oath there may be a

connection.

The DTP inoculation, most reactive of the childhood vaccines, usually was

singled out by defending parents and their expert witnesses as the damaging

shot.

DTP stands for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (or whooping cough).

Scientists say the culprit in DTP reactions is the pertussis portion of the

inoculation, mainly because it is made from the killed whole cells of

pertussis bacteria.

Endotoxins -- or poisons produced by certain bacteria and released from the

cell wall upon death of the germs -- are present in the pertussis portion

of DTP. These endotoxins sometimes make the walls of blood capillaries more

permeable, according to numerous researchers and the American Medical

Association's official encyclopedia of medicine.

Federal databases provided GNS under the Freedom of Information Act show

that of the $916 million awarded so far to parents of vaccine-injured and

dead children by the federal government's National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program, 81 percent have been for DTP cases.

" Some of the symptoms being quoted as shaken baby syndrome could be

attributed to the DTP vaccine, particularly the whole-cell pertussis

component, " said Dr. Mark Geier, a land physician and geneticist who

has testified in numerous vaccine damage cases. He noted that one of the

symptoms of shaken baby syndrome that prosecutors frequently stress is

" bleeding on both sides of the brain because of being shaken back and forth. "

But, explained Geier: " A baby that has a DTP shot potentially has

interference with blood clotting, and you might end up with bleeding on

both sides of the brain. It looks like it could have been shaken baby. "

The contention of DTP damage is key in the most recently famous legal

battle over shaken baby charges -- the widely covered New York City case of

Malcolm Scoon, 40, a quiet, religious Queens anesthesiologist who last

spring turned down plea bargain offers in protestation of his innocence.

Scoon was sentenced to two to six years on Rikers Island when a jury

believed shaken baby charges in the February 1996 death of his daughter,

h. Scoon was released from Rikers in mid-August while his conviction

is appealed.

h Scoon was frail since her 11-weeks premature birth at 2 pounds 1

ounce, and her brief medical record featured several indicators mitigating

against DTP vaccination, including meningitis -- potentially deadly

inflammation of the membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain.

Despite her premature birth, her pediatrician put her on an accelerated

vaccination schedule.

Malcolm Scoon, certified in infant CPR, actually revived his 5-month-old

daughter when he found her limp and without breath in their Cambria Heights

home a week after she had received her second series of DTP shots and HiB

shot. This relatively new vaccine protects against Haemophilus Influenza

Type B, which can trigger meningitis. Some scientists believe adverse

reactions to that inoculation include contraction of the disease.

What Scoon characterized to GNS in a Rikers Island prison interview as mild

jostling designed to revive breathing, with the baby's head held firmly in

palm of hand -- the prosecution portrayed as violent, destructive shaking.

The autopsy showed no broken bones or bruises, a sole mark on one arm, but

bleeding behind the eyes and in the brain cavity.

The prosecution exaggerated the shaking as so violent, the mother, Lois

Scoon complained, " It was as if she'd been thrown from a seven-story

building, or from a car. Does that sound right? She had no fractures. "

h was rushed to Long Island Jewish Hospital, where, according to court

testimony, the father's request that she be intibated to assist breathing

was ignored, and several other treatment mistakes made, including 40

minutes when no one paid much attention to the desperately ill child at

all. The hospital quickly reported Scoon for suspicion of shaking the baby,

and he was questioned by detectives even before the little girl died.

Harvard neuro-radiologist testified at Scoon's trial that

h died from brain damage caused by a clot in a vein in the brain, but

he didn't believe the prosecution's shaken baby theory. He said it was

possible the DTP vaccination seven days before could have caused an

infection leading to the clot.

Dr. Enid Gilbert-s, a physician and much-published pediatric

pathologist who practices in Tampa Fla., and teaches at the University of

South Florida, testified for Scoon at the trial.

She was adamant four months later, in GNS (Gannett News Service)

interviews, that shaken baby syndrome had nothing to do with h's

death: " This was meningitis, and a blind man on a galloping horse could

have seen that. The baby had all the symptoms of onset before the seizure.

The vaccine could have contributed, but the baby had meningitis. "

The large blood clots in the brain veins were not of the type found in

shaken babies, she said: " Malcolm Scoon is innocent, and the verdict is an

unbelievable miscarriage of justice. That often happens, where a hospital

accuses someone of child abuse. A lot of injustices are done. "

Scoon's new lawyers are preparing an appeal based in part on the claims of

vaccine reaction, as well as assertions the judge and jury ignored

prosecutorial misconduct.

The controversial DTP, while still widely available to private

pediatricians should they choose to use it, and administered broadly in

developing nations by the World Health Organization -- is gradually fading

from at least federal use -- even though the Food and Drug Administration,

National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control still

vigorously defend DTP.

Under development for a decade and a half, a much safer DTaP vaccine has

been licensed for infants since 1996 and for booster doses in toddlers

since 1992. The " aP " stands for " acellular pertussis. "

This means that instead of using the whole bacteria cell -- including the

poisonous endotoxins contained in the cell wall -- as in the reactive DTP

shot, the vaccine maker extracts only the portion of the whooping cough

germ that will trigger the body's immune system to develop protective

antibodies against the disease.

The CDC is purchasing 80 percent DTaP and only 20 percent DTPH -- a

combination that includes the HiB vaccine to protect against a bacteria

that often causes meningitis. The CDC makes the massive federal buys to

distribute at public clinics and for state and county public health

departments.

When DTaP three years ago was recommended as the preferred vaccine, the CDC

acknowledges it first used up a six-month inventory of the more reactive

mixture.

Schweller, the San Diego neurologist in the Gray's case, was trained at the

Mayo Clinic and has been an expert witness in several shaken baby cases. He

reviewed the Scoon medical records and " saw a reasonable doubt " that the

father shook the baby.

Schweller is concerned that hospital physicians and social workers these

days are all too willing to jump to conclusions whenever they see brain

bleeding and retinal hemorrhages: " If one sees both, there are rules they

have that this has to be shaken baby syndrome, and can't be anything else.

" When you have that attitude that nothing else can be responsible, and the

history given by the family is held not accurate, you're going to have some

cases where mistakes are going to be made. "

The current shaken baby diagnostic process is based on conventional wisdom

that doesn't hold up, according to Schweller: " You read in a scientific

article that you can't develop a head injury unless you have a violent act

or a 10-foot fall, and it doesn't fit the spectrum of injury that

pediatricians and neurologists routinely see. " Schweller also believes

death-case reasoning is too " circular. "

He explained: " When they're deciding if it's a homicide, the child

protective officer will quote the medical examiner, and the medical

examiner will quote the child protective services official. They're not

making independent judgments, just giving supporting views. "

The San Diego neurologist believes major national legal battles over this

issue are imminent. He points to " a growing chasm between vast numbers of

people in the pediatric field and other people in the neurology field --

sometimes it depends on who screams and yells the most to get to what the

truth is. " Misinformation routinely gets repeated in court, he contended,

" so you get this body of people who, if you say something else did it, they

attack you as a whacko who has some other agenda. "

Shaken baby prosecutions are increasing so rapidly in some locations that

parents are beginning to band together to protest. In Great Britain, at

least two groups have been formed. One is named the Five Percenters because

of their claim that pediatricians " routinely misdiagnose " abuse in at least

one out of 20 brain injury cases " without reference to the facts

surrounding the case. " Another, Parents Against Injustice, claims about 15

shaken baby cases are misdiagnosed in England each year. Several British

pathologists are backing them up.

Parents accused of shaken baby assaults also are aware of a vast disparity

in sentencing in the deaths of infants. Malcolm Scoon -- in a case legal

and scientific experts deem extremely questionable -- drew a longer

sentence than , the Delaware teen who in November 1996 heaved

his and his girlfriend's newborn son into a Dumpster after she ordered him

to " get rid of it. " For the infanticide, he recently drew 24 months, plus

300 hours of community service, which includes counseling teen-agers on

parenthood.

=====================

WELL BEINGS: May/June/July 1998 Vaccination Alternatives' Newsletter

Published five times per year by Vaccination Alternatives PO Box 346, New

York, NY 10023, voice/fax: 212-873-5051 e-mail: va-sk@... Copyright

1998 by Sharon Kimmelman. [No Longer Published]

Special Feature

ADULT VICTIMS OF SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME:

A Modern Day 'Witch' Hunt

-The Wrongful Prosecution of Dr. Malcolm Scoon-

by Sharon Kimmelman

I respectfully offer this article with the intention that the innocent

parents, whose children's injuries made them suspects of child abuse, will

be exonerated. May government overreaching be beaten back to once again

serve the people and not enslave them. May the winds of truth blow hard and

cleanse the land.

Centuries ago the most heinous of crimes was to practice witchcraft. The

accusation alone was enough to destroy someone's life. Proclaimed witches

would be burned to free their souls. God-fearing people considered this a

humane act. Such atrocities were mostly visited upon independent

free-thinking women. The accusation of 'witchcraft' evolved into a mere

pretext that could be used to obtain wealth or drive out a commercial

competitor. In the last century, mainstream medicine has used the " heresy "

of wholism to harass, vilify, and destroy those who threaten its hold on

the commerce of healing. This includes even dissidents within its ranks.

During the cold war, witch-hunting infected politics: win an election by

accusing your opponent of being a communist.

______________________________________________________________

" Ignorant and clumsy physicians blame all sickness which they are unable to

cure or which they have treated wrongly, on witchery. " Barbara G. ,

" The Women's Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets "

----------------------------------

Today, one of the most heinous of crimes is child abuse. And the medical

profession has discovered a new application of the cowardly practice of

false accusations in its attempt to redirect blame and disperse suspicion.

In February of 1996, a story splashed across our newspapers reporting that

a baby was admitted into Long Island Jewish Hospital. Her father, Dr.

Malcolm Scoon, an anesthesiologist, was accused of violently shaking his

5-month-old daughter h hard enough to cause her injuries resulting in

death.

There were pieces missing. My colleague Krasner, Director of Coalition

For Informed Choice, and I were sure that vaccination played a part in this

baby's demise. We both called the defense lawyers at the time to alert them

to the connection between vaccination and brain injury. I learned others

did the same. A Grand Jury, convened in the late Summer of 1996, charged

Dr. Scoon with manslaughter in the 2nd degree (recklessly causing death)

and criminally negligent homicide (causing death by criminal negligence).

At some point, the Scoons switched attorneys.

first contacted Malcolm's wife, Lois in the Fall of 1996 after seeing

her on Geraldo's CNBC talk show proclaiming her husband's innocence. He

spoke with her several times up to and through the trial, supplying the

family with medical information to assist in developing a case of

" reasonable doubt " needed to exonerate Malcolm. I attended the trial

thinking that my presence would be appreciated and useful. I've spent over

15 years listening to parents share their experiences. Too many have seen

their own and others' children fall ill and die following vaccination. I

attended all but 4 days of the month long trial, keeping written records of

the days' events. I offered the vaccine package inserts after hearing

inaccuracies in the defense's questioning, I gave them notes I made about

inconsistencies and vaccine contraindications. I also commented on the

prosecution witnesses' cavalier attitude and how they simply did not

acknowledge the periodic medical assaults to this baby and her resulting

deteriorating condition.

A Brief History: h had been conceived on the Scoon's third attempt at

in-vitro fertilization, an invasive and expensive medical ordeal. Lois

Scoon developed pre-eclampsia (a septic condition). Her pregnancy was

terminated using the high-tech " birth " procedure of major abdominal surgery

commonly known as C- (caesarean) section. h was delivered on 9/17/96,

11 weeks prematurely, a tiny button of a baby weighing 2 pounds 1 ounce.

She could not thrive on her. She was put in an incubator and hooked up to

life support and monitors for weeks. She was given six blood transfusions.

Lois expressed breast milk for her. h had common preemie problems like

apnea (sudden stop breathing) up until 10 days before she was released and

it is possible she had brain and retinal hemorrhaging (the defense's

doctors suggested that this was not picked up because the sonogram done of

her head at birth was not able to detect bleeding just under the skull

where old blood was found in later CT scans and autopsy). She was kept in

the birth hospital for two months.The Scoons sought out the follow-up care

of a pediatrician who specialized in premature infants. They called LIJ

Hospital for a referral in their area and were given the name of Dr.

Herbert Goldman, an old doctor, practicing about 40 years. He saw h on

12/4/95, she was two and one-half months out of the womb, but really only

minus two days old and only five and one half pounds. Nevertheless, the

doctor had planned to begin vaccination at that visit. Malcolm, common

sense rising up through his medical training, asked to postpone it. She

suffered digestive problems from the infant formula; the doctor suggested

it be changed. At the next visit on 12/18/95, only two weeks later, she had

gained less than one pound, grown only one-half inch, she was still in the

5% group, yet her head circumference grew 20 percentile units. The doctor,

a specialist, did not remark this to the parents.

Medical opinion says brain hemorrhages can spontaneously rebleed. If

vaccines have been observed to initiate brain hemorrhages and swelling in

babies without a predisposition like h had, why did the doctor begin

and continue to vaccinate her? This should have alerted the pediatrician.

Transfusion increases the incidence of hemorrhaging. Didn't he know the

vaccine package inserts warn about contraindications to vaccination? The

legal " informed consent " provision requires that parents be informed. Why

did he give them none? He wrongfully took the legal decision upon himself.

The term " catch-up " growth was used to describe her growth but the numbers

were disproportionate. Despite the fact that she was still congested and

her head was growing faster than the rest of her (contraindications to

vaccination), the doctor administered the triple

diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus and haemophilus influenza meningitis 'b' (Hib)

vaccines.

On the third well baby visit one month later, he noted " no bad reactions "

even though there were some. He noted " possible clonis-spastic displegia " a

neurological impairment. Was this the result of the four vaccines given at

the prior visit? He gave her a hepatitis 'b' and an oral polio vaccine.

Again he gave Lois no information about the risks of these vaccines. And

again he did not note that Lois had observed adverse reactions. He did note

her body measurements; her head size jumped to 50% while her weight and

length crept up to 15% and 8%.

[Measurements from h's pediatrician's chart of her growth]

h Date Weight(lbs)

Length (in) HeadCirc.(cm)

Birth 9/17/95 2.1 --

14.0 -- 25.5 --

Visit 1 12/ 4/95 5.5 5%

18.0 5% 33.0 10%

Visit 2 12/18/95 6.3 5%

18.5 5% 35.0 30%

Visit 3 1/15/96 8.2 15%

20.0 8% 37.5 50%

Visit 4 2/12/96 10.0 25%

21.3 24% 39.0 65%

At her last well baby visit on 2/12/96, she was still congested and fussy

and had been more irritable after the last vaccinations. The doctor noted

clonis again; her feet did flex some, there was still tightness. He noted

her weight was up to 25% (10 lbs.), her length was up to 24% (21.3 in.) but

her head size jumped up to the 65% (39 cm.). Despite this seemingly

abnormal growth and observed neurologic impairment, he administered another

triple DPT and a second Hib vaccine. Then he gave Lois some Tylenol for

expected fever and " crankiness " which happened. When adults react to a

drug, symptoms are taken seriously; when babies react, they're called

" cranky " . Lois mentioned they were planning a trip to Florida and asked if

the airplane flight might adversely affect h. The doctor said it was

of no concern. If he had heeded the marked increase in h's head

circumference and questioned possible intracranial pressure due to her

predisposition to hemorrhaging, wouldn't he have cautioned that pressure

changes from high altitudes might place her at risk or aggravate her

condition? But then he never even acknowledged she had a condition.

The Scoons took that week-long vacation in Florida around a convention

Malcolm was attending. Lois described h as being cranky or fitful and

fussy. She didn't eat well and she was drowsy. They returned. Monday was a

holiday. Malcolm was off work. Although h usually woke Lois at 5 a.m.,

Lois had to wake her to feed her. She was more congested than usual, her

nose needed suctioning. The mucus was thicker. She was even fussier than

usual and took less than one oz. of formula. Lois noticed that the back of

h's head was very warm.

It happened that Lois had a toothache and called around to find a dentist

who would see her for an emergency appointment. She left around noon. When

your child is not well, who better to leave her with than your spouse who

is a health professional. Malcolm sat opening a stack of mail. He went to

check on h who needed to be changed. He prepared a tub of water to

give her a half bath. The water was too warm, he left it to cool. After a

while he heard sounds from the next room. He found her gasping. He tried to

rouse her calling her name and tapping her. Then he sat her up and shook

her as he supported her head. He gave her some rescue breaths (he had

recently been re-certified in infant CPR). She was alternately fighting,

waving her little fists, going limp, and getting rigid. When she was fading

he gave her chest compressions. She didn't stabilize. He called 911 at 1:36

p.m. EMS took them to Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Hospital. In the ambulance,

h continued to fight, this time to knock away the oxygen mask.

At the hospital, the doctors did not listen to Malcolm, instruct them to

give her a tracheotomy; she couldn't breathe. He dressed in sweat clothes

and sneakers with a two days growth of beard. Maybe they didn't listen or

believe that he was a doctor himself because he wasn't dressed like one.

There are serious questions about the emergency room treatments and

procedure, what was and was not done.

After coming home to an empty house, Lois arrived at the hospital around

6:45 p.m., the first thing she was asked was if she shook her baby. She was

shocked to be greeted in this way. She remarked during the trial that

although she knew they had the obligation to do an investigation, it was

started so soon. I' d say not soon enough if it was SBS. You see, courses

on reporting child abuse instruct professionals to report any suspicion of

child abuse or neglect immediately. But h was admitted into the

hospital at about 2 p.m. The call to Social Services was made at 5 p.m. How

many medical procedures were done in that three hour period? It was brought

out in cross-examination that just about every doctor had made some kind of

mistake, misinterpretation, overlooked something, forgot to mark something

in the chart, left out data, mishandled and mislabeled lab fluids and

tests. Even Fisher said in her summation that " Yes, they made 150 mistakes.

But does anyone of them look like someone who would turn their backs on

.... " . I believe that child abuse was reported when the hospital knew that

Malcolm was aware of the doctors' fatal errors and that was the only way it

could cover itself. Dowd, the defense attorney, made the

observation: wasn't it interesting that all of the doctors from LIJ were

being represented by the same law firm. Odd coincidence.

The Scoons stayed at the hospital two and a half days from 2/19. The

evening of 2/21, they decided to go home to showerand change clothes, and

return to the hospital. They weren't home an hour when four detectives

arrived at their front door. Another coincidence? The detectives said they

were there to question Malcolm. Lois invited them into the living room. The

police said the questioning had to be done at the precinct. At around 8:00

p.m. the Scoons were taken to the police station in separate police cars.

They were questioned separately and kept there for 12 hours.

At LIJ, h was medically determined to be brain-dead. The staff asked

Lois if she would donate the baby's organs. When she finally said no, they

moved to take the baby off the respirator; if you can't harvest the organs,

then why not. With intervention by a religious leader the baby was

scheduled to be transported to St. 's Hospital. Its administrators

tried to block the admission of this baby. Bad press, you know.

But the baby was admitted and even though the Scoons fought to get it to do

everything possible to maintain their baby's life, the hospital policy was

to gave only minimal care. The Scoons wanted to provide every opportunity

for a miracle recovery. They visited h every day. But on 3/13, they

were called to the hospital saying h was unstable. They came

immediately to reaching into her bed to touched their baby. When she

stabilized, Lois sent Malcolm back to work. Several times one of the

doctors asked Lois if she wanted to hold her baby. Lois has been hesitant

throughout. She was concerned that in the very short time that it took to

disconnect and reconnect the respirator tube from the fragile baby and

place h in her arms might be enough to kill her. The doctor lifted

h out of her bed, disconnected the respirator, placed her in her Lois'

arms. The baby's heart stopped.

An autopsy was done immediately. Amazingly enough, the autopsy reports

concurred with the carbon copy opinion of the doctors. You don't come to a

conclusion in opposition to the facts unless you've got a strong bias or

you are ordered to do so.

Prosecution: The Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) Marjorie Fisher and

Lucinda Suarez were the prosecuting attorneys for " the People " . Both of

them had an arrogant edge. After a couple of days of hearing the court

clerk announce " in the matter of " The People against Dr. Malcolm Scoon " , I

thought, " No, it is not the people who are mounting this case, it is the

hospital and they're using the DA's office as their lawyers. They want this

case as a feather in their cap, a human trophy... to flaunt the unbridled

power of the state prosecutors. Maybe they should be called executioners.

Fisher gave the opening statement. In effect, she said that Dr. Scoon

" snapped " and shook his baby to death. She took a phrase out of context

from the video-taped statement he gave at the police precinct at 3:30 a.m.

after being awake for three days and blew it up into a dramatic act of what

never really happened for all the jurors to see. Then one by one, in came

seventeen witnesses, fourteen of whom were doctors (could they have been

trying to bankrupt the Scoons?), to give their expert opinions as to the

cause (that none of them witnessed) of the baby's injuries and her death.

It was all speculation. But because they were doctors, published articles,

held positions on important committees and in hospitals with large

reputation, earned large salaries, testified in court for large sums of

money, their opinions were more valuable than people who offered reasonable

explanations for what happened to h.

I listened to the contrived definitions of these doctors, some local, some

flown in from Iowa and Canada. I heard them speak so definitively about

their conclusions of SBS, as if they were facts. They tried to establish

the definition of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) which implies a cause.

Here is an example of the medical incompetence: Nurse Dennis from LIJ said

that she took crummy notes when h was admitted. There were no medical

record for the first 40 minutes. Dr. Silver was asked about the first blood

sample drawn from h to go for testing because there was a question of

her having bacterial meningitis, their early diagnosis. It was uncovered

that the sample went for testing 40 hours after it was drawn, it was

probably refrigerated and that there was no notation of the antibiotics she

was receiving at the time. Dowd brought it to his attention that the lab

manual said that in order for test results to be valid, blood must be

tested within 8 hours, must not be refrigerated, and antibiotics/medication

administered to patient must be noted on request slip. The results were

triply invalid. Silver's response was that he was not familiar with the lab

manual protocol. Dr. Goodrich who made the pronouncement of brain-death,

looked at two CT scans and testified at how they showed a rapid

deterioration of h's brain over time. When the defense brought to his

attention that the scans were taken only minutes apart, he look flustered

and admitted his error in interpretting the images.

Dr. Silver stated that h was well until this sudden neurological

catastrophe. She absolutely was not! He said that SBS is a precise term.

Wrong again. It is a syndrome with a theoretical model, meaning they can

not reproduce it. They do not know what kind of degree of force actually

causes these injuries. There is noteworthy disagreement in the medical/

scientific communities, however. Some say that it is impossible to generate

the gravitational force to cause injuries of this severity without impact

being part of the scenario. They all agreed that the force required to

produce these injuries had to have been equivalent to being thrown from a

4th story window or hurled from a car in a crash. Silver also said that he

had seen about 25 " SBS " babies who, like h, had not a mark on them.

How, I kept asking myself, can they believe that it is possible to generate

enough force so that " to an observer it appears the baby's head would fly

off " with no grip marks, with no neck injuries, with no chipped vertebrae,

and no fractured bones? I believe that vaccine injuries and deaths are

being hidden in this " syndrome " in the same way they have been hidden

within the mis-diagnosis of " Sudden Infant Death Syndrome " for some 30

years. Vaccination sets the internal biochemistry haywire while the

exterior is unaffected, like in resulting " autism " , deafness or paralysis.

Vaccines can turn the inner world to chaos.

The myriad doctors all said nothing but shaken baby syndrome could cause

the type injuries h had. There were days of testimony on her eye

injuries alone. But they didn't bring in the iatrogenic (doctor/ hospital/

medicine-caused) factors, so critical, so glaring. They all made their

conclusions and worked backwards to substantiate them. I am not surprised.

This is the modern way science incorporated is done nowadays. Of course,

there is a diagnosis called Tursin syndrome, coined in 1904, which

describes the very same brain and retinal hemorrhages seen in h. No

cause is implied because it is simply an observation. One doctor called it

a " waste basket diagnosis " . For that matter, so is SBS. The only difference

is that with SBS the cause is assumed and firmly believed without any

witness or evidence. Diagnoses, syndromes, assumptions, conclusions drawn

so far from the pure science and actual fact, like taffy, fall apart the

farther you draw them.

When the pediatrician testified, Fisher asked him if he had discussed

" doubling up on the shots " . He replied that he never heard of the term. But

if you look at his records, he spread them out and gave some every month.

It certainly looks like that is what he was doing. He gave h vaccines

when she was the equivalent of 12 days old, one month and 12 days, and 2

months and 6 days. That's one and one-half months early, and three or four

weeks apart. The norm is 2, 4, and 6 months of age.

They brought in Dr. Alandy from the Manhattan medical examiner's office.

Color slides of the baby's body, organs, and microscopic tissue slides were

admitted into evidence. With all the inconsistencies, here is the most

unbelievable piece of non-evidence they used to make this diagnosis of SBS

stick. In autopsy they found one 1/2 " pink bruise in the fatty tissue on

the back of the baby's right arm, two inches below the shoulder, invisible

on the skin. This, they claimed, is the damning evidence h was

violently shaken. The prosecutors admitted that this baby was handled by

dozens of hospital staff over the three weeks she was in two hospitals. The

pinkness indicated a recent bruising. When the defense brought this out,

the prosecution brought in another doctor from the Queens medical

examiner's office at the 11th hour to say the tiny bruise was really tan to

brown and dated it back to February 19th. But Dr. Mastry, the

neuropathologist who prepared the microscopic slides, did not conclude that

h's death was caused by shaking. Interestingly, she was not called by

the prosecutor to testify.

The prosecution was hell-bent on its goal of sending this man to prison.

Why? Were they directed to silence him? Could it be because Long Island

Jewish Hospital needed to hide their wrongdoing or malpractice at all

costs? The prosecution seemed to spare no trick, tactic, or impropriety to

influence the jury. For instance, Fisher tried to get a chart entered into

evidence that her team had made up. The defense objected and the judge

agreed. She then took this large chart and propped it up in front of her

table in full view of the jury. When the defense shouted its objection once

again, she threw up her arms and waving them about wildly shouted back, " I

forgot, I forgot, it was a mistake. Aren't I allowed to make a mistake. "

The ADAs periodically reminded the jury that they were not required to

prove a motive, but they sure did infer malice of forethought. At some

point the prosecution realized that and went back to its position of " I

don't know why he did it " , still, of course, inferring that he did

something hurtful. Their blatant disregard for " due process " was

disturbing. These ADAs are an innocent person's worst nightmare.

I must apologize in advance for the following likeness, but honestly, it

came to me as I watched these two strut and posture, gesticulate and bark

out questions in the courtroom. I have seen Nazi footage shot of their

treatment of people in ghettos showing the Gestapo's loathing and disdain,

their utter disgust for those who they believed were so different from

themselves.

After a week or so one juror, a pediatrician, said that she had a conflict

with her work schedule. She was dismissed. Too bad, she was the only " peer "

of Malcolm's in the jury. Some days later, another juror came forward

asking to be excused. He said that he had developed such great dislike and

prejudice against the prosecutors that he would be unable to render a fair

verdict. Was it against them or the fact that their case was without merit?

If it was the second reason, his presence on the jury would be important.

He was not questioned about it and he, too, was excused.

The most misleading factor in the case was the use of the term " healthy " to

describe this frail baby. The definition chosen by the prosecution was one

who grows, can suck and excretes. Even sick ones do that. The norm, average

people, live with frequent dis-ease and periodic medicating, yet in wanting

to be thought of as " good enough " = " normal " = " healthy " . So, the

definitions get warped.

A detective on call on 2/19/96 was sworn in as a witness to introduce the

video made of Malcolm Scoon's statement to the police. It was shown to the

jury. In it, Malcolm was told that he was not required to give a statement

without a lawyer present. He cooperated fully and spoke without hesitation.

Despite his exhaustion, he was clear, cooperative, and detailed. He did not

contradict himself, answering all questions asked of him, relevant or no.

He was polite when Suarez interrupted him, led his responses, and put her

own " facts " into his sentences. How was he to know they were weaving a

criminal case around him. He described h's birth, the doctor's visits,

her vaccination and reactions, the trip, and what happened the morning of

2/19.

The ill-fated word here was 'shake'. That is all they needed to hear. Any

and everything else he said was disregarded. In the video, Suarez gave him

a small limp rag doll and asked him to demonstrate what he had done to

h. Although Malcolm carefully placed his fingers behind the doll's

head explaining what he was doing and why, it flopped this way and that

with even a small amount of motion. Nothing he demonstrated could have

caused even a frail infant's injury. All the doctors agreed.

Defense: Lois Scoon had been not been allowed to observe the prosecution's

case in order to be called as a witness in her husband's defense. I spoke

with her several times. She is a confident, articulate woman with an

unwavering faith in God and in her husband's innocence. She sat outside the

courtroom for the first half of the trial accompanied by her pastor,

sometimes her sister (a baby nurse), fellow parishioners, and other family

members.

Dowd called Lois as his first witness. When she took the stand she

was mostly calm, well-spoken, deliberate, detailed and attentive. She

answered Dowd in clear and concise sentences. The jury learned that she was

well-educated and that she herself had been a social worker who, at times

in her career, had made home visits to people accused of child abuse. I

could not help but wonder if she had ever questioned her use of the power

that the state had " given " her. Dowd brought out her commitment to have a

child by asking about the difficult medical route of in-vitro fertilization.

In cross-examination, the prosecution tried to corner Lois between two

scenarios: <<So, you were an attentive mother, well-read, concerned. Right?

If your baby was so sick, why did you leave for 6 hours and not call home?

If your baby was not so sick, how can you explain her brain injury and

bleeding retinas?

Fisher tried every trick to build a case of overwhelming and unmanageable

stress which supposedly " caused " Malcolm to " snap " . She make up lies

<<Isn't it true your husband made you cut up your credit cards?, <<what

about debt from a past marriage? Even though the jury was instructed to

disregard it, they still heard it.

Suarez punctuated each question to the defense's witness with, " Correct,

Doctor? " , squawking like a pirate's parrot. And whenever the defense's

witnesses, in cross-examination, began to utter explanations that the ADA

did not want the jury to hear, she would interrupt them. This was objected

to some of the time; the judge had to reprimand them both throughout.

Drs. Leestma, , and world renowned Enid s testified for the

defense. They insisted that h had advanced bacterial meningitis. Why

didn't they make any connection with the 2 doses of meningitis vaccine the

child was given? Even the vaccine producers admit that a vaccination can

give you the very disease they claim it prevents. Was Dowd concern about

polarizing his own medical witnesses? Even the government acknowledged

vaccine injuries.

Fisher challenged s' diagnosis saying, where is the organism that

caused meningitis. s said it is extremely rare to see them but the

slides depicted certain types of white blood cells tracking infection to

the brain along the blood vessels. Fisher's doctors all said an absence of

the organism means no meningitis. After presenting these four very

credentialed doctors, the defense rested its case on April 1st. Were there

more witnesses? Had the lengthy and costly prosecution's case forced the

truncation of defense's case?

The Summation: Dowd gave an impassioned speech to the jury, beseeching

them, whatever they were considering, to use their hearts and their

humanity, realizing that they must consider if there was a reasonable doubt

in the case made by the prosecution. He reminded them that we all have

rights-the lawyers, the judge, the observers,-that we each have the same

rights, that each of us would want only the highest quality of decision

made by thoughtful people. Somehow, I heard a plea for leniency even if

they thought him somewhat guilty. How did the jury interpret this

preoccupation with " the way the system works. "

The defense chose a singular focus: meningo-encephalitis as cause of death.

I think this narrow single-pointed approach was a major flaw in its case.

It's just another medical opinion and everyone knows that doctors disagree.

Medical experts were brought in to refute the diagnosis of " shaken baby

syndrome " claiming that all of the injuries that the baby displayed were

caused by overwhelming infection. It should not have been pitting one

medical opinion against another, but rather developing as many scenarios as

possible, exploring the full spectrum of " reasonable doubt " . As you have

read, there were many. As my colleague, Walene , author of

" Immunization: The Reality Behind the Myth " said in a recent letter, " ...we

have to do more than counter 'their' data with more data, ...we'll run out

of time, energy, and money long before our opponent does. "

Fisher's summation was mechanical; she skillfully picked up each of the

threads she spun throughout the twenty three days of the trial and drew

them together into a neat fabric called " guilty " . She reminded the jury

again that the prosecution was not required to establish a motive, and yet

her hypothetical story that Malcolm " snapped " was used throughout as if it

were so.

Fisher picked apart Lois' testimony saying that she was living in a

delusional world, that after losing her baby she couldn't bear the idea of

losing her husband and so she was lying. Fisher said, in effect that no one

in touch with reality, would call what the Scoons lived through as 'no

stress'. I feel that the defense could have made Lois' experience of 'no

stress' more understandable to the jury by explaining how she was dealing

with stress. Actually their large and loving network of family members and

church " family " enabled the Scoons to deal with those difficult times. The

fact of the matter is that the real stress and debt came from the DA's

wreckless decision to take this case.

These accusations act as filters in looking at evidence; it is difficult to

see the evidence itself. In her last minutes, Fisher asked the jury to pay

particular attention to certain pieces of evidence: Malcolm's video taped

statement at the police precinct, Lois' testimony, the phone records, the

EMS and fire reports. She finally " rested " . I looked at the faces of the

Scoon extended family. They looked to me the way I felt... stunned.

I once watched a nature show which depicted hyenas, strong and fierce

animals; they run fast, have good survival instincts. Their foremost enemy

was a very small wild dog called the dingo. Alone they are not much of a

threat. But they don't work alone. I watched as a pack of dingoes singled

out one of the hyenas and began to bite at its ankles. Alternately nipping

and retreating, unceasingly wounding, first one, then the other, then the

first until the hyena, weakened from loss of blood and exhaustion,

collapsed; the dogs feasted. I watched Suarez and Fisher act like those

wild dogs. They were out for blood.

What drives people in this way? I asked an activist in the home birth

movement; she said: Performance ego. Historic victimhood of women.

Hostility against parents. Women against men.

It was my feeling throughout that the prosecution spoke more plainly, more

matter-of-factly than the defense. The prosecution questioning was simpler,

easier to follow. Dowd's questions rambled, they were convoluted and at

times even he lost his line of his questioning because of it. The bottom

line is this: if the jury doesn't understand it, it's useless.

Shortly after the jury began deliberation, they asked for the very

documents referred to by Fisher. The next day the jury reviewed the

transcript of Dr. (a defense witness who did not eliminate the

possibility of death caused by shaking, although it was at the bottom of

his list) and the documents describing h's eye injuries.

Although the jurors were selected as a non-sequestered jury, a few days

before the end, the prosecutors made a motion that the jury be sequestered

to keep them insulated from the media coverage which they said had already

occurred at notable times during the trial. After settling possible

hardships a few might suffer, the judge decided to, indeed, sequester them.

I wonder how much the undesireability of being kept away from family and

friends over a weekend influenced their one and one-half day deliberation.

The jury reached and revealed its verdict at 4:00 that Friday. Lois said

that everyone, including the prosecutors were shocked that they found

Malcolm guilty of the top charge: manslaughter in the second degree.

I was told that after the jurors, some of whom were in tears, brought back

a verdict of guilty, the prosecutors walked out into the hallway where

their colleagues clapped for them. What a sad commentary.

The Scoons are preparing an appeal. They will not rest until Malcolm's

innocence is recognized. [end]

You may send any letter of support for Malcolm and Lois via this

newsletter. The Scoons have established an appeal Defense Fund. For more

information and to contribute, please call Pastor Tony Fontele at

718-276-0300.

============================================

Several parents are fighting criminal charges of killing or injuring their

infants by shaking them with claims that the baby's brain damage actually

resulted from recent vaccination.

Gannett News Service, in a four-month review of current childhood

immunization, has found such legal action includes the following cases:

Ex-Cop Found Not Guilty In Alleged 'Shaken-Baby' Case

Carey -- Almost 3 now, is the developmentally disabled son of

former Union County, N.J., police officer Carey and his wife,

Helen. Bill Carey, 33, is no longer a cop. He now drives a limousine

part-time for a living. He was suspended from his law enforcement job when

he was indicted 18 months ago on a felony aggravated assault charge of

shaking until his brain bled.

The charge stems from 's hospitalization for seizures at 5 months of

age on the day of his second DTP, HiB, and oral polio vaccinations in March

1996. That was when the Careys lived in White House Station, N.J., just

west of Bridgewater. Now they live in Washington Township in Warren County,

and Carey is on trial in Flemington, N.J. He could get five to 10 years in

prison. Neither parent had ever faced criminal charges for anything before

their son's health problems.

But the father was found not guilty Tuesday, Sept. 1, by a 12-person jury

after two days of deliberation. The jury heard defense testimony that

's symptoms occurred after a DTP vaccination that may have caused the

seizures and brain damage. Neither parent had ever faced criminal charges

for anything before their son's health problems.

had reacted badly to his hepatitis-B and first DTP vaccinations -- the

parents remember him crying inconsolably " day and night, " arching his back

stiffly, projectile vomiting, showing little appetite, sleeping most of the

time, flushing hot and cold. The medical records back them up. Symptoms

were severe enough that was hospitalized twice shortly before

Christmas 1995. The diagnosis came back " milk intolerance " and " colic. "

In the meantime, his head ballooned from 351/2 centimeters to 461/2

centimeters -- so noticeable that visiting relatives worried aloud; so

large that instead of infant headgear, had to wear the hats of his

older brother , now 5, and so fast the pediatrician at one point

worried about " water on the brain " but changed her recommendation for a CT

scan after telling the parents the baby " had a big head because his father

had a big head. "

About four hours after his second DTP shot on March 22, 1996, --

recalled the father who was watching him -- " started screaming like he had

never screamed before, " rolled back his eyes, went stiff, then limp, then

started gurgling. The paramedics gave oxygen and took to Hunterdon

Medical Center, where the convulsion was noted as " most likely " an adverse

reaction to DTP.

Transferred to Woods Hospital the next day, continued

to have uncontrollable seizures. Full skeletal X-rays revealed no broken

bones, bruises or any sign of physical trauma. An MRI, a form of X-ray,

however, showed three subdural hematomas " consistent with shaken baby

syndrome. " Child abuse authorities were called by the hospital. The next

day, was taken from his parents and placed with an aunt.

In February 1997, he was indicted on the criminal charges, which just came

to trial in August. Carey's attorney, ph E. Krakora of town,

based his defense on " the pretty compelling case that the intracranial

bleeding was connected to administration of a vaccine. "

Defense witness Dr. Mark Geier, a land pediatric geneticist, testified

that the batch of DTP s's shot came from was included in 17 other

seizure cases that were reported to the Food and Drug Adminstration by

parents and physicians. Dr. Jan Leisma, a Chicago pediatric pathologist,

testified 's interior brain bleeding was parallel with known reactions

to the DTP vaccine which mimick symptoms of child abuse.

The lawyer told GNS, " There is nodispute had a neurological condition

in March that contraindicated thesecond DTP vaccine. ... If the

pediatrician had picked up on the initial contraindications, my man would

never be in the courtroom. "

******************************************************************

`COMPENSATION PROGRAM DRAGS THEIR FEET'

Gray -- When Gray, now 9, was born in Covina,

Calif., his father, Larry, was 21, and his mother, Debby, was 18. The day

after his first DTP shot at six weeks of age, the previously healthy baby

went into a seizure in his father's arms and stopped breathing. His father

gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and the infant spent the next four

months in hospitals. Queens Valley Hospital documented an acute

encephalopathy (acquired brain damage) and took note that the seizure

followed the vaccine, but at the second one, UCLA Medical Center, someone

changed the diagnosis to " infant shaking syndrome. "

Gray and his wife were told by social workers if they tried to visit the

child again, they would be arrested. The social workers sent the baby to

live with his paternal grandmother, where the parents were allowed to visit

their baby one hour a week. " The social worker interrogated my mom as if

she were a criminal, too, " remembers the father.

Finally, in September 1989, remembers Larry Gray's current lawyer Curtis

Webb of Idaho, " One of the doctors involved quietly told the detective that

the DTP vaccine could do this damage, too, so the police didn't pursue it. "

The baby was returned to the parents, but they broke up. Larry Gray became

his son's care-giver. Lawyer Webb filed a claim with the National Vaccine

Injury Compensation Program. It went to hearing in 1993.

" The Justice Department fought this with absolutely no holds barred, "

recalled Webb. " They insisted the kid had been shaken. The mother came back

to testify along with the father. They were both treated by the federal

government as if they were child abusers. " The U.S. Court of Claims special

master in charge of the hearing did not agree. On Aug. 4, 1993, he ruled

for Gray, finding the brain damage was clearly connected to the

DTP shot. In 1996, Larry Gray moved to Harrah, Okla., where he has a cousin

who could help take care of . Now, five years after the

compensation ruling, he still hasn't seen a penny. Only in August did Gray,

his lawyer, and the Justice Department reach final agreement on a life-care

plan. The first payment is expected in autumn.

" The compensation program drags their feet, " the father said. " It is not

their life they are putting on hold, it is ours. " California doctors told

Larry Gray his son would not live past 1998. " As soon as we won, " recalled

Webb, " the Justice Department lawyers called me saying they still believed

this child was shaken and the only way they'd agree to a settlement is if

the money was put into a reversionary trust, meaning the money would revert

back to the government if the child dies. "

Webb, who has handled more than 100 cases before the vaccine compensation

board, asked, " Do I think they're waiting for the kid to die? I think

there's something to that. That surely is what Larry Gray believes. In some

cases, the delay on settlement is legitimate, but the Justice Department

has contributed to the delay in this case. " The Justice Department denies

this, blaming Gray's move to Oklahoma for the delay -- contending it meant

starting all over on a life-care program for the child.

" Now, whenever I see a shaken baby prosecution, I wonder, " Webb told GNS.

" It's usually exactly the same setting as this case. The kid gets the DTP

shot at 2 months or 4. The kid goes into an epileptic state. The kid is

diagnosed with some sort of brain hemorrhage. The kid is taken away from

the parents after the hospital says it was shaken. It makes me think this

happens more often than you might think it does. " Seemingly healthy infants

left debilitated

******************************************************************

Devin -- Court records show Devin, born in the second week of 1993,

appeared a healthy boy until May 19, when he was given his second set of

DTP shots in a suburb of St. , Minn. For the next four days he was

cranky, started frequent projectile vomiting, and kept spiking fevers. At a

St. urgent care center, he was diagnosed with an ear infection. On the

evening of May 24, in the care of his father while his mother was at work,

Devin went into convulsions while being changed and had trouble breathing.

Devin's father began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Devin was rushed to a

hospital where CT scans and MRIs showed retinal hemorrhages and serious

brain injury: an accumulation of trapped blood under the skull in the

spaces adjacent to the brain, caused by bleeding from nearby blood vessels

-- subdural hematoma. Devin continued to have seizures in the hospital. The

vertebrae in Devin's neck were normal, there were no fractures, no skin

bruising, and there were no external signs of trauma. The hospital,

however, decided Devin's injury " very clearly fits " shaken baby syndrome

and notified police. The father, , having been the last one with the

baby, was charged by the state of Minnesota with first-degree assault and

malicious punishment.

The case came to trial in April 1995. Defense lawyers Barbara Z. and

Louis Tourinus argued that Devin suffered from a reaction to the DTP, which

they said exacerbated a prior subdural hematoma incurred during a difficult

birth. -- who had lost his car salesman job in the meantime

-- was found not guilty on both counts by state Judge R. Schurrer.

The judge ruled " the court cannot find that Devin suffered from shaken baby

syndrome " and that prosecutors had offered " no evidence to establish beyond

a reasonable doubt that defendant was any more likely than any other

individual to shake or otherwise assault Devin. "

From his brain injuries, according to court records, Devin suffered

" significant difficulties in mental and behavioral development " and needs

special schooling. After the father's acquittal, lawyer filed a

claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Washington

-- the agency set up a decade ago to help compensate families of

vaccine-injured children. Special master Hastings, one of several

appointed by the U.S. Court of Claims to hear such matters, threw the

claim out: " Petitioner is not entitled to a program award. "

In his written analysis, the special master said the ear infection " is

simply a better explanation for the symptoms that Devin did display " after

the vaccination. Although Justice Department lawyers defending against the

claim brought it up, Hastings insisted he was not influenced by the shaken

baby charge on the father's record. He wrote, " I should point out that I

would resolve this case in the same fashion, even were there no evidence at

all concerning the possibility that Devin was the victim of child abuse. "

But then, in his case analysis, the special master meticulously detailed

the suspicions of hospital physicians that Devin " very clearly fits the

diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome " and concluded " the evidence pointing to

trauma as the cause of Devin's injury is simply far superior to the scant

evidence pointing to his vaccination. "

Dr. Schweller, a San Diego pediatric neurologist who testified as an

expert in both the and Gray federal claims hearings, contends the

DTP vaccine -- while not a cause of original brain bleeding -- " in these

cases is consistent with causation in rebleeding " if subdural hematoma has

previously occurred.

The current shaken baby diagnostic process is based on conventional wisdom

that doesn't hold up, according to Schweller: " You read in a scientific

article that you can't develop a head injury unless you have a violent act

or a 10-foot fall, and it doesn't fit the spectrum of injury that

pediatricians and neurologists routinely see. "

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME

-- THE VACCINATION LINK --

Many infants who suffer the so-called 'shaken baby syndrome' may be victims

of undiagnosed vaccine damage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 5, #5 (August-September '98).

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia.

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

© 1998 by Viera Scheibner, PhD

178 Govetts Leap Road

Blackheath, NSW 2785

Australia

Telephone: +61 (0)2 4787 8203

Fax: +61 (0)2 4787 8988

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recently there has been quite an " epidemic " of the so-called " shaken baby

syndrome " . Parents, usually the fathers, or other care-givers such as

nannies have increasingly been accused of shaking a baby to the point of

causing permanent brain damage and death. Why? Is there an unprecedented

increase in the number of people who commit infanticide or have an ambition

to seriously hurt babies? Or is there something more sinister at play?

Some time ago I started getting requests from lawyers or the accused

parents themselves for expert reports. A close study of the history of

these cases revealed something distinctly sinister: in every single case,

the symptoms appeared shortly after the baby's vaccinations.

While investigating the personal medical history of these babies based on

the care-givers' diaries and medical records, I quickly established that

these babies were given one or more of the series of so-called routine

shots-hepatitis B, DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus), polio and HiB

(Haemophilus influenzae type -shortly before they developed symptoms of

illness resulting in serious brain damage or death.

The usual scenario is that a baby is born and does well initially. At the

usual age of about two months it is administered the first series of

vaccines as above. (Sometimes a hepatitis B injection is given shortly

after birth while the mother and child are still in hospital. However, a

great number of babies now die within days or within two to four weeks of

birth after hepatitis B vaccination, as documented by the records of the

VAERS [Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System] in the USA.) So, the baby

stops progressing, starts deteriorating, and usually develops signs of

respiratory tract infection. Then comes the second and third injections,

and tragedy strikes: the child may cry intensely and inconsolably, may stop

feeding properly, vomit, have difficulty swallowing, become irritable, stop

sleeping, and may develop convulsions with accelerating progressive

deterioration of its condition and mainly its brain function.

This deterioration may be fast, or may slowly inch in until the parents

notice that something is very wrong with their child and then rush it to

the doctor or hospital. Interestingly, they are invariably asked when the

baby was immunised. On learning that the baby was indeed " immunised " , the

parents may be reassured that its symptoms will all clear up. They are sent

home with the advice, " Give your baby Panadol " . If they persist in

considering the baby's reaction serious, they may be labelled as anxious

parents or trouble-makers. So the parents go home, and the child remains in

a serious condition or dies.

Until recently, the vaccine death would have just been labelled " sudden

infant death " , particularly if the symptoms and pathological findings were

minimal. However, nowadays, with an alarmingly increasing frequency, the

parents (or at least one of them, usually the father) may be accused of

shaking the baby to death. The accused may even " confess " to shaking the

baby, giving the reason, for example, that having found the baby lying

still and not breathing and/or with a glazed look in its eyes, they shook

it gently-as is only natural-in their attempt to revive it. Sometimes,

ironically, they save the baby's life, only to be accused of causing the

internal injuries that made the baby stop breathing in the first place, and

which in fact were already present when they shook the baby to revive it.

No matter what the parents say or do, everything is construed against them.

If they are crying and emotional, they will be accused of showing signs of

guilt. If they manage to remain composed and unemotional, they will be

called calculating and controlling-and guilty because of that.

In another scenario the distraught parents try to describe the symptoms to

an attending doctor in hospital or a surgery but are totally at a loss to

understand what has happened to their baby. To their shock and dismay, they

later discover that while they were describing the observed symptoms, the

doctor or another staff member was writing three ominous words in the

medical record: shaken baby syndrome.

Many of these parents end up indicted and even sentenced to prison for a

crime that somebody else committed. Some of these cases have been resolved

by acquittal on appeal or have been won based on expert reports

demonstrating vaccines as the cause of the observed injuries or death.

However, only God and a good lawyer can help those parents or care-givers

who happen to be uneducated, or have a criminal record, particularly for

violence, or have a previous history of a similar " unexplained " death of a

baby in their care, or, worse still, a vaccine-injured baby with a broken

arm or fractured skull. More and more often, the unfortunate parents are

given the option of a " deal " : if they confess and/or plead guilty, they

will get only a couple of years in prison; but if they don't, they may end

up getting 20 years.

I was told by a social worker in the United States that many foster parents

are rotting in US prisons. First, they are forced to vaccinate their

charges, and then, when side effects or death occur, they are accused of

causing them.

Inevitably the possibility exists that infanticide or child abuse is

involved in some of the cases. However, there is no determinable reason why

so many parents or other care-givers would suddenly begin to behave like

this. It is incredibly insensitive and callous to immediately suspect and

accuse the distraught, innocent parents of harming their own baby.

MEDICAL STUDIES

Let's now have a look at medical literature dealing with shaken baby

syndrome and child abuse.

Caffey (1972, 1974)1,2 described the " whiplash shaken infant syndrome " as a

result of manual shaking by the extremities with whiplash-induced

intracranial and intraocular bleedings, linked with permanent brain damage

and mental retardation. He referred to his own paper, published almost 30

years prior to the above-quoted papers, which described what he called " the

original six battered babies in 1945 " . The essential elements in this

description were subdural haematomas, intraocular bleedings and multiple

traction changes in the long bones. These findings became a benchmark of

the " evidence " that a child had been shaken before developing these signs.

Reece (1993)3 analysed fatal child abuse and sudden infant death syndrome

(SIDS) and considered the critical diagnostic decisions. He emphasised that

distinguishing between an unexpected infant death due to SIDS and one due

to child abuse challenges paediatricians, family physicians, pathologists

and child protection agencies. On the one hand, they must report instances

of suspected child abuse and protect other children in the family; and on

the other, all agree that the knowledge in this area is incomplete and

ambiguity exists in many cases.

Duhaime et al. (1992)4 wrote that " patients with intradural haemorrhage and

no history of trauma must also have clinical and radiographic findings of

blunt impact to the head, unexplained long-bone fractures or other soft

tissue inflicted injury, in order to completely eliminate the possibility

of spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage such as might rarely occur from a

vascular malformation or a bleeding disorder " .

While it is not disputed that some parents and care-givers may cause the

above injuries by mistreating infants, one must take great care in

interpreting similar pathological findings of injuries caused by other

insults which have nothing to do with mechanical injuries and mistreatments

of infants.

I shall never forget the father of a 10-month-old infant, who, after being

acquitted on appeal of causing shaken baby syndrome, said words to the

effect, " We still don't know what killed our baby " . It did not occur to

them and nobody told them that it was the vaccine that killed their baby.

So what else can cause brain swelling, intracranial bleeding, ocular

retinal haemorrhages, and broken skull and other bones? Ever since the mass

vaccination of infants began, reports of serious brain, cardiovascular,

metabolic and other injuries started filling pages of medical journals.

Indeed, vaccines like the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine are actually

used to induce encephalo-myelitis (experimental allergic encephalomyelitis)

in laboratory animals (Levine and Sowinski, 19735). This is characterised

by brain swelling and haemorrhaging of an extent similar to that caused by

mechanical injuries (Iwasa et al., 19856).

Munoz et al. (1981)7 studied biological activities of crystalline

pertussigen-a toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent

in pertussis and an active ingredient in all types of pertussis vaccines

whether whole-cell or acellular-in a number of laboratory experiments with

mice. They established that minute amounts of pertussigen induced

hypersensitivity to histamine (still detected 84 days after

administration), leucocytosis, production of insulin, increased production

of IgE and G1 antibodies to hen egg albumin, susceptibility to anaphylactic

shock and vascular permeability of striated muscle. A dose of 546 nanograms

per mouse killed 50 per cent of mice. Typically, the deaths were delayed.

When a dose of five micrograms of pertussigen was administered, most mice

did not gain weight and died by day five; the last mouse died on day eight.

A one-microgram dose of one preparation killed four out of five mice. They

first gained weight from days two to five, but then remained at nearly

constant weight until they died. Even the one that survived for 16 days (it

was then killed) experienced crises (stopped putting on weight) on the days

when the others died. Had that one lived longer, it might have died on day

24. This is another of the critical days-identified by Cotwatch research

into babies' breathing-on which babies have flare-ups of stress-induced

breathing, or die, after vaccination.

Interestingly, when laboratory animals develop symptoms of vaccine damage

and then die, it is never considered coincidental; but when children

develop the same symptoms and/or die after the administration of the same

vaccines, it is considered coincidental or caused by their parents or other

carers. When all this fails, then it is considered " mysterious " .

Delayed reactions are the norm rather than the exception. This has been

explained as a consequence of an immunological intravascular complexing of

particulate antigen (whole-cell or acellular pertussis organisms) (Wilkins,

19888). However, vaccinators have great difficulty with this, and as a rule

draw largely irrelevant timelines for accepting the causal link between

administration of vaccines and onset of reactions-usually 24 hours or up to

seven days. However, most reactions to vaccines are delayed, and most cases

are then considered unrelated to vaccination.

One only has to peruse a product insert of hepatitis B vaccine to see that

besides local reactions, a number of neurological signs may occur, such as

paraesthesia and paralysis (including Guillain-Barre syndrome, optic

neuritis and multiple sclerosis).

Devin et al. (1996)9 described retinal haemorrhages which are emphatically

being considered the sure sign of child abuse, even though these can be and

are caused by vaccines. Goetting and Sowa (1990)10 described retinal

haemorrhage which occurred after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children.

Bulging fontanelle due to brain swelling was described by and Mannino

(1979)[11] as a direct reaction to the DPT vaccine. They described a case

of a seven-month-old baby who, nine hours after the third DPT vaccination,

developed a bulging anterior fontanelle and became febrile and irritable.

Bruising and easy bleeding is one of the characteristic signs of the blood

clotting disorder, thrombocytopenia-a recognised side-effect of many

vaccines. Its first signs are easy bruising and bleeding and petechial

(spotlike) rash. Thrombo-cytopenia may result in brain and other

haemorrhages (Woerner et al., 198112).

The convulsions which follow one in 1,750 doses of the DPT vaccines (Cody

et al., 198113) can result in unexplained falls in bigger children who can

sit up or stand, which may cause linear cracks of the skull and other

fractures. When one considers that babies are supposed to get a minimum of

three doses of DPT and OPV (oral polio vaccine), then the risk of

developing a convulsion is one in 580, and with five doses the risk rises

to one in 350. This means that a great number of babies develop convulsions

after vaccination between the ages of two to six months, at about 18

months, and at five to six years. The convulsions often occur when the

parent or another carer is not looking, and the child, while standing or

sitting on the floor, simply falls backwards or onto its arm.

All these signs can be misdiagnosed as a result of mechanical injuries,

particularly so because vaccinators simply refuse to admit that vaccines

cause serious injuries, or they only pay lip service to the damage caused

by the pernicious routine of up to 18 vaccines with which babies are

supposed to be injected within six months of birth.

The court system should therefore be more open to the documented viable and

alternative explanations of the observed injuries, and be more wary of the

obviously biased statements of the provaccination " experts " , that nothing

else but vigorous shaking can cause retinal haemorrhages-even though such

statements only reflect their ignorance. Such " experts " then go home and

continue advising parents to vaccinate, and thus, with impunity, they cause

more and more cases of vaccine-injured babies and children.

THE UK MEASLES EPIDEMIC THAT NEVER WAS

The term " Munchausen syndrome per proxy " has been used to identify

individuals who kill or otherwise harm a child in order to attract

attention to themselves. The term was used in many instances in the 1980s

when earlier attempts were fashioned to explain some of the cases of sudden

infant death.

According to Meadow (1995),14 " Munchausen syndrome per proxy " is flamboyant

terminology originally used for journalistic reasons. It was a term

commonly applied to adults who presented themselves with false illness

stories, just like the fictional Baron von Munchausen who travelled on

cannon balls. The term is now used to apply to parents of children who

present with false illness stories fabricated by a parent or someone else

in that position.

While the term may have some validity in describing this special form of

child abuse in the documented cases of parents slowly poisoning their child

or exposing it to unnecessary and often dangerous and invasive medical

treatments, more recently it became a way for some doctors to camouflage

the real observed side-effects of especially measles (M),

measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccinations in the

UK. Many thousands of British children (up to 15,000 in my considered

opinion) developed signs of autism usually associated with bowel symptoms

after being given the above vaccines in 1994.

The Bulletin of Medical Ethics published two articles, in 1994 and 1995,

dealing with this problem. The October 1994 article ( " Is your measles jab

really necessary? " ) stated that during November 1994 the UK Government

would be running a mass campaign of measles vaccination with the intention

of reaching every child between the ages of five and sixteen.

It claimed that the purpose of this campaign was to prevent an epidemic

that would otherwise occur in 1995, with up to 200,000 cases and up to 50

deaths. The article also showed that since 1990 there have been only 8,000

to 10,000 cases of measles each year in England and Wales, and that

coincidentally there was an epidemic of only about 5,000 cases in Scotland

in the winter of 1993 & endash;94. Between May and August 1994 the

notification rate in England and Wales dropped sharply, so there was

nothing that clearly suggested an imminent epidemic.

The nine-page article in the August 1995 issue of BME stated among other

things that on 14 September 1992 the Department of Health (DoH) hastily

withdrew two brands of MMR vaccines following a leak to the national press

about the risk of children developing mumps meningitis after administration

of these vaccines. Both brands contained the Urabe mumps vaccine strain

which had been shown to cause mumps meningitis in one in 1,044 vaccinees

(Yawata, 199415).

Based on the epidemiology of measles, there was never going to be a measles

epidemic in 1995 and there was certainly no justification for concomitant

rubella vaccination. The mass campaign was planned as an experimental

alternative to a two-dose schedule of measles-mumps-rubella vaccination.

The UK Government knowingly misled parents about the need for the campaign

and about the relative risks of measles and measles vaccination. The DoH

broke the European Union's law about contracts and tendering to ensure that

specific pharmaceutical companies were awarded the contracts to provide the

campaign vaccines. All this must have been extremely fortunate for the drug

companies in question, since the supplies of measles and rubella

vaccines-which they'd been left with in 1992 and for which there was

virtually no demand-were soon to go out of date.

The vaccination campaign achieved very little. Indeed, in 1995 there were

twice as many cases of serologically confirmed rubella in England and Wales

as in the same period of 1994: 412 cases against 217. Six cases of rubella

in pregnant women were reported. The data indicate that more measles cases

were notified in the first quarter of 1995 (n=11) than in the first quarter

of 1994 (n=9). Despite this, there were several claims from government

doctors that measles transmission had stopped among school children. Higson

(1995)16 wrote that two DoH officials tried to justify the success of the

measles and rubella vaccination campaign by using data that cannot be used

to give year-on-year comparison for measles infections. Indeed, he wrote

that the data collected by the public health departments on the measles

notifications show no indication of benefit from the highly expensive

campaign. The British government spent some £20 million purchasing the

near-expiry-date measles and rubella vaccines.

Some 1,500 parents are now participating in a class action over the damage

(most often the bowel problems and autism) suffered by their children.

Wakefield et al. (1998)17 published a paper in the Lancet in which they

reported on a consecutive series of children with chronic enterocolitis and

regressive developmental disorder which occurred 1 to 14 days (median, 6.3

days) after M, MMR and MR vaccinations. They also quoted the " opioid

excess " theory of autism, that autistic disorders result from the

incomplete breakdown and excessive absorption of gut-derived peptides from

foods, including barley, rye, oats and milk/dairy product casein, caused by

vaccine injury to the bowel. These peptides may exert central-opioid

effects, directly or through the formation of ligands with peptidase

enzymes required for the breakdown of endogenous central-nervous-system

opioids, leading to disruption of normal neuroregulation and brain

development by endogenous encephalins and endorphins.

A number of British parents approached me last year and complained that

their children had developed behavioural and bowel problems after

vaccination (as above), and that instead of getting help from their doctors

they were told that they just imagined the symptoms or caused them in order

to attract attention to themselves. The term " Munchausen syndrome per

proxy " was used. It caused a lot of hardship and marital problems and did

nothing for the victims of vaccination. Their stories were horrifying.

EDUCATION ON VACCINE DANGERS

In summary, the trail of vaccine disasters is growing. Not only do

vaccinations do nothing to improve the health of children and other

recipients, they cause serious health problems and hardship for their

families by victimising the victims of vaccines.

Parents of small children of vaccination age should use their own judgement

and should educate themselves about the real dangers of this unscientific,

useless, harmful and invasive medical procedure. No matter how much

vaccines are pushed, vaccination is not compulsory in Australia (though the

Liberal Federal Minister for Health has announced his plan to make it so in

the near future-which, to me, sounded more like a threat at the time), and

parents do not have to vaccinate their children. Those parents who think

they are safe when they follow the official propaganda may be in for a rude

awakening: they may be accused of causing the harm which resulted from

vaccination.

I also urge medical practitioners to use their own judgement and

observations and study the trail of disaster created by vaccination. They

should listen when their patients and especially the parents of small

children report side effects of vaccinations.

The inability to listen and observe the truth has created a breed of

medical practitioners who inflict illness rather than healing, who become

accusers rather than helpers, and who are ultimately just covering

up-whether consciously or unknowingly, but with frighteningly increasing

frequency-for the disasters created by their useless and deadly concoctions

and sanctimonious ministrations. Maybe the term " Munchausen boomerang "

should be introduced to describe those members of the medical profession

who victimise the victims of their own harmful interventions (vaccines in

particular).

I would like to remind those who may still think the risks of vaccine

injury are outweighed by the benefits from vaccines, that infectious

diseases are beneficial for children by priming and maturing their immune

system. These diseases also represent developmental milestones. Having

measles not only results in a lifelong specific immunity to measles, but

also a non-specific immunity to a host of other, more serious conditions:

degenerative diseases of bone and cartilage, certain tumours, skin diseases

and immunoreactive diseases (Ronne, 198518). Having mumps has been found to

protect against ovarian cancer (West, 196619). So there is no need to try

to prevent children from getting infectious diseases.

Moreover, according to orthodox immunological research, vaccines do not

immunise, they sensitise; they make the recipients more susceptible to

diseases (Craighead, 197520). It is the vaccinated children who suffer

chronic ill health (asthma and constant ear infections being two of many

vaccine side effects); who develop side effects to diseases like pneumonia

or atypical measles (which carries a 12 to 15 per cent mortality risk); or

who may have difficulty going through even such innocuous diseases as

chicken pox because their immune system has been suppressed by vaccines.

In my closing remark, I urge parents to ask themselves a few questions.

Have you noticed how much the vaccines are pushed by threats, coercion,

victimisation and monetary punitive measures, with parents then being

accused of causing what are clearly side effects of the vaccines? Would you

succumb to the same type of pressure if any other product were pushed with

the same vengeance? Wouldn't you be suspicious and ask what's wrong with

the product if it has to be forced upon consumers? Why do so many informed

parents, as well as many informed medical doctors, now refuse vaccination?

Shouldn't you be suspicious of a medical system which forces itself upon

you, which won't accept responsibility for vaccine injuries and unlawfully

tries to take away your constitutional, democratic and legal right to have

control over your own and your children's health without being hassled and

victimised?

ENDNOTES:

1. Caffey, J. (1972), " On the theory and practice of shaking infants " , Am.

J. Dis. Child 124, August 1972.

2. Caffey, J. (1974), " The whiplash shaken infant syndrome: manual shaking

by the extremities with whiplash-induced intracranial and intraocular

bleeding, linked with residual permanent brain damage and mental

retardation " , Pediatrics 54(4):396-403.

3. Reece, R. M. (1993), " Fatal child abuse and sudden infant death

syndrome " , Pediatrics 91:423-429.

4. Duhaime, A. C., Alario, A. J., Lewander, W. J. et al. (1992), " Head

injury in very young children mechanisms, injury types and opthalmologic

findings in 100 hospitalized patients younger than two years of age " ,

Pediatrics 90(2):179-185.

5. Levine, S. and Sowinski, R. (1973), " Hyperacute allergic

encephalomyelitis " , Am. J. Pathol. 73:247-260.

6. Iwasa, A., Ishida, S., Akama, K. (1985), " Swelling of the brain caused

by pertussis vaccine: its quantitative determination and the responsible

factors in the vaccine " , Japan J. Med. Sci. Biol. 38:53-65.

7. Munoz, J. J., Aral, H., Bergman, R. K. and Sadowski, P. (1981),

" Biological activities of crystalline pertussigen from Bordetella

pertussis " , Infection and Immunity, September 1981, pp. 820-826.

8. Wilkins, J. (1988), " What is 'significant' and DTP reactions " (letter),

Pediatrics 81(6):912-913.

9. Devin, F., Roques, G., Disdier, P., Rodor, F. and Weiller, P. J. (1996),

" Occlusion of central retinal vein after hepatitis B vaccination " , Lancet

347:1626, 8 June 1996.

10. Goetting, M. G. and Sowa, B. (1990), " Retinal haemorrhage after

cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children: an etiologic evaluation " ,

Pediatrics 85(4):585-588.

11. , J. and Mannino, F. (1979), " Increased intracranial pressure

after diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis immunization " , Am. J. Dis. Child

133:217-218.

12. Woerner, S. J., Abildgaard, C. F. and French, B. N. (1981),

" Intracranial haemorrhage in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic

purpura " , Pediatrics 67(4):453-460.

13. Cody, C. L., Baraff, L. J., Cherry, J. D., Marcy, S. C. and Manclark

(1981), " Nature and rates of adverse reactions associated with DTP and DT

immunizations in infants and children " , Pediatrics 68(5):650-660.

14. Meadow, R. (1995), " What is and what is not 'Munchausen syndrome per

proxy'? " , Arch. Dis. Child 72:534-538.

15. Yawata, Makoto (1994), " Japan's troubles with measles-mumps-rubella

vaccine " , Lancet 343:105-106, 8 January 1994.

16. Higson, N. (1995), " Evaluating the measles immunisation campaign " ,

British Medical Journal 311:62.

17. Wakefield, A. J., Murch, S. H., , A., Linnell, J. et al. (1998),

" Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis and pervasive

developmental disorder in children " , Lancet 351:637-641, 28 February 1998.

18. Ronne, T. (1985), " Measles virus infection without rash in childhood is

related to disease in adult life " , Lancet, 5 January 1985, pp. 1-5.

19. West, R. O. (1966), " Epidemiologic studies of malignancies of the

ovaries " , Cancer, July 1966, pp. 1001-07.

20. Craighead, J. E. (1975), " Report of a workshop: disease accentuation

after immunisation with inactivated microbial vaccines " , J. Infect. Dis.

1312(6):749-754.

About the Author:

Viera Scheibner, PhD, is a retired principal research scientist with a

doctorate in natural sciences. During her distinguished career she

published three books and some 90 scientific papers in refereed scientific

journals.

Since the mid-1980s when she helped develop the Cotwatch breathing monitor

for babies at risk of cot death (sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS),

she has done extensive research into vaccines and vaccinations and in 1993

published her book, Vaccination: The Medical Assault on the Immune System.

Dr Scheibner is often asked by lawyers to provide expert reports for

vaccine-damage court cases, and she regularly conducts lectures. Her

previous articles for NEXUS covered the SIDS/vaccines link (2/05) and the

brain-eating bugs/vaccines connection (3/03).

=============================

Child Abuse or Misdiagnosis?

Lawyer Wins Acquittal By Raising Alternate Cause For What Looked Like

Shaken Baby Syndrome

The New Jersey Law Journal

October 26, 1998

By Henry Gottlieb ph Krakora,

a New Jersey lawyer with a knack for winning acquittals for seemingly

guilty clients, is one of the first lawyers in the nation to successfully

raise the defense that a DPT vaccination was responsible for what looked to

prosecutors like shaken baby syndrome. Krakora triumphed for Carey

of Whitehouse, who was tried for endangering a child's welfare in

particular, causing brain damage to his 5 month old son by shaking him

violently. Now three, is severely developmentally delayed and it's too

early to determine how well he will function. No one saw Carey shake the

infant, and there was no testimony that he was anything but a model father.

But the prosecution presented medical evidence that shaking was the

injury's only possible cause for the injuries. Most damaging to the defense

was evidence that suffered retinal bleeding, which occurs in 90

percent of shaken baby cases, but rarely otherwise. Krakora, a former

assistant deputy public defender now in private practice, countered with

the theory that 's injuries were caused by a pre existing medical

condition that wasn't discovered until the child had an adverse reaction to

a vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. The defense

worked. On Sept. 29, a Hunterdon County jury found Carey not guilty,

putting Krakora in the company of a small group of lawyers in Oklahoma,

Minnesota and New York who have used DPT shot evidence to undermine shaken

baby prosecutions. Their results have intensified the debate over the

reliability of shaken baby syndrome diagnoses as evidence in criminal

cases. " This was one of the first cases of its type, and I don't know of

any on the appellate level, " says Rob Parrish, chief child abuse counsel in

the Utah Attorney General's Office and one of the organizers of last

month's Second National Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome, in Salt Lake

City. The meeting attracted hundreds of doctors, lawyers and child welfare

experts. One of the attendees, pediatric surgeon Shaw of Pasadena,

Calif., who has written about shaken baby syndrome and DPT shots, says the

evidence against Carey seemed to point to the syndrome, " but I think they

had a good defense lawyer. " A RECORD OF RAISING EYEBROWS Before becoming of

counsel in 1996 to Schenck, Price, & King of town, Krakora had

a series of eyebrow raising victories as an assistant deputy public

defender in Essex County. In 1989, he convinced a jury that a man who shot

his sleeping son at point blank range was acting in self defense; in 1992,

he won an acquittal even on misconduct charges by arguing entrapment on

behalf of a state trooper who admitted participating in a drug deal. In

1995, his cross examination of the prosecution's chief witnesses was

credited by jurors as the crucial element of his win for a murder suspect

who risked a trial only because the prosecutor wouldn't let him plead

guilty and go to jail for 30 years. In the Carey case, though, the

prosecution's evidence made a harder target: competent doctors and a

compelling body of medical research. " In terms of the type of evidence that

we had to deal with, this was more like a medical malpractice case than a

criminal trial, " Krakora says.

On March 22, 1996, Carey was at home, off duty from his job as an officer

in the Union County Police Department, when he called 911 to summon an

emergency medical team. His son, for whom he was caring while his wife was

at work, had suffered a violent seizure, Carey told the ambulance crew. The

boy was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington and later to

Wood University Hospital in New Brunswick. Three pieces of

information that emerged during the crew's response later became relevant.

First, Carey was asked whether he had shaken the baby. He said no. Second,

Carey told them that had received a DPT shot earlier in the day.

Third, one of the workers found Carey's behavior suspicious. Unlike most

parents who refuse to let a sick child out of their sight, Carey refused to

go to the hospital with . Instead, while the team took to the

hospital, Carey waited at home until his wife arrived from work, and then

they went to the hospital together. Notes by the crew and one of the first

doctors who examined mentioned Carey's reference to the DPT shot, but

within a couple of days, a sinister consensus emerged among doctors who

examined the child and gave him a dozen tests from a culture of his blood

to a magnetic resonance image of his brain. Wood doctors

Elaine Donoghue, an expert on the symptoms of physical abuse, and Mark

Engel, a pediatric ophthalmologist, concluded that was suffering from

shaken baby syndrome. BRAIN AND RETINA DAMAGE Shaken baby syndrome is an

umbrella term for the symptoms that occur when an infant is held firmly by

the rib cage and shaken back and forth. Babies have more fluid between

their brain and skull than do adults or older children, so the violent

shaking causes the brain to move at a slower rate than the skull itself and

the brain hits against the skull. Similarly, the child's retinas are

damaged by the bumping of the eyes in their sockets. Shaking a baby can

cause rib injuries, brain damage and death. Even absent an eyewitness to

the abuse, there have been diagnoses and criminal charges based on testing

that showed bleeding in the brain and eyes. The most famous conviction was

last year, against Louise Woodward, the English nanny accused of shaking an

8 month old Boston boy. That child died, and Carey didn't, but Carey

had the bleeding and neurological damage associated with classic shaken

baby syndrome, the prosecution alleged. Under direct examination by

Assistant Prosecutor Marcia Crowe, doctors Donoghue and Engel testified at

Carey's trial that they considered other possibilities. But as Donoghue put

it, 's injuries were " all consistent with shaken baby syndrome " and she

believed in her diagnosis " to a reasonable degree of medical certainty. "

And there was no dispute that Carey had been 's only care giver on the

day he suffered the brain damage. LINK BETWEEN SYNDROME AND SHOT A family

court judge certainly believed the medical testimony. In 1996, acting on an

application by the Division of Youth and Family Services, Hunterdon County

Superior Court Judge Edmund Bernhard transferred custody of to a

relative of the Careys and ruled that could never be alone with his

parents, even his mother, Helen, who insisted her husband was innocent.

From the start, Krakora's defense focused on the DPT shot, which had been

administered earlier in the day of 's seizure. For years, medical

experts have been observing a relationship between shaken baby syndrome and

DPT vaccinations, but it has been a perverse link. As millions of parents

know, DPT shots can cause fever and pain so severe that children will wail

for hours the kind of crying that can drive a frustrated parent to shake a

baby. Pediatric surgeon Shaw says doctors who administer DPT shots should

give explicit warnings to parents not to let reactions to DPT shots lead

them to abusive behavior. But Donoghue and University of Utah doctor n

, another prosecution expert in the Carey trial, testified that there

is an overwhelming consensus among doctors in the field that although a DPT

shot can cause fevers, which can lead to seizures, there is no causal link

between DPT shots and the bleeding symptoms associated with shaken babies.

PLANTING DOUBT Krakora's defense was more subtle than a direct assertion

that the bleeding and neurological injuries were caused by the DPT shot. He

argued that suffered from a previous neurological condition that

mimicked shaken baby syndrome, which was discovered and misdiagnosed as

shaken baby syndrome after 's adverse reaction to the DPT shot. 's

medical history was Krakora's best ammunition in instilling a sense of

reasonable doubt in the shaken baby syndrome diagnosis. First, at birth,

had respiratory problems attributable to his delivery by Caesarean

section, and he was given oxygen. Second, from the time of his birth, the

ratio of 's head size to body size was so high, it was " off the charts "

in terms of what is considered normal. The Careys and their pediatrician,

Durga Gaviola of South Plainfield, had discussed the possibility of a CAT

scan to determine whether the head size was caused by an abnormality, but

the scan was never performed, Gaviola testified. Third, at the age of 2

months, had been hospitalized for three days because of

uncontrollable, projectile vomiting. Gaviola testified for the prosecution

that none of 's previous problems indicated he had a neurological

problem that could have caused bleeding in the brain. But during cross

examination of Gaviola, questioning of his own expert witness on DPT

vaccines, Mark Geier, and in his openings and summations, Krakora trumpeted

the notion that all the problems should have been a tipoff that should

not have been given the DPT shot. Doctors are almost universally insistent

on administering such shots, particularly because pertussis, better known

as whooping cough, is usually fatal. But there are side effects to the

vaccination, and Shaw says doctors are cautious about giving DPT shots to

children with some conditions, particularly children who are subject to

seizures. Krakora presented evidence that 's medical history

particularly his head size and his hospitalization for projectile vomiting

3 months before his seizure made him a bad candidate for the DPT shot. And

the evidence of cranial bleeding that looked like shaken baby syndrome

symptoms could have been caused by a number of other causes, such as

pressure on the brain. After the acquittal, Krakora said his largest fear

was the damage done to his case by pediatric ophthalmologist Engel. There

was no strong medical evidence on the defense side to refute the tests that

showed retinal bleeding, that most conclusive evidence of shaken baby

syndrome. " I was surprised that the prosecutor didn't make more of that

testimony in her summation, " Krakora says. Crowe declines to comment. For

Carey, the acquittal is worth more than vindication. He has regained

custody of and he has been reinstated, with more than a $100,000 in

back pay, as a Union County police officer. An open question is whether a

malpractice action could be brought. Given Krakora's victory on the theory

that a pre existing condition, exacerbated by the DPT shot, could have been

diagnosed if a CAT scan had been ordered, doctors could be a target of such

a suit. But so could 's father. After all, there was plenty of evidence

and the standards of proof are a lot easier in a civil trial that

suffered from shaken baby syndrome at the hands of his father. Krakora

declines to comment on the possibility of future litigation.

=====================

Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999

Subject: SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AND DPT

From: Bronwyn Hancock -bronwyn@...

Here is an article published in Australian Doctor Weekly on 12th February,

1999 (pg 56), in the " Law in Practice " section of the magazine. It is a

milestone in the fight to get justice to prevail for this to be broadcast

like this to doctors all over the country. (Lets hope they bother to read

it!!) Ah, this is only a taste of much bigger things to come!....

DOUBT OVER SHAKEN BABY

Strange Cases

by Dr Maree Bellamy

How reliable is medical evidence related to shaken baby syndrome? The UK

manslaughter case involving Australian nanny Louise Sullivan has

highlighted the syndrome, but a US case casts doubt over its diagnosis....

A US lawyer has successfully used the defense that a DTP vaccination was

responsible for what prosecutors claimed was shaken baby syndrome.

Carey was tried for causing brain damage to his five-month-old son

by shaking him violently. Now three, is severely developmentally

delayed. No one saw Carey shake the infant, and no one testified that he

was not a good father. But the medical evidence presented by the

prosecution suggested that shaking was the only possible cause of 's

injuries. The " New Jersey Law Journal " reported that a Hunterdon County

jury found Carey not guilty of the allegations. The results have fuelled

debate over the reliability of shaken baby syndrome diagnoses as evidence

in criminal cases.

On 22 March 1996, Carey was at home, off duty from his job as an officer in

the Union County Police Department, when he called an emergency medical

team. His son had experienced a violent seizure, Carey told the ambulance

officers. The boy was taken to Hunterdon medical Center and later to

Wood University Hospital. Three pieces of information that emerged

during the ambulance officers' attendance later became relevant. First,

Carey was asked whether he had shaken the baby. He said no. Second, Carey

told them had received a DTP shot earlier in the day. Third, one of

the workers found Carey's behaviour suspicious.

Unlike most parents who refuse to let a sick child out of their sight,

Carey refused to go to the hospital with . Instead, while the team took

to the hospital, Carey waited at home until his wife arrived from

work, then they went to the hospital together. Notes made by the ambulance

team and one of the first doctors who examined mentioned Carey's

reference to the DPT shot, but within a couple of days consensus emerged

among the doctors who examined and investigated the child. Although

Carey did not die, he exhibited the bleeding and neurological damage

associated with classic shaken baby syndrome, the prosecution said.

In 1996, a family court judge transferred custody of to a relative of

the Careys and ruled that could never be alone with his parents-even

his mother, who insisted her husband was innocent. The defence focused on

the DTP shot, which had been administered earlier in the day of 's

seizure. For years, medical experts have been observing a relationship

between shaken baby sundrome and DTP vaccinations, but the medical basis of

this link has never been properly established. Prosecution experts in the

Carey trial testified that there was an overwhelming consensus among

doctors in the field that, although a DTP shot could cause fevers which

could lead to seizures, there was no causal link between DTP shots and the

bleeding symptoms associated with shaken babies.

It was argued that had a previous neurological condition that mimicked

shaken baby syndrome, which was discovered and misdiagnosed as shaken baby

syndrome after 's adverse reaction to the DTP shot. At birth, had

respiratory problems attributable to his delivery by caesarean section.

From the time of his birth, the ratio of 's head size to body size was

so high, it was " off the charts " in terms of what is considered normal. The

Careys and their paediatrician had discussed the possibility of a CAT scan

to determine whether the head size was caused by an abnormality, but the

scan was never performed.

At the age of two months, was hospitalised for three days because of

uncontrollable, projectile vomiting. On the basis of these medical factors,

it was alleged should not have been given the DTP shot. It was argued

that cranial bleeding could have been caused by several other causes, such

as pressure on the brain. Carey has regained custody of and has been

reinstated as a police officer with more than $100,000 in back pay.

Given the victory based on the theory that a pre-existing condition,

exacerbated by the DTP shot, could have been diagnosed of a CAT scan had

been ordered, it is now possible the doctors treating earlier could

find themselves embroiled in litigation. (Dr Bellamy is the editor of Law

in Practice and a practising GP)

============================================

Some sites with info...

http://hometown.aol.com/ohnoapr/myhomepage/index.html

http://www.access1.net/gtmail/

http://www.jps.net/tumnus/karenanderson/

http://www.famvi.com/index.html

http://www.mjbovo.com/AbuseLinks.htm#nine

http://www.wrongfullyaccused.org/

http://www.the-facts.com/

http://www.shadow-net.com/

http://www.firedocs.com/familyjustice/index.shtml

http://www.fathermag.com/news/1790-fake-rape.shtml

ALSO sometimes truths are not told.....

While I could not stress enough that as a mother I am heart and incensed

when children are taken from mothers, I also care more for truth in the

false allegations, many of which are laid at the feet of therapists and

" sex-abuse validators " who have one job or no pay. There are too many

fathers behind bars or forever without their children because someone

misused reporting of alleged molestation--or " accepted " the word of a

validating " expert " or hired that person primarily to CREATE such a

report--to take too swiftly any claim of the same ...

......Some of the people who share these stories, if one comes to know

others in their lives and gain a fuller picture, totally and absolutely

BELIEVE what they are saying so that they, like the younger children who

repeat " stories " which are provably not so, are not altogether " lying " in

the sense of intent anyway.

In telling the mother yesterday about my concern for a double whammy, her

tenuous battle to be free of an MSbP label far from over, I tried to be

clear that NCADRC deals with attorneys and others handling FALSE

ALLEGATIONS of child abuse or neglect so that we are not usually able to

deal with those which are apparently valid when, all things considered, we

find ourselves at cross concerns if not purposes (re justice).

Barbara

Barbara , Communications Director, NCADRC

P. O. Box 8323, Roanoke, Virginia 24014 USA

540/345-1952; Fx: 540/345-1899; Email: BH@...

(National Child Abuse Defense & Resource Center;

Toledo, Ohio-based: 419/865-0513; Fax: 419/865-0526

website: www.falseallegation.com) (Re: MSbP, see also:

www.stop-abuse.org, click on " Plugs " at Press material)

==================

Visit original page at LineOne:

http://www.lineone.net/cgi-bin/loadcontent.pl?page=/cgi-bin/drecgi/express/00/

06/26/news/n0240-d.html

DOCTORS' CHILD ABUSE THEORY THAT IS TEARING FAMILIES APART

By Lucy ston and Calvert

Scores of families are being torn apart by doctors using a highly

controversial psychiatric theory to diagnose child abuse by parents.

A growing number of children are being taken into care after their parents

are accused of Munchausen's by proxy-creating illnesses or disorders in

someone else to gain medical attention.

Two leading consultants in the field, Professor Southall and Dr

s, have recently been suspended after allegations they falsely

accused families. (BB Note: They have been suspended since Dec. 99 and

remain under investigation in several official and professional inquiries

in UK as well as individual actions by affected families.)

Such is the concern that a support group, Dare to Care, has been set up to

help parents. It has assisted 50 families who say they were wrongly

accused. All but six-who are still fighting-have now been cleared.

Founder Penny Mellor said some parents are blamed for undiagnosed illnesses

in their offspring. Children can be taken away because they display

problems that could have been caused by other factors such as an adverse

reaction to drugs or routine vaccinations.

She said: " This is legalised kidnapping. It devastates the lives of parents

and the children it seeks to protect, who are often put into a loveless and

sometimes abusive care system that churns out dysfunctional adults. " In one

case a mother was accused of breaking her child's bones. She later proved

her son had brittle-bone disease.

In another a four-year-old boy was put on the at-risk register after the

mother was accused of trying to suffocate him and burn his skin with

corrosive. She later proved his breathing problems and blisters were caused

by a severe allergy to foods and chemicals.

Some parents are accused of causing behavioural problems. In one, a

pregnant woman and her two hyperactive sons were locked in a psychiatric

unit and videoed 24 hours a day for four months at a cost of £100,000. The

woman later proved her sons had a severe form of autism and a neurological

malfunction, attention deficit disorder.

In a similar case two children aged 12 and 13 were taken into care because

of violent and unruly behaviour and now claim they are being physically

abused by care staff. A police investigation has been launched into the

allegations.

The phrase " Munchausen's by proxy " was coined in 1977 by Professor Roy

Meadow. It was popularised by Professor Southall in the Beverly Allitt

case, in which a nurse was jailed for killing four babies in her care and

trying to murder nine others.

Perpetrators are said to fit a profile. However, some experts say many of

the characteristics of this could apply to non-abusing parents. They

include showing an " unnatural " interest in the child's health, trying to be

a perfect mother and even denying they are abusers. Once a case gets to

court doctors only have to demonstrate that on the balance of probabilities

a parent is abusing a child.

Pragnell, a social care consultant, said that once accused,

families stand little chance.

" The system is stacked against them, " he said. " Parents often have to face

a legal system, social services and police who all work hand in hand with

each other. "

© Express Newspapers, 2000

=====================

http://www.offspringmag.com/highlights/excerpts.cfm?story=shots

Offspring Magazine

JUNE/JULY 2000

Who's Calling the Shots?

By Walecia Konrad with on Ginsburg

When , a mother in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania, took her

daughter Brittany to the doctor at four months, she'd already fallen behind

in her immunizations. So the pediatrician's nurse suggested a quick fix:

They'd give the baby girl both doses of her DTP shot (for diphtheria,

tetanus and pertussis), which are routinely administered at two-month

intervals.

balked. " Isn't there a reason they space them apart? " she asked.

When offered instead to bring her daughter back one month later,

the nurse called the doctor in. Despite her protests, the pediatrician gave

her daughter the second shot anyway. stormed out of the office,

vowing to find another doctor. When she didn't come back for her next

scheduled visit two months later, she got a call from the pediatrician's

office. An apology? Hardly. The staffer warned that she'd be

reported to child services for neglect if she didn't get her daughter

vaccinated properly. " The doctor is the one who should have been reported, "

fumes . " She didn't want to deal with anyone who asked any questions. "

Threats? Harassment? Over childhood immunizations? There was a time-not so

long ago, either-when vaccinations were a simple, routine part of child

care, as nonconfrontational as diaper changes. And there's no denying that

vaccines have been one of the major medical triumphs of the last forty

years: Smallpox has been eradicated, and both polio and diphtheria have

been all but wiped out in the Western Hemisphere. It's estimated that

before 1963 there were as many as 4 million cases of the measles and 500

deaths from that disease annually in the U.S.; in 1999 there were just 86

occurrences. The Hib vaccine has helped stem the number of cases of

Haemophilus influenzae type b-once the leading cause of childhood bacterial

meningitis and postnatal mental retardation-from 20,000 a year in the early

'80s to 54 in 1998.

But vaccines have become the subject of a fierce debate between a growing

cadre of anti-vaccine activists and the medical establishment. The

activists claim that vaccines can, in fact, hurt children-causing brain

damage, autism, even death-and they want to allow parents to opt out of the

mandatory immunization schedule and to improve the safety of the shots

children get. " Parents have a right to informed consent-to get all the

information and then make a decision, " says Dawn , founder of

Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE). Doctors and public

health officials, by and large, have reacted with patronizing dismissal,

characterizing advocates as a fringe element- " misguided folks " peddling

" misguided information, " as one doctor says.

Then last summer there was a flurry of news that brought attention to the

anti-vaccine case: Safer versions of two core vaccines-DTP and polio-were

put on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's schedule, a move

that backhandedly acknowledged the activists' claims. After that came the

rotavirus debacle, in which the new vaccine, supposed to guard against a

severe form of childhood diarrhea, was found to cause life-threatening

bowel obstructions in infants. Just nine months after introducing the

vaccine, the Federal Drug Administration recommended that it be pulled. As

rotavirus made headlines, more and more parents began wondering what was

going on. If the doctors had made a mistake this time, maybe they didn't

really know that much after all. Maybe we should all be worrying about

immunizations. Suddenly, the vaccine safety movement had gone mainstream.

Where does that leave you? Most likely in your pediatrician's waiting room,

wondering how seriously you should take the anti-vaccine claims and whether

your doctor is (a) really up on this debate and ( telling you all you

need to know about the side effects of the twenty-four shots of vaccine

your child will likely get over the next four years.

The vaccine whirlwind starts literally at birth, when many hospitals

inoculate infants against hep-atitis B, an incurable disease that causes

severe liver damage, but one that is usually transmitted sexually. By your

baby's two-month checkup, he's due for an onslaught of shots: a second dose

of hep B and the first shots for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; polio;

and Hib. Just watching the needles piercing your infant's thigh is painful.

Whatever happened to the polio vaccine we drank from a cup as kids? That's

the one the CDC took off its vaccination list last year, after vaccine

safety advocates spent years publicizing what the government already knew:

The tiny number of polio cases occurring annually in the U.S. were actually

caused by the oral vaccine, which contained the live virus.

By the time of your child's four-month well-baby checkup, you're full of

questions. Your son ran a slight fever after his last shots-a common minor

reaction. But do you need to worry? Like many parents, you turn to the

Internet for reassurance. Your search only raises your anxiety. At the

National Vaccine Information Center's Web site (www.909shot.com), for

example, you read about a Swedish study of 215,000 children who received

the DTP shot. One in 17,000 either died from a reaction or ended up with

permanent brain damage. The CDC site (www.cdc.gov/nip) says, " The risks of

serious disease from not vaccinating are far greater than the risks of

serious reaction to the vaccination, " but how are you to judge the real

danger to your child?

It doesn't help that all your Web surfing has landed your name on a couple

of e-mail lists. Your inbox is full of dire messages with scary subject

lines like " The Damning Evidence That the Medical Establishment Has Chosen

to Ignore. " One, headlined " Dirty Vaccines, " implies that vaccines made

with bovine material might be carrying mad cow disease. Every doctor visit

is starting to feel like a game of Russian roulette. Meanwhile, your son,

now one year old, is due for his first measles-mumps-rubella shot, and

frankly, you're terrified. This is the vaccine that some activists claim is

linked to the skyrocketing incidence of autism in the U.S. and Britain.

Scientists dispute that there's any such connection, but what if . . . ?

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY

PICK UP THE JUNE/JULY ISSUE OF

OFFSPRING AVAILABLE ON

==================

Re: Shaken Baby Syndrome Regina v- Warren Walters, Supreme Court of

New South Wales Criminal Division No. 70031 of 1996 - Australia

s Law Firm, where I am employed three days a week (as a para/legal)

acted on behalf of the father in the above Shaken Baby Syndrome Murder

Trial in April 1998. As soon as I heard my firm was acting for the father,

I endeavoured to place the link with vaccination and helped the Solicitor

in charge and subsequently the Barrister. I have been researching vaccine

damage for legal claims for the past eight years and s have had three

successful workers' compensation claims in New South Wales and presently

have two common law actions on foot.

Two doctors in Australia who are very experienced on the subject of

vaccination (both GP's one of whom is retired) gave evidence on behalf of

the father. I knew them both personally so it wasn't difficult to obtain

their services. The father was subsequently found not guilty, but I wonder

if this would have been the case had I not had a background in vaccine

research and not been working at s at the time.

I believe that it is important to obtain very extensive medical

documentation of the baby prior to death to establish the health of the

child particularly the health following any vaccinations and any adverse

reactions. The detailed documentation should include birth records/medical

reports etc. and any subsequent visits to medical practitioners/copy record

cards etc. It is also important to have a very extensive report following

death from a forensic pathologist. The 72 hour period prior to death is

very important and a detailed chronology should be obtained from

father/mother/other person who came in contact with the baby detailing

every minute of those 72 hours. Lengthy statements should be taken from

everyone who had contact with the baby from birth to death particularly in

regard to health issues including vaccination.

It was obvious in the Walters case that vaccination was a contributing

cause with the baby having other underlying medical problems. Rikki Lee

Walters had hepatic mitochondrial abnormality, andibiotic use in the

neonatal period, cytomegalovirus infection causing pneumonia, poor feeding

and fluid intake causing a depletion in glutathione, multiple antigen

vaccination administered while she was suffering a significant viral

infection, adverse reaction to the vaccination.

I can provide a copy of the full Judgment of Acting Judge Black handed down

on 24.4.98 if anyone is interested.

I will be attending the NVIC conference in Washington in September and will

take copies of this judgment with me for those who may want one. My travel

arrangements following the conference are to travel to Canada (Montreal) on

11.9.2000, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco-Home

4.10.2000.

The full details of the Australian Shaken Baby Case is detailed in my book

- Vaccination-The Right Choice? released in Australia in February this

year. Whilst the book concentrates on Australian conditions, there is

considerable information from US and UK. The US information was provided to

me by a law firm in the US and was obtained under freedom of information

and I believe that this information has not been disseminated to the public

previously. I would be happy to bring copies of the book to the NVIC

vaccination conference if you feel anyone would be interested in purchasing

a copy.

I am presently assisting Alan Yurok who is in jail in Florida for shaken

baby syndrome and was able to put him in touch with one of the GP's who

gave evidence in the Walters case.

I would be pleased to hear from you in relation to this matter and willing

to assist those charged with shaken baby syndrome as much as I can .

Sincerely,

Maureen Hickman, Para/Legal

s Law Firm

Auburn, Sydney, NSW

Australia

personal e-mail: acii@...

PO Box 274

Ettalong Beach NSW 2257

Australia.

==============

UK MOTHER CONVICTED OF DOUBLE MURDER OF JUST VACCINATED INFANTS

Belkin wrote:

This mom was convicted by a UK jury of murder on the basis of some supposed

expert saying the odds of 2 kids dying in similar circumstances are 73

million to one. The next to last paragraph reveals the common link in the

children's deaths-they were just vaccinated. What is the matter with the

medical profession? Why don't they investigate the obvious link in

situations like this instead of persecuting the parents? I'm going to work

on calculating the odds of two kids in the same family dying within 24

hours of vaccination so the right ones go to jail-vaccine manufacturers.

November 28 1999

NEWS REVIEW

http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/resources/aboutuscont.html?19533625

3362#COPYRIGHT

Sally is in jail for killing her two baby sons, but her father, a

retired policeman, insists the court got it wrong, reports Margarette.

SHADOW OF A DOUBT

Eighteen days ago Sally was convicted of the double murder of her

baby sons, and Harry, born a year apart and each destined to

live no more than a few weeks. The 35-year-old lawyer, who once appeared to

be the woman with everything-a high-flying job as a solicitor, a £250,000

house in Cheshire's stockbroker belt and a devoted husband-got her first

taste of prison life within 24 hours of arriving in the hospital wing of

Styal women's jail, where she was sent for assessment. Another prisoner,

frustrated at being separated from her own children, smashed a plastic cup

into 's face, leaving her with two black eyes. It was not a

staggeringly violent attack-the woman who carried it out later

apologised-but it is unlikely to be the last. faces many years inside

a prison system where child killers are regarded as the bottom of the heap,

prey to the attentions of the vicious or deranged.

Does she deserve this fate? The 10 jurors who brought in a majority verdict

of guilty after two days of deliberation at Chester crown court clearly

think so, but 's family and legal team insist the case was a

miscarriage of justice. As the jury pronounced its guilty verdict, 's

husband stood up and opened his arms in a gesture of astonishment.

He has pledged to stand by her, come what may, utterly convinced of her

innocence.

The thought that cold-bloodedly murdered two of her babies is

appalling. But the thought that she might not have done so, and is a bereft

mother now serving a double life sentence for a crime she did not commit,

scarcely bears thinking about. It is a difficult case, and is hardly

the most sympathetic of characters. After the trial it emerged that she had

a history of depression and drink problems.

One would expect her family to rally round. Her father, speaking for the

first time about her case, is a former senior policeman with years of

experience dealing with the criminal courts. And medical experts who

examined the evidence also have misgivings about the verdict. What is

troubling is that was convicted without the cause of death of either

baby being definitively established.

The trial opened with the assertion that Harry, who died in January 1998,

was a victim of shaken baby syndrome, and that both babies had been

subjected to abuse, even though when died, in December 1996,

his death was ascribed to a respiratory infection, that is, natural causes.

When the " evidence " for shaking was challenged, it was suggested that one

or both babies might have been smothered, or even strangled. The

prosecution said there were too many coincidences: both babies died at

approximately the same age, at the same time of evening; both were alone

with , and found in her bedroom. The odds against a double cot death

in this sort of family were said to be 73m to one. The strongest aspect of

the case against , therefore, was the very human assumption that

lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice.

was brought up in Wiltshire, where her father, Lockyer, was

chief superintendent of the southern half of the county. Her teenage years

were blighted by her mother Jean's eight-year battle against breast cancer.

died shortly after her daughter went to university.

Despite this, her father says they have " many, many happy memories " of

family life. " We were enormously proud of Sally. Let's face it, the

policeman's daughter, like the vicar's daughter, has to be that little bit

better than everyone else and she never put a foot wrong. "

After Southampton University, joined a finance house in London and

met her husband, a solicitor. was keen to have children, his wife

apparently less so, wishing she could have a few more years to establish

herself in her career. But at 32, with time ticking on, she fell pregnant

with .

" She suffered depression, yes, and drink was one of the escape routes, "

says her father. " Losing her mother so young was very hard on her. After

died she sought professional help. What she had was not a drink

problem, but a bereavement problem. She was never the sort to have gin on

her cornflakes, but she did have a problem and she tried to deal with it.

Sally is a compassionate person who loves children. If people could see the

preparations she made for her babies, her sheer joy at having them, they

would never believe she could do them harm. "

Eleven weeks after was born, while her husband was away on

business, she left the baby one evening in his Moses basket by her bed

while she made a cup of tea. When she returned he was " this dusty grey

colour " . Her panic was such that it was all the emergency team and hospital

staff could do to contain her while they attempted to resuscitate the baby.

The pathologist who carried out the autopsy on was concerned

about marks on his legs-though the hospital staff had not noticed any

bruising-and a split in the frenulum, the tissue that links the upper gum

to jaw. These were put down to aggressive resuscitation attempts and the

cause of death was attributed to an infection in the respiratory tract.

Just over a year later, Harry died in a chair next to his parents' bed

while was downstairs, making his eight-week-old son a bottle.

Harry's autopsy was carried out by the same pathologist, who was now

suspicious. He found several apparent injuries, including bleeding near the

spinal cord and, crucially, bleeding in the retina of the eye, a marker for

death by shaking. Meanwhile, new research from New Zealand said traces of

blood in the lungs could indicate smothering. 's lung samples

were looked at again, and traces were found.

The case went ahead, based upon the supposition that Harry had been shaken

to death and smothered. Before she came to trial, gave

birth to a third child, a one-year-old boy now in care.

As the trial drew near, a last-minute drama was taking place. One of the

experts who had backed up the claim of retinal bleeding began to have

doubts and said he had been looking at the wrong slides. In a crucial

meeting two days before the trial, he conceded that there were no retinal

haemorrhages, seriously undermining the original pathologist's belief that

the baby had been shaken to death.

The other injuries, such as the spinal cord bleeding, were also highly

questionable, the defence said, and as likely to be due to childbirth as

child abuse: Harry's had been a rapid delivery. A damaged rib was said by

the defence to be a post-mortem injury.

" I wonder if the case would have been brought if the spectre of shaking had

not surfaced early on, " says Phil Luthert, professor of pathology at London

University, who examined the retinal slides. " The evidence does not support

shaking. I worry about a system where juries are expected to make a

decision on complex, conflicting medical evidence. "

Suddenly, 's death, originally the weaker case, became the

strong one. But the assertion that he was smothered is also questionable.

It is practically impossible to disprove suffocation, which sometimes

leaves no sign at autopsy. But neither are traces of blood in the lungs

proof; they are routinely found in the lungs of children who have suffered

a cot death, where there is no suspicion of foul play.

As for the one in 73m chance, we are talking probabilities here, not

actualities. The figure was said to equate to one such double tragedy every

100 years. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Death estimates that

there is at least one multiple cot death every year. Indeed, one of the

risk factors for cot deaths in families is having suffered a previous cot

death.

Asked in court if she had murdered Harry, replied tearfully:

" Absolutely not. No. Absolutely not. He was so precious. I loved him to

bits and I didn't harm him in any way. I didn't harm my little baby. I

loved both of them, more than anything. "

A nanny who worked for the s said after the trial that she still

believed they were very caring and genuine people. The family's health

visitor saw as " a normal, caring, delighted mother " .

Both boys were vaccinated, the day before and Harry on the day

of his death, so both were seen by health professionals who noticed nothing

amiss.

On Friday, was brought back to Chester crown court to be formally

given two life sentences. Outside the court, her husband reiterated that

the " nightmare " would not be over until he was able to clear her name

Copyright 1999 Times Newspapers Ltd.

This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard terms and

conditions. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from The

Sunday Times, visit the Syndication website.

========================================

Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 7, Number 6 (October-November 2000) or

November-December 2000 in the USA only.

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@...

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

© by Maureen Hickman © 2000

PO Box 274

Ettalong Beach, NSW 2257

Australia

Telephone: +61 (0)2 4342 5294

Fax: +61 (0)2 4342 5379

E-mail: acii@...

Throughout history, mankind has been plagued by infectious diseases. With

the advent of modern biochemical antibiotics, many of these To loving,

caring parents, the act of child abuse is abhorrent. However, it must be

recognised that child abuse has occurred in the past and inevitably will

occur in the future. Medical professionals have the unenviable task of

establishing, by applying sound medical practice and scientific evidence,

if child abuse has in fact occurred.

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was described in medical literature in the early

1970s (1) but was recognised as a form of severe child abuse as far back as

1860. (2) It is a collective term for internal head injuries which a baby

or young child may sustain from: (a) being violently shaken (child abuse);

( a combination of medical problems exacerbated by a serious vaccine

adverse event; © a lone serious vaccine adverse event.

According to New Scientist, (3) researchers may be on the way to

identifying a biochemical signature that can help distinguish between brain

injuries caused by accidents and those resulting from violent abuse. Whilst

this research may identify SBS, it may not identify underlying medical

problems which have been exacerbated by a serious vaccine adverse event or

a lone serious vaccine adverse event. Unless sound scientific evidence is

initiated swiftly to diagnose the difference, parents could find themselves

in the position of a father in Sydney, Australia, who in 1995 was charged

with the murder of his child.

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF RIKKI LEE WALTERS Warren Walters was charged with

the murder of his four-month-old baby daughter, Rikki Lee Walters, by

allegedly shaking the baby to death on 22 April 1995. Rikki Lee was born on

23 January 1995 at 41 weeks' gestation. The apgar scores (the scale, from 1

to 10, upon which a baby's physical health is judged) were 8 at one minute

and improved to 9 at five minutes. She was vaccinated on 19 April 1995, 72

hours prior to her death. Vaccines given were triple antigen (diphtheria,

tetanus, pertussis), Hibtiter (Haemophilus influenzae), hepatitis B and

polio syrup.

The transcript of an electronically recorded interview between the police

and Warren Walters is significant:

Q: Did she have any medical problems which you were aware of any time in

between those two visits to the doctors?

A: Oh, we were worried about her chest, 'cause she was, um, breathing a bit

heavy and like, we took, the doctor said she's just got a cold.

Q: When did the doctor say that?

A: When we took her to, um, get her needles and that, she was...

Q: So, you were worried about her chest when you took her to the doctors.

A: Yeah, we were; her chest was, since she was born, like she had a...she

caught a cold, and, you know, through the month...through, like, the second

month, she's caught a cold and it hasn't gone away; it was just...her

breathing was just heavy.

The transcript of the police interview with the mother is also significant:

Q: Did Rikki Lee receive any vaccination?

A: Yeah; the other day it was her two-month-old needles, 'cause she had a

cold when they were due; ones for polio, hepatitis B, measles and mumps,

all that type of thing.

Q: Did Rikki Lee have diarrhoea?

A: No.

Q: Did she have vomiting?

A: She's always been a vomity baby after she is fed, but no more than usual.

Q: Did she have cold symptoms?

A: She's had a snuffly chest and nose, she had a really bad reaction to the

needles. She only had them on Wednesday; she had a runny nose since this.

[Author's emphasis in italics.]

The fact that Rikki Lee had a bad reaction to vaccination was also noted by

the police in the " Report of Death to the Coroner " , dated 23 April 1995:

" The deceased received two-monthly injections on Wednesday 19.4.95 on her

three-monthly period because she had been sick. The deceased then suffered

a bad reaction to the injections; however, the mother did not return her to

the doctor. [signed by constable.] "

It is noted that the medical practitioner said the following in a statement

to police: " I cannot recall this consultation; however, it [is] my usual

practice to observe the child and ask general questions as to the child's

health. If the child had been obviously unwell with fever, the vaccination

would not have been ordered. Further, the child did not appear to have any

physical injuries or [to be] suffering from neglect; and if the child had

been, I am aware of the guidelines in relation to [my] contacting the

Department of Community Services. The child received the vaccinations from

nursing staff, as this is usually the normal practice at the centre. "

[Author's emphasis in italics.]

We know that the child was ill because both parents alluded to this fact

when giving police statements. Did the medical practitioner give adequate

information to the parents on the risks and benefits of vaccination so an

informed decision could be made? The father alleged that the medical

practitioner, in a consultation lasting three to four minutes, did not take

any notes of the consultation, did not examine the child for

contraindications to the administration of a vaccine, did not question the

parents on the health of the child, and did not explain the risks and

benefits of vaccination.

If the medical practitioner did not recall the consultation, how could he

remember whether there were any physical injuries or whether the child was

suffering from neglect? Remember, the doctor took no notes according to the

parents. The doctor made the statement: " If the child had been obviously

unwell with fever, the vaccination would not have been ordered. " We know,

however, that the doctor admitted only to observing the child, so how could

he make a diagnosis of whether the child had any contraindications for the

administration of the six vaccines?

The Australian Immunisation Procedures Handbook (4) is distributed by the

National Health and Medical Research Council to give medical practitioners

guidance about vaccination and to encourage them to maintain the highest

standards in the provision of vaccination services. The 5th edition of this

handbook, distributed in October 1994, is very clear on the issue of

consent and advises practitioners that informed consent must be obtained

from the person being vaccinated or, in the case of a child, the child's

parent or guardian. The handbook advises that consent should be obtained

prior to each vaccination, after the recipient's fitness and suitability

have been established, and that the person being vaccinated or the

parent/guardian should be informed of all possible side effects.

It does appear that the medical practitioner in this instance was clearly

negligent because he did not follow government guidelines in the provision

of vaccination services. He did not establish Rikki Lee's fitness for

vaccination correctly, as she was subsequently found to have been suffering

from viral pneumonia. Seventy-two hours later, disastrous results emerged

from his carelessness.

Following this vaccination, Rikki Lee slept for 10 & endash;11 hours on

Friday night, 21 April 1995, the night before her death. Was this

" excessive somnolence " ? This is defined by O. Behan, Professor of

Neurology at Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, as " a state of drowsiness "

and is an adverse reaction to vaccination. (6) He wrote: " Albeit, this may

be difficult to quantitate but, normally, mothers will be aware that the

child will be difficult to arouse, will not take its food, and most mothers

will note that the child is sleeping excessively. "

According to the transcript from an additional police interview,

Warren Walters was asked about feeding details on the day Rikki Lee died:

A: ...she only, she didn't have it; she wouldn't have been two minutes; she

was on the bottle and she just...

Q: About two minutes on the bottle?

A: Yeah.

Q: And what, she wasn't interested in the food?

A: No, no.

The father admitted that Rikki Lee, following the administration of the

vaccines, had shown signs of excessive drowsiness, projectile vomiting and

diarrhoea, had not been taking the full amount of her formula and was on

continual doses of Panadol every six hours.

DOCTORS CALLED BY CROWN LEGAL TEAM

In the case of Regina v Warren Walters, (5) heard by Acting Judge

Black in the NSW Supreme Court in April 1998, the Crown called three expert

witnesses: a forensic pathologist, a paediatrician and a neuropathology

professor.

The forensic pathologist reported: " There were no fractures of the skull;

subdural haemorrhage was present diffusely across the superior surface of

the right cerebral hemisphere. There was no evidence of bruising of the

neck. There were no fractures of the rib cage. No digested food was seen in

the intestine and there was minimal faecal material within the colon. An

X-ray skeletal survey was performed, and no evidence of old or recent

trauma or other bony disease was seen. "

Acting Judge Black commented on the forensic pathologist's testimony in his

Judgment: " Examination of the fixed eyes noted haemorrhages around both

sides of the optic nerve and diffuse retinal haemorrhages... There was

laryngopharyngitis and moderate microvesicular steatosis present in the

liver... Cytomegalovirus was isolated from a nasal swab. She said that

cytomegalovirus was a viral pneumonia which she would not expect to cause

death but would expect to cause something like a bad cold, maybe

bronchitis... She was not able to say how long Ricki Lee had been suffering

from viral pneumonia. " The microscopic examination of the subdural

haemorrhage told her that the haemorrhage occurred within around 12 hours

prior to Ricki Lee's death. " The forensic pathologist determined that the

direct cause of death was subdural haemorrhage occurring up to

approximately 12 hours prior to death. No antecedent causes or other

significant conditions that may have contributed to the death were listed.

In cross-examination, the following questions and answers were put and given:

Q: And first of all, it is the case, is it not, that there is some

controversy within the medical profession about this whole issue of shaken

baby syndrome?

A: Yes.

Q: There are those who would debunk the whole idea completely?

A: There are certain people that say that shaking alone is insufficient to

cause injuries, that there must be impact as well; and there are others

that say that the shaking is sufficient.

The paediatrician, Chairman of the Child at Risk Committee at Westmead

Hospital, Sydney,

reported:

" The clinical and pathological findings are almost certainly the result of

a violent shaking injury to the child in the short time prior to her

death. " Slightly later in his report, he said this: " The only other

possible explanation for a spontaneous haemorrhage into the brain would be

some form of haemorrhagic disease such as vitamin K deficiency in the

neonatal period. I understand that she did receive her vitamin K injection

and this would virtually rule out this possibility. "

In his Judgment, Acting Judge Black commented on the paediatrician's

findings: " In the course of his evidence, the paediatrician had said that

he felt strongly about his position and I asked him to clarify what he

meant by that. He said it was not because he was trying to make out that he

was zealous about the matter; it was just that because of the range of

injuries within the brain, he felt it was consistent with violent shaking,

way out ahead of any other possibility; in terms of percentages, something

like 99 per cent, something like that. " He was not aware that the child had

been vaccinated about three days before her death. " He says that the

presence of cytomegalovirus would not be a contraindication for immunising

the child. He said the current advice is that immunisation should be done

unless there is a particularly serious illness. " In relation to the

microvesicular steatosis found by the forensic pathologist, he

[paediatrician] did not refer to it in his report. He said in relation to

it: 'It is not something I think I could comment on, but I think I was

concentrating largely on the injuries that were documented but it is

obviously important in the context.'

'Q: When you say you cannot comment on it, are you saying you cannot

comment on microvesicular steatosis?'

'A: Yes, I would have to be told what that is. I don't know what that is.'

" I am surprised [said Judge Black], in view of those answers, that the

paediatrician felt able to be as positive in his conclusions as he was. "

A neuropathology professor also gave evidence for the Crown. Commenting on

his testimony,

Acting Judge Black wrote in his Judgment: " Injuries are consistent with the

child having been shaken. He was asked, 'Would it be possible for a child

to have received these injuries and to appear normal to a number of adults

over a period of hours?'

A: 'Yes.' When asked to put a time frame on this, he said, 'The injuries

could have happened twenty-four to forty-eight hours prior to the arrival

of the ambulance on the Saturday night'. He was unaware that the child had

been vaccinated three days prior to the death. He noted the presence of

cytomegalovirus but that did not cause him any concern, nor did he see any

relationship between that and the vaccination. " He did not consider whether

scurvy was a problem and said, 'Scurvy is a diagnosis that...again I am no

[more] expert on the clinical aspects of vitamin deficiencies than I am on

the vitamin aspects of brain problems, but scurvy does not normally cause

any brain pathology'. " It was clear from the medical evidence tendered that

the subdural haemorrhage was the cause of death and was probably less than

24 hours old. The retinal haemorrhage would have occurred near the time of

death and could have been caused by resuscitation. In other words, there

were two instances of haemorrhage allegedly caused by the baby being shaken.

DOCTORS CALLED BY DEFENCE LEGAL TEAM

Two medical practitioners were called on behalf of the defence in the case

of Regina v Warren Walters.

Dr Mark Donohoe, MB, BS, gave the following testimony (7):

" The contributing and unusual factors in this case do make it difficult to

attribute the intracranial bleeding to a single cause. The range of

contributing and potentially causative factors include: hepatic

mitochondrial abnormality (as evidenced by the microvesicular steatosis of

the liver); antibiotic use in the neonatal period; cytomegalovirus (CMV)

infection causing pneumonia; poor feeding and fluid intake causing a

depletion in glutathione; multiple antigen vaccination administered while

she was suffering a significant viral infection; adverse reaction to the

vaccination; the use of paracetamol to manage her high temperature;

nutritional deficiencies, including vitamins K and C. "

This is an extract from Acting Judge Black's Judgment concerning Dr

Donohoe's testimony: " In summary, his [Dr Donohoe's] report focuses on the

moderate microvesicular steatosis present in the liver, found by the

forensic pathologist. He says this condition arises from an inherited or

acquired disorder of hepatic mitochondrial function. This was either

inherited by Rikki Lee from her mother or caused by a toxic drug reaction.

This type of hepatic damage would be expected to cause coagulation and

bleeding disorders. In his view, the administration of an antibiotic when

Rikki Lee was eleven days old, the presence of the cytomegalovirus

infection, the administration of the vaccines, the administration of

Panadol and possible vitamin deficiencies all combined to the possible

sudden onset of spontaneous bruising and bleeding in a previously

apparently healthy child. " He disagreed with the forensic pathologist's

evidence that the steatosis of the liver was consistent with viral

infection from the cytomegalovirus. He said the literature and research in

the last five years had been fairly definitive that microvesicular

steatosis is a mitochondrial disorder. " I [Judge Black] have considered the

forensic pathologist's evidence about this carefully, and on this issue I

am not satisfied that Dr Donohoe is wrong. "

Dr Archie Kalokerinos, MB, BS, well-known (retired) general practitioner

and author of the book Every Second Child (8), also gave evidence for the

defence. This is an extract from his testimony: " A possible cause of Rikki

Lee's death was scurvy haemorrhage precipitated by pertussis vaccine. " The

precipitating factor giving rise to scurvy is the endotoxin contained in

pertussis vaccine, and the amount of endotoxin varies tremendously from one

batch to another. In addition, endotoxin is more likely to be stimulated in

production because bottle-fed babies do not have normal bowel flora. Also,

the administration of antibiotics can stimulate the production of excessive

amounts of endotoxin. Vitamin C neutralises the effects of endotoxin;

however, infants exposed to endotoxin can develop a sensitivity which can

precipitate extremely acute and even fatal symptoms occurring without

warning. " The presence of a viral infection means more utilisation of

vitamin C and probably causes the production of endotoxin in the gut. All

the factors necessary for the production of scurvy haemorrhages are present

in this case. "

Regarding Dr Kalokerinos and his evidence, the Acting Judge noted: " He said

from his own experience and from the research he had done, haemorrhages can

occur in scurvy. The haemorrhages noted by the forensic pathologist could

all have been caused by scurvy. The vitamin deficiencies and problems

arising therefrom are far more common amongst Aboriginal and

part-Aboriginal children than amongst Caucasian people. (It is noted here

that the accused's evidence was that he was Aboriginal.) He says, in the

present case, the vitamin C deficiency was a very likely possibility, 'much

more likely than any other possibility'. He disagreed with the professor's

evidence that scurvy did not normally cause any brain pathology. " It will

be remembered that the professor had disclaimed any expertise in vitamin

deficiency. Further, the professor had not said that scurvy could not cause

any brain pathology; the words he used were 'does not normally cause'.

Accordingly, I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that scurvy cannot

cause brain pathology. "

Acting Judge Black, in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Criminal

Division, in handing down Judgment on 24 April 1998, said: " In relation to

those two doctors [i.e., doctors for the defence], I had the opportunity of

seeing them both give their evidence and be carefully and comprehensively

cross-examined in the witness box. I have also paid attention to the

written submissions provided to me by the respective counsel. I did not

form the view that either of those doctors was putting forward a fanciful,

untenable proposition. Perhaps, putting the burden the correct way, I am

not satisfied that their evidence should be rejected as unreliable, nor am

I satisfied that their propositions are unreasonable. " ...Suffice it then

to say, in this case, having regard to all the evidence before me

including, in particular, that given by witnesses whom I have seen, my

verdict is that the accused is not guilty. " [Author's emphasis in italics.]

An innocent man would have been jailed in this matter if the Judge had not

found that the medical practitioners for the defence were presenting

reasonable propositions for alternative medical reasons, including a

vaccine adverse event, rather than SBS for the death of the baby. Other

accused parents have not been so fortunate.

COMPARISON WITH SBS/VACCINE CASES IN UK & USA

In the United States, a father has been jailed for life after a jury found

him guilty of causing SBS. Baby A. (9) was born in September 1997 and

vaccinated eight weeks later with diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP),

hepatitis B, polio syrup and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae)--exactly the same

vaccines that were administered to baby Rikki Lee. It is interesting to

note that Baby A. had advanced bilateral pneumonia, whilst Rikki Lee was

diagnosed as having viral pneumonia. Both mothers noted that their babies

had chest congestion from birth to death and had a falling-off of feeding

patterns and increased lethargy following the administration of vaccines.

Clearly, the medical condition of both babies following birth should have

precluded them from undergoing any vaccination, and especially not six

vaccines at the one time. It is obvious that the babies in the two cases

mentioned had underlying medical problems that were exacerbated by the

administration of multiple vaccines and that a vaccine adverse event

contributed to each death. The post-mortem findings on Rikki Lee found

subdural haemorrhage of the right cerebral hemisphere and retinal

haemorrhages were noted. In the case of Baby A., the findings found

subdural haemorrhages of the right and left cerebral hemispheres as well as

retinal bleeding. It is also interesting to note that both mothers had

urinary tract infections during pregnancy and were treated with

antibiotics. The father of Baby A. is fighting for his life and is

presently seeking sufficient worldwide medical expertise to file an appeal.

Many medical professionals around the world have responded to his request

for support, including Dr Archie Kalokerinos who gave evidence in the

Walters trial. Another tragic case in the United States is that of a mother

who has been jailed for life for allegedly shaking her quadruplets. The

naturally conceived quadruplets were born two months prematurely, weighing

around three pounds each. When the babies were three weeks old, they were

given hepatitis B vaccine--following which, all four babies became ill and

required hospitalisation. Two babies ultimately required insertion of

shunts in their brains to release blood and fluid as a result of subdural

haemorrhages. Immediately the babies were hospitalised, the medical

professionals made a diagnosis of SBS. These four babies are now scheduled

for adoption and the maternal grandmother has been dismissed by state

authorities as a possible candidate. In the United Kingdom, a 35-year-old

lawyer was recently convicted of the double murder of her baby sons.

died in 1996 and Harry in 1998. Sally was accused of

shaking Harry to death. Because of that accusation, it was alleged that it

was too much of a coincidence to believe that did not die in

1996 in exactly the same way, even though death at the time was attributed

to " natural causes " . Harry was diagnosed with retinal haemorrhage; however,

one medical expert prior to the trial had doubts about this diagnosis, as

he claimed he had been looking at the wrong slides. This disclosure

weakened other medical experts' evidence of SBS, but it was not sufficient

to sway the jury from a verdict of guilty. was vaccinated 23

days before his death, and Harry on the day he died; so it is feasible that

both of these babies could have died from a severe vaccine adverse event

(10). There was a divergence of medical opinion at the trial of Sally

as well as at the trial of the father of Baby A. The question must be asked

whether juries are capable of understanding complex, conflicting medical

evidence empowering them to judge a person's guilt or innocence in such

cases. It is interesting to note that in the Australian case of Walters, a

Judge alone found the defendant not guilty.

ACCURATE CASE ASSESSMENT

It should be noted that SBS may not always result in the death of a baby.

In New South Wales recently, parents of a child suffering a serious vaccine

adverse event were suspected of SBS. The baby has been removed from the

care of the parents and placed with a Department of Community Services

(DOCS) foster parent. The law in New South Wales (11) gives representatives

of DOCS the right to attend on the residential address of any parent

suspected of abusing children. A notice (12) is served on them to present

their child forthwith to a nominated medical practitioner at a hospital or

some other place so specified so a medical examination of the child can

take place. Under the law, the Director-General of the Department of

Community Services may keep the child for " such period of time as is

reasonably necessary for the child to be examined " . A court of law will

ultimately decide the fate of the baby, i.e., whether the baby would be

returned to the care of the parents or whether it would be fostered out to

family or other carers. Following a hearing, it is possible that the court

could refer the matter to the police. The situation may then arise where a

person is charged with a criminal offence (SBS), even though the injuries

to the baby may well have been reported to the appropriate authorities by

that person as a serious vaccine adverse event. It is clear that the

diagnosis of SBS requires meticulous medical investigation. This

investigation will be made much more difficult in the future with the

recent endorsement by governments around the world of hepatitis B

vaccination of all newborns. As more vaccines are released onto the market,

the number of serious vaccine adverse events--including death--will

increase in our children and at a younger age. The problem is the failure

of medical professionals to recognise that vaccine adverse events do occur

and that they are guilty of labelling them " coincidental " or " by chance "

(13). In Australia, six deaths (14) have been reported from vaccines in the

27-month period from 6 June 1997 to 2 September 1999. Because of the

under-reporting and under-recognition of such events, it is likely that

death and other serious injuries occur in much higher numbers than the

public has been led to believe. In other words, it is more politically

correct to label the death or injury of a baby as SBS than to investigate

the safety and effectiveness of vaccines which are considered by

governments and the majority of the medical profession as the only panacea

for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Clinical trials prior to licensure of vaccines are notoriously small, and

this inhibits researchers' ability to establish accurately the cause and

effect relationship between vaccines and serious adverse events. Vaccine

trials are usually funded by vaccine manufacturers themselves and are

unlikely to quantify accurately the true " risks vs benefits " ratio, lest it

reflect on sales and marketing strategies. What is seriously lacking is

independent scientific research with large numbers of trial participants,

where one half is given the vaccine and the other half is given a placebo.

Dr Mark Donohoe, the Sydney medical practitioner who gave evidence for the

defence in the Walters trial, was very explicit in his SBS research when he

said: (15) " There exist major data gaps in the medical literature regarding

SBS.

These are summarised as:

-Lack of clear definition of cases. There is an urgent need for standard

criteria, to identify certain cases for the purpose of homogeneity in

trials and identification of the unique features of SBS as opposed to other

abuse, other medical conditions and normals.

- Lack of useful and specific laboratory or other markers proven to

identify SBS.

-Poor definition and quantification of the social and family risk factors

to provide guidance on likelihood of abuse for a given set of circumstances.

-There is a strong need for a checklist or other diagnostic or management

tool to assess cases and to quantify index of suspicion of shaking.

A paper in the British Medical Journal (16) concluded: " Subdural

haemorrhage is common in infancy and carries a poor prognosis; three

quarters of such infants die or have profound disability. Most cases are

due to child abuse, but in a few the cause is unknown. " [Author's emphasis

added.]

The authors of the paper believe that the clinical investigation of such

children should include:

-a full, multidisciplinary, social assessment;

-an ophthalmic examination;

-a skeletal survey supplemented with a bone scan or a skeletal survey,

repeated at around 10 days;

-a coagulation screen;

-a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

However, according to Dr Mark Donohoe:

" There is an urgent need for properly controlled, prospective trials into

SBS, using a variety of controls. Until such studies are complete,

published and replicated, the current opinion on the link between SDH/RH

and SBS cannot be sustained. "

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LEGAL AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONS

The correct diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome is a problem for those being

accused of this syndrome around the world. The cases mentioned are only a

small number that have occurred over the past few years. It is hard to

imagine the distress, confusion and despair suffered by the accused and

their families, especially those who have been jailed for life for a crime

they claim they did not commit. Juries and lawyers rely heavily on what

medical experts tell them. If medical experts are guilty of grossly

misleading a court of law by providing skewed evidence from inadequate

medical research on SBS, then innocent individuals are suffering

unnecessarily. Let us hope that the SBS medical experts comprehend that

they are not infallible and realise the untold human tragedy that can occur

if they are wrong.

Glossary

The key terms in the identification of SBS are alleged to be (17):

-Cerebral oedema: fluid collecting in the brain, causing tissue to swell.

-Haematoma: a localised accumulation of blood in tissues as a result of

haemorrhaging.

-Haemorrhage: a condition of bleeding, usually severe.

-Retinal haemorrhage (RH): bleeding of the retina, a key structure in

vision located at the back of the eye.

-Subdural Haematoma (SDH): a localised accumulation of blood, sometimes

mixed with spinal fluid, in the space of the brain beneath the membrane

covering called the dura matter.

END NOTES:

1. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (Olendorf, Jeryan, Boyden, editors), Gale

Research, Detroit, MI, vol. 4, 1999, p. 2604.

2. " Abuse and Neglect of Children " , Textbook of Pediatrics (Behrman,

Kliegman, Jenson, eds), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA, 2000, 16th

edition, chapter 35, p. 113.

3. Baker, Mitzi, " That was no accident: Biochemical markers could one day

help identify battered

children " , New Scientist, 28 November 1998, p. 21.

4. The Australian Immunisation Procedures Handbook, National Health and

Medical Research Council, 5th edition, October 1994 and revised 5th

edition, 1995.

5. Regina v Warren Walters, Supreme Court of New South Wales,

Criminal Division, No. 70031 of 1998.

6. Behan, O., MD, FACP, FRCP (Professor of Neurology, Glasgow

University, Scotland), " Report on the Neurological Complications of

Pertussis Vaccination in Children " , August 1995; and letter from Professor

Behan to Sydney solicitors, dated 13 October 1993, regarding a vaccine

damage claim.

7. Dr Mark Donohoe's research on Shaken Baby Syndrome, prepared for the

case of Regina v Warren Walters, heard in Sydney, Australia, in 1998.

8. Kalokerinos, Archie, MD, Every Second Child, Pivot/Health Books/Keats

Publishing, CT, USA, 1981 (first published by Australia Ltd,

1974), ISBN 0-87983-250-9.

9. Information provided to the writer by the father of Baby A. in written

correspondence and history, taken by Harold E. Buttram, MD, and F.

Yazbak, MD, of the Woodlands Healing Research Center, Quakertown, PA, USA,

dated 25 May 2000.

10. Driscoll, Margarette, " Shadow of Doubt " , Sunday Times News Review, UK,

28 November 1999. The article reports that was vaccinated on

the day before his

death; but Dr Viera Scheibner has learned that the boy was vaccinated 23

days before he died--one of the critical days, according to her studies

linking SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) with vaccinations.

11. New South Wales Children (Care and Protection) Act 1987, No. 54.

12. ibid., section 23, pp. 30-31.

13. The Australian Immunisation Procedures Handbook, 7th edition, March

2000, pp. 22, 259; also, Drs Gordon Ada and Isaacs, Vaccination: The

Facts, The Fears, The Future, & Unwin, Sydney, 2000, pp. 91, 94, ISBN

1-86508-223-6.

14. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Communicable Diseases

Intelligence Bulletins: 21(20):313, 2 October 1997; 21(23):364, 25 December

1997; 22(7):146, 9 July 1998; 22(10):234, 1 October 1998; 23(1):34, 21

January 1999; 23(9):255, 2 September 1999.

15. Dr Mark Donohoe's research on Shaken Baby Syndrome, prepared for the

case of Regina v Warren Walters, ibid.

16. Jayawant, S., Rawlinson, A., Gibbon, F., Price, J., Schulte, J.,

Sharples, P., Sibert, J.R., Kemp, A.M., " Subdural haemorrhages in infants:

population-based study " , British Medical Journal

317:1558-1561, 5 December 1998.

17. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, op. cit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Maureen Hickman, JP, has been a para-legal in Sydney law firms for over 25

years and currently works part-time at s Law Firm. She is the author

of Vaccination: The Right Choice? (reviewed in NEXUS 7/04, June & endash;July

2000).

EDITOR'S NOTE:

For additional background information, refer to " Shaken Baby Syndrome: The

Vaccination Link " by Viera Scheibner, PhD, published in NEXUS 5/05,

August & endash;September 1998.

============

From: Schafer [mailto:schafer@...]

Sent: Friday, June 16, 2000 5:00 PM

Karp

Subject: Abusive Fla. DCF Sued for $501 million

ABUSIVE FLORIDA DCF SUED FOR $501 MILLION

On Wednesday, June 7,2000, a $501 million dollar civil rights class action

suit was filed and accepted in the United States District Court, Middle

District of Florida, on behalf of families who allegedly have been

victimized by the practices of the Florida Department of Children and

Families (DCF) and the Juvenile courts.

Attorney Dowd, of Orlando, filed the 24-page suit on behalf of over

13 families and 50 minor children, including several from Okeechobee County.

Named as defendants in the action are the Florida Department of Children

and Families, Judge Kathleen Kearney, the Juvenile Court System, DCF

attorneys Bernstein, Swartz and Gillen, Attorney General of the State of

Florida Butterworth, DCF case workers ,

Dickinson, Suarez, and Akins.

In addition are listed Judge Kerry Evander and Judge Burton Conner. Also

included in the suit are the guardian ad litem director, the Indian River

Juvenile Facility and the inspector General for the State of Florida.

The suit alleges that the state engaged in a systematic process by which

the families, parents, children and citizens of the State have been

terrorized, traumatized and torn asunder as well as deprived of their

fundamental rights without due process of law. The suit continues by

stating that the motivation behind this system oppression is federal funding.

The state receives over one-fourth of it's annual budget from the federal

government. In the fiscal year ending in 1999, the state received over $10

billion from the federal government, of which the greatest share was for

" human services. " This amount is four-and-one-half times greater than that

provided for education, and six times greater than funding for transportation.

The suit contends that Florida's child welfare laws, as currently written

and applied by the defendants, have been enacted specifically for the

purpose of qualifying for that federal funding.

According to the court document, in accordance with the federal statutes,

funding is increased in direct proportion to the number of children who can

be brought within the juvenile courts, foster care and the compulsory

adoption system.

LAWSUIT CLAIMS PARENTS ARE PRESUMED GUILTY, DENIED DUE PROCESS OF THE LAW.

The law explicitly calls this " freeing children " from their parents for

adoption. Among the examples listed in the filing regarding the denial of

due process includes allegations that the defendants flagrantly violated

Florida Statute section 39, which contains the framework upon which DCF

operates. It continues by stating that under current federal and state law

parents are not permitted to know who has reported them to the state for

alleged violations of child welfare laws.

Once the parents are accused, they are presumed guilty, and the burden is

placed upon them to prove their innocence, said the lawsuit. In addition,

the suit states that the juvenile courts are closed to the public and since

they are a " star Chamber " due process can be abused with impunity.

As you can see I have been very busy here, and hopefully we will nail some

thirty Judges very shortly. Among them, Walter Colbath, and Ron Hoy, from

Palm Beach County.

===============================

salon.com-July 12, 2000

MOTHERHOOD ON TRIAL

I thought dealing with my sick child was bad. But then I was reported to

Child Protective Services for neglect.

By

July 12, 2000-My son wasn't gaining weight. At 4 months old, he weighed 13

pounds, 4 ounces, more than double his birth weight. But then he just

stopped growing. Not an ounce.

had gained wonderfully on breast milk alone for four months, so when

his pediatrician told me to start feeding him formula, I was confused.

After receiving a second opinion, my husband and I switched to a

pediatrician who supported breast-feeding.

A simple blood test revealed that 's nutritional status was sound. I

continued to nurse with frequent reassurance from a lactation consultant.

We began supplementing 's diet with solid foods and quickly moved to

table foods. was eating bigger meals than his 3-year-old brother

was, but his weight stayed the same. The doctors and I spent months

speculating on the cause of his illness: growth disorders, obscure

diseases, chemical contamination. I checked off each possible cause on my

ever-growing list, but nothing fit.

Finally, in May, the doctors detected a heart murmur. The same day the

murmur was found, surprised us all with a gain of a few ounces --

golden ounces of hope. As troubling as the heart murmur was, at least it

represented a baby step toward an explanation. slowly gained a few

ounces every week, but he still wasn't even on the growth chart.

But I had a new problem. I was being investigated by Child Protective

Services for neglect.

It was June. My husband and I had just ended an 800-mile drive home from a

visit to a metabolic specialist, and we were exhausted. The test results

had come back negative. Late that night, as we attempted to pull ourselves

together for the next day, the telephone rang. My husband's voice began to

change as he spoke to the caller. He handed me the phone and said, " Your

Aunt Dee called Child Protective Services. "

My mother was on the other end of the line. She told me that her sister had

spoken to numerous family members about my son. The relatives I had visited

in Oregon had told Dee that I looked underweight, anxious and defensive.

They were right. We had just driven 14 hours to take our son to a

specialist, and I was exhausted. My mother tried to comfort me by telling

me everything would be all right. I told her she couldn't possibly know.

After I hung up the phone, my husband and I stood next to our sleeping

son's bassinet, shocked by what we'd just learned. Our situation looked

suspicious. I realized that my insistence on breast-feeding could be

misunderstood.

Dee had just received her nursing license. This overzealous aunt, someone

who had never even met my son or seen my home, had made a call that would

change our lives forever. From her tower of judgment 1,300 miles away, she

drew conclusions. To her, a rare disorder wasn't as plausible as neglect.

Without even speaking to me about her concerns, she had called Child

Protective Services, and told someone there that she believed I wasn't

feeding my son correctly. When she had learned that I had transferred

's care to a pediatrician who supported breast-feeding, she was sure

I was purposely depriving my son of the " proper " nutrition.

I expected a visit from a social worker the next morning. After two days,

and no new information, I called CPS myself. I demanded to speak with the

person who was handling my case. When I got her on the line, I explained

that I knew about my aunt's referral and wanted to know what was coming

next. She laughed and said she had never had an accused parent call her and

offer to come in for an evaluation before.

" I have been wrongfully accused, " I said, " I want to clear this up. " We set

up an appointment for that day.

In the caseworker's office that day, began to fall asleep in his car

seat. I tried to answer all of her questions about 's health, but I

couldn't give her a good reason as to why he wasn't gaining weight.

She began to ask me about my own health. " You look like you are

underweight. Why is that? " she asked. I explained that I'd always been a

thin person, and after suffering from a bad stomach virus, I had lost some

weight. She took notes and asked for my doctor's name.

I gave her a list of phone numbers to call. The numbers were of doctors and

social workers I had met during my pregnancy, the people who had helped me

successfully prevent another preterm birth. I listed friends and family, La

Leche League members, nurses who were at the delivery of my son.

" Call them, " I said. " Call them and ask them about me and my family. " As I

was leaving, I began to fight back tears of anger. Why did I have to

explain myself to this stranger? How could she possibly have the power to

decide if I was a good parent? Then I began to get frightened. had

slept the whole time. I should have awakened him and let her see him

crawling and playing. Would she think he was lethargic, weak and passive?

She noticed my anguish and put her hand on my shoulder. " I am not going to

take your children away, " she said. I wanted to believe her. But she had

spoken about my greatest fear as if she were offering a passing comfort --

one she makes every day. Then she asked me to sign legal release forms

allowing her to obtain records and documents from any person or agency that

had had any contact with our children -- doctors, nurses, preschool

teachers. The background check began the minute I left her office.

Despite the support of my doctors, and of friends and family who saw my son

on a regular basis, CPS continued its investigation behind closed doors.

During the first few months of the investigation, I received calls from

people on the list that I had given my caseworker. " I just talked to CPS, "

they'd say. Each new call provoked new questions: Had CPS gathered enough

information? Would it close my case now?

My motherhood was being scrutinized under the assumption that I was guilty

of not caring for my child -- and it was breaking my heart.

During the six long months of the investigation, I stared at my front door,

frightening myself with images of ominous officials breaking through the

door and ripping my children from my arms. I loitered by my mailbox,

waiting for something, anything, from the CPS office.

began to have problems again. But this time, his health was not the

issue. He had developed a case of " white-coat syndrome " -- he was terrified

by the doctors and weekly weigh-ins at the clinic down the street.

CPS had instructed me to take my son to the clinic when the investigation

began. But it could give me no idea when I could stop subjecting him to

this weekly ritual. About three months into the weigh-ins, I called my

caseworker and explained that my son was now crying when we pulled up to

the clinic in the car.

When I placed on the scale, he would grab my hair and hold on for

dear life while his older brother stood by, crying and yelling at the

nurse, " Why are you hurting my brother? " We would all leave the clinic in

tears, even though 's improved weight would be dutifully noted on the

small piece of paper I held in my hand. " Just a few more times, " my

caseworker said.

had to see the pediatrician once a month. He would seem to be in

good spirits while playing with the toys in the waiting room, but as soon

as the nurse called his name, the screaming began. His doctor is a

wonderful man -- patient and caring. He and I would sit for nearly an hour,

distracting while he tried to sneak the stethoscope on his back to

listen to his healing heart. Most times, he didn't weigh him. I would bring

in my little record of weight gain from the clinic instead. When had

gained about 5 pounds, the doctor " graduated " him to yearly visits. " I

don't want to see this boy again until he is 2, " he said, smiling. I

thanked him tearfully.

But the weekly weigh-ins continued. Every month I called my caseworker to

ask if we could stop. Each call was more difficult. I was afraid she would

interpret my request as a sign that I was hiding something. Each time,

she'd say: " Just a few more times. "

I began looking for a therapist. But every time I set up an appointment, I

canceled it at the last minute. I was afraid CPS would see my therapy as a

flaw, as evidence that I was not emotionally fit to be a parent. I was

stuck in a cycle. The more CPS leaned on us, the more fearful and

irrational I became. And the more I showed my emotions to those around me,

the more suspicious I looked to CPS.

Finally, in November, just three months after 's first birthday, my

caseworker called. She had been contacted by the nurse who was in charge of

's weigh-ins at the clinic. The nurse told her that, in her

professional opinion, subjecting my family to this traumatic weekly ritual

was setting us up for a severe obsession over 's weight. She said

that she no longer wanted to be involved in our case because it was too

painful to watch. She told her that it was not healthy for me to worry

compulsively about whether or not my son had gained a few ounces each week.

My caseworker talked to her supervisor and informed me that once

reached 20 pounds, we would be released from the clinic visits. He weighed

19 pounds, 11 ounces the day the nurse called.

Because was gaining rapidly, I went to the clinic for what I

believed would be my last time. The nurse told me of her conversation with

my caseworker, and smiled as she assured me it would all be over soon. Then

we began our small talk as I undressed for the scale. He had been

crying, and now gave in submissively. We talked about how he had suffered

from the horrible cold that was going around. I wiped his crusty nose and

we placed him on the scale. She had the scale marker ready at his previous

weight. The scale didn't tip. I looked at the nurse in terror. She took my

hand and, with her other hand, slowly moved the scale marker backward.

had lost 5 ounces. I started sobbing. In my mind, this was all the

evidence CPS needed to take him from me.

I called my caseworker's office when I got home; I was going to be the

first to tell her. I would also be the first to dare her to take my

children away from me. But she wasn't there. Her receptionist informed me

that she was on a weeklong vacation.

I hung up the phone and called the nurse at the clinic. " Free up Friday, " I

said, " we are going to weigh him again before she gets back. " She tried to

comfort me: " Every child loses a little weight during an illness, " she

said. We were not going to let it affect the case -- not when we were so

close.

On Friday, we weighed again. The scale read 20 pounds exactly. The

nurse and I embraced. When I got home, I went into the bathroom, picked up

our scale and calmly carried it to the garbage bin in the driveway. It was

over.

I received a letter in the mail from CPS about two weeks later. It stated

that " no conclusive evidence of neglect was found at this time, but we

suggest you continue to follow our recommendations for six more months;

your cooperation with our office will be taken into account should we

receive another referral. "

I tried desperately to allow the letter to be a comfort, but instead, it

was a direct reminder that no matter how well I care for my children, no

matter how wonderful a parent I am, I have been investigated by CPS. And no

matter what I do, I cannot prevent it from happening again.

salon.com-July 12, 2000

ABOUT THE WRITER

is a freelance writer living in Montana. Her work has

appeared in Pregnancy Today and Parenting Magazine, among other publications.

==============================

MEDICAL MANDATES IN AIDS

salon.com-December 7, 1999

BREAST INTENTIONS

When others make comments about your breast-feeding ...

A Canadian court must decide whether Sophie Brassard must give her children

a drug cocktail or lose them to a foster home.

By Alyson Mead

12/07/99

Sophie's choice A Canadian court will decide whether Sophie Brassard must

give her children a drug cocktail or lose them to a foster home. By Alyson

Mead Sophie Brassard, a 37-year-old single mother in Canada, is scheduled

to fight in a Montreal court today for the custody of her two children, 4

and 8. She wants them back. The state wants them placed in permanent foster

care. The reason: Brassard, who is HIV positive, has refused her doctor's

advice to treat her children, both of them HIV positive, with the drug AZT.

She believes it will kill them.

Though the Canadian government has not formally charged Brassard with any

crime, it removed the children from her care in July, when she was detained

at the Montreal airport while trying to leave the country with her kids. In

the course of her custody hearing, the court is expected to decide, for the

first time in Canada, whether the state has the power to mandate medical care.

The decision, even though it will come from a Canadian court, is expected

to have significant impact in the U.S., where parents who withhold medical

treatment from their children, often for religious reasons, have found

themselves in court with no legal precedent to guide their arguments. Their

opponents struggle in the same void, as decisions tend to vacillate on a

state-by-state, case-by-case basis.

Dr. Seth Asser, an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the

University of California at San Diego's School of Medicine, finds the

overall emphasis of court rulings in the United States to be " consistent "

with his opinion. As a board member of Children's Healthcare Is a Legal

Duty (CHILD), his mission, and that of the group, is to " protect children

from abusive religious and cultural practices. "

" Sometimes the parents have religious reasons, or an adherence to folk

medicine to prevent medical care for diseases with viable treatments, " says

Asser. " But when the reasons are capricious, like wanting to use herbs that

haven't been scientifically tested, the courts generally say that the

parents are free to make martyrs of themselves, but not their children. "

But more and more often, these battles specifically involve HIV and

treatment with antiretroviral drugs -- in utero, in breastfeeding and later

in a child's life. Religion, folklore and herbs don't often figure into

these arguments and the outcomes have been as unpredictable as the effects

of the disease and its still-controversial treatments.

In a custody hearing held in April in Eugene, Oregon, an HIV-positive

mother was told by the court that she could not breastfeed her son, who is

HIV negative. She was allowed to keep the baby in her home, but he is

technically in the state's custody. In a mildly farcical arrangement, a

social worker visits once a week to make sure the child is not breastfed.

Meanwhile, in a case last year that is likely to be cited in Brassard's

hearing, Emerson, a mother in Bangor, Maine, won the right to

withhold AZT from her second child after her firstborn, who had been on the

drug, died just before her 4th birthday. Though no formal ruling was made

about whether the drug killed the girl, Emerson believes that it did and

she prevailed in the hearing. (Her son, who still has not taken AZT, is

currently healthy.)

The relative merits of AZT, a drug developed 30 years ago as a form of

chemotherapy and later found to be potentially effective against the spread

of AIDS, will be on trial in Brassard's hearing. But so will her rights as

a parent of a sick child. The issue of parental prerogative when a child is

gravely ill has fueled years of impassioned and confusing debate in Canada

and the U.S. In Brassard's hearing, as in every trial that has pitted

parents against doctors and child advocates, each side will claim the same

motivation -- saving the lives of ailing children.

" Mentally, I was preparing myself to go to my children's funerals, " says

Brassard. " There were times when I wanted to kill myself, but then I

realized I had to keep fighting, for the sake of their health. "

Ridiculous, says Dr. Mark Wainberg, president of the International AIDS

Society in Canada and the inventor of antiretroviral drug 3TC. He maintains

that Brassard and other " AIDS dissidents " are comparable to Holocaust

deniers. They are, he says, " ill-informed, confused individuals who either

do not or cannot understand the issues involved. "

Brassard, who found out she was HIV positive in 1989, says that she was

both healthy and well-informed when she became pregnant in 1992. She was

aware that the chance her infant would be HIV positive was roughly 25

percent in a vaginal birth and 10 percent if a Cesarean was performed. She

decided to have the baby.

She also wanted to give birth with the assistance of a midwife. But when

her sister found out that Sophie was not planning to have a doctor present,

she called Youth Protective Services. Brassard was in the middle of labor

when five men -- a social worker, a Youth Protective Services

administrator, a doctor and two police -- entered her apartment and forced

her to go to the hospital.

Immediately after the birth, a pediatrician came into the room and took the

baby away from Brassard for its first formula feeding. When Brassard said

she wanted to breastfeed, her physician protested; but Brassard was

permitted to nurse the baby for a year and a half.

Brassard avoided the first battle -- over breastfeeding -- primarily

because her child was already HIV positive. It is generally believed that

HIV can be transmitted to an infant through breastfeeding, and mothers who

are HIV positive are advised not to nurse. But not all studies have

supported this notion. Brassard and her supporters point to the results of

a recent South African study, published in the Lancet in August, which

concluded that HIV was not necessarily passed through breast milk.

Researchers from the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the

University of Natal hypothesized that the immune factors inherent in breast

milk can work to " neutralize " HIV.

When Brassard's first child began losing weight at 18 months, her social

worker insisted that she take him to a doctor who would prescribe treatment

with AZT. But Brassard, who favors homeopathic treatment and believes in

self-healing, said no. Ultimately, she compromised with the social worker

by taking her son to a homeopathic doctor.

That doctor saw her son once a month for close to a year, but when the

child developed a fungus in his mouth, the doctor gave her an ultimatum:

Take the child to a specialist or get reported to Youth Protective

Services. Brassard panicked. Firm in her belief that people who are HIV

positive can live long, healthy lives without drugs, she was terrified that

a doctor's intervention would harm her child. If she stayed in Canada, the

doctors would give her son AZT, a drug she believed would kill him. So

Brassard bought two tickets to Italy and, without telling anyone where she

was going, left the following morning. She went underground.

Despite its widespread use and apparent efficacy against the symptoms of

AIDS, AZT has remained a controversial treatment that is routinely rejected

by those who choose alternative treatments for AIDS. They cite a 1993

Concorde study, the results of which were subsequently printed in the

Lancet, in which patients who took AZT died sooner than those who took a

placebo. They also point out that AZT is acknowledged, even by doctors who

prescribe it, as having side effects that include anemia, muscle wasting,

hair loss, neuropathy, dementia, nausea, diarrhea and other digestive

problems.

Perhaps the strongest statement against AZT comes from Dr. Rasnick, a

developer of protease inhibitors at the University of California at

Berkeley and the president of the Group for the Scientific Reappraisal of

the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis.

Asked about the Brassard case he said, " AZT is a DNA-chain terminator. That

means it terminates a person's DNA, which stops cell division, which stops

growth and, eventually, all life. If her children are forced to take the

drug, " he says, " they won't last two years. "

But proponents of AZT say the drug has become more effective in " cocktails "

mixed with protease inhibitors. Winslow, who represented the Maine

Department of Human Services in the case of Emerson, told the court

that AZT had reduced AIDS deaths nationwide by 47 percent last year.

And in Toronto, Dr. Philip Berger unequivocally recommends antiretroviral

drug treatment for patients who are HIV positive, especially the young. " If

the drugs are given to a baby within hours of birth, the odds of it

developing HIV can be significantly reduced, " he says. " The odds are even

better if the mother also takes the drugs during pregnancy. "

Doctors have to be the absolute custodians of children's care, he says.

" Once the child is born, " he says, " I think the state has a duty to protect

the child from any disease for which a parent is refusing treatment where

the benefits are clear. "

Brassard says she was aware of all the arguments when she left the country.

Using the Internet for much of her research, she found organizations like

H.E.A.L. and Alive and Well, two support groups dedicated to sharing

information about living healthy, HIV positive lifestyles. She also read

articles by Dr. Kary Mullis, a Nobel Prize winner, for his discovery of the

polymerase chain reaction, and Dr. Duesberg, who was the first man to

map the genetic structure of retroviruses. Both men actively challenge the

common thinking that drugs are the best way to treat HIV and AIDS.

" I thought I was the only sane person in an insane world, " she says. " But

then I found people with Ph.D.s who believed in the same things I did. "

Brassard and her son lived outside Rome for two years. She worked odd jobs

and says that her 2-year-old boy was happy and healthy. She took him to a

doctor only once during that time, for a routine check-up; Brassard herself

visited a homeopath as needed. She fell in love and became pregnant again,

this time buoyed by the fact that she and her son were both maintaining

good health. Eventually, however, her relationship became violent, and she

moved back to Canada in 1996.

Brassard's second child was born at home under the supervision of a

midwife. He tested positive for HIV. Brassard breastfed him and things went

smoothly for the next year. After a brief stay in Mexico, to escape the

scrutiny of Youth Protective Services, she returned to Canada. Shortly

after she arrived, she was turned in to Youth Protective Services by a

neighbor. Brassard and her children took mandatory blood tests and her

doctor again urged her to put the children on the antiretroviral drugs.

Brassard refused to give her children the drugs and took them back to

Italy, hoping to resurrect the relationship with her second child's father.

It didn't work out and she returned to Canada in 1998. This time,

Brassard's father called Youth Protective Services, after her eldest son,

who was 7, developed an ear infection.

The child was hospitalized and put on antibiotics for the first time in his

life. The pressure on Brassard from doctors, nurses and her social worker

to put both children on drug cocktails, which included AZT, increased. So

Brassard made a decision to leave the country for good.

Slowly and discreetly, she sold all of her possessions and sublet her

apartment, making sure that her father would not find out. The buyers of

her belongings came to collect their purchases the night before Brassard

was supposed to depart for Italy. The next day, her apartment was

completely empty.

Friends had agreed to help Brassard find schools for her kids in Italy and

a job that could support all of them. The trio made it to the airport and

past the metal detectors without incident. " I remember thinking, whew, we

made it, " Brassard says. They were approaching the boarding area when a

police officer asked for her ticket. She was detained there until an

emergency court could be assembled. Her two children were remanded into the

custody of Brassard's parents.

Brassard went online and found the International Coalition for Medical

Justice, a nonprofit organization created to support victims' rights in

cases where they believe coercive medical treatments have been employed.

They helped her to find and pay for a lawyer.

Meanwhile, Brassard's older child developed pneumonia. He was hospitalized

and given intravenous antibiotics, but his condition worsened. The doctors

prescribed AZT, 3TC and a protease inhibitor. Brassard's parents raised

their concern that the drugs would be too strong for a young child.

Brassard's mother, who is a nurse, thought her opinion would carry weight

with the medical staff. But in October, after a flurry of court activity,

the children were removed from their grandparents' care because they, too,

had refused to allow the antiretroviral treatment.

Both children, now in foster care, are being treated with a drug cocktail,

which includes AZT. Brassard has been allowed one supervised visit each

week, in the social worker's office. She is not permitted to speak with the

children by phone anymore, since the social worker overheard her telling

one of them to flush the medication down the toilet. (He had complained to

his mother that he kept throwing up when he took the medicine, only to be

given another dose.) Brassard does not know where the children live. She

says that during visits, they tell her they want to come home. Since she

was caught at the airport, Brassard has lost her apartment and her job. At

the moment she lives on public support in Montreal while she takes college

classes in international commerce at College LaSalle. She says, " The horror

of this is that my kids are now on one of the most toxic drugs in

existence. I have to get them back before any permanent damage is done. "

salon.com-December 7, 1999

ABOUT THE WRITER

Alyson Mead is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles.

related story:

FORMULA FOR DISASTER

Thanks to aggressive marketing by the companies that produce artificial

baby milk, many new parents think infant formula is the next best thing to

Mom -- but nothing could be further from the truth.

By Granju

07/18/99

GET OUT OF MY BEDROOM!

The editor of Mothering magazine denounces a new warning against the family

bed as the drivel of government terrorists.

By Peggy O'Mara

09/30/99

=================================

COMPULSORY VACCINATIONS:

THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE FASCIST STATE?

Karin Schumacher on the right to choose:

The following article is written in light of the pro-immunization media

blitz that has ascended upon the nation. Ostensibly the issue is

vaccinations, however, the real issue is Freedom Of Choice.

Along with that freedom comes the responsibility to question, research, and

decide if vaccinations are prudent for our own child. For some that may be

the choice, for others that may not be. It must nonetheless, be the right

of each individual parent to make that choice, not a government entity that

has no children.

What I contest here is the " herd " mentality foisted upon us by the medical

community, health department, pharmaceutical companies and the government.

Vaccinations must be determined on an individual basis, depending on the

history and health of each child and only after a parent is fully informed

about the risks of the disease vs. the risks of vaccines.

A recent Dallas study concluded that apnea may be a hazard of immunization

for pre-term infants. A prospective study of nearly 100 2-month old

premature infants showed that 19% had either new or increased episodes of

apnea in the 24-48 hours following vaccination with the DPT and HiB

conjugate vaccines as found by Dr. Pablo .

When I brought my daughter into have her first series of vaccinations at 2,

4 and 6 months, I blindly believed that vaccinations were supposed to

protect her. When she had a severe reaction (inconsolable crying for more

than 3 hours, an 8 week long knot at the injection site and high fever) to

her second set, I was patted on the head by the pediatrician and told

pedantically that these reactions were normal and expected. I believed that

without question and like a dutiful parent took her in for the third shot.

I even remember taking her in for her MMR and thinking rather

sanctimoniously to myself how could anyone not vaccinate their children? It

wasn't until I read How To Raise A Healthy Child In Spite Of Your Doctor,

by Dr. Mendelsohn that I discovered the existence of risks and

dangers of vaccinations.

I have since read, researched and investigated several other books and

articles written by a courageous few who have spoken out against

vaccinations. I am a concerned parent who has investigated with an open

mind the various facets of vaccinations and have discovered many important

facts. A National Vaccine Injury Fund (PL 99-660) was set up in 1986 to

compensate those injured by vaccines (To date over 1.1 billion dollars has

been paid out in compensation for vaccine injuries).

There must be better medical screening for children who may react to a

vaccine. (The package insert for the DPT vaccine says: HYPERSENSITIVITY TO

ANY COMPONENT OF THE VACCINE INCLUDING THIMEROSAL, A MERCURY DERIVATIVE, IS

A CONTRAINDICATION.) A fact sheet given out by CDC asks if the recipient is

allergic to > neomycin, streptomycin or polymyxin B (antibiotics) as that

might be a > contraindication to the polio vaccine. A parent can't know

this if the infant hasn't > had these antibiotics.

A child with the MMR vaccine can still get measles according to the Texas

Department of Health. (This occurred in 1987 where 96% of the cases were

considered non-preventable, i.e. they were fully vaccinated, had a

religious or medical exemption or they were born before 1957).

This also occurred in 1989 where 72% of the cases were considered

non-preventable, i.e. they were fully vaccinated, had a religious or

medical exemption or they were born before 1957.). Children vaccinated

against Pertussis still contract the disease. (The Chicago Department of

Health noted that of 186 confirmed Pertussis cases in Chicago, fall 1993

" 74% were as up to date as possible on their immunizations for their age. " )

Reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, July 94.

An infant is subjected to the Hepatitis B vaccine when it supposed to

protect against intravenous drug addicts who share unsterilized needles or

sexually active people. According to the Public Health Department, the

length of the immunity will not be known for years, so a not at risk infant

is expected to accept this vaccine with no guarantee that they will be

protected at adolescence when it may be necessary.

Deadly known carcinogenic toxins (Formaldehyde and Thimerosal) are being

injected into 2/4/6 month old infants whose immune system is not fully

developed. In fact the FDA has recently concluded and mandated that all

vaccines be made Thimerosal-free.

Tylenol is given to infants and children when the shot is administered to

mask a fever that could show there might be a problem with the vaccine.

Informed consent means the parent is given time to read, understand and

research the information about the risks and dangers of vaccines; it does

not mean getting that information at the same time the shot is administered.

Studies show vaccine links to ADD, AIDS, SIDS, CFS, Diabetes, Guillaine

Barre, Autism, Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Auto immune Diseases

and Cancer.

Even the chickenpox vaccine has the medical community split. Many

pediatricians are questioning the validity of vaccinating for a benign

disease which would put the risk of acquiring the disease at a later date

when it is much more severe for an adult.

Vaccinations do not need to be mandated if they are so professedly

beneficial to the public. Perspectively speaking, Texas does not have more

serious medical outbreaks of diseases when there is a less than 60%

vaccination rate of children under 5 years old. In the past 10 years in

Texas there were 11,351 cases of measles and 26 deaths. Also during the

past 10 years in Texas there were 1,768 cases of Pertussis and 10 deaths.

The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) collects about

12-14,000 reports of adverse events following vaccinations. In addition,

the FDA has conceded that only 10-15% of all adverse reactions are ever

reported because the physicians refuse to believe they are vaccine related.

VAERS says that the parent can and should report the event, if the doctor

refuses. However the vast majority of the public don't know this. The FDA

refuses to pull any vaccines off the market in over 15 years even though

nearly 700 deaths have been reported to the FDA.

The Department of Health uses scare tactics to promote their view. (A bogey

man commercial, gun rack symbology and " Shots Across Texas " " NO SHOTS, NO

SCHOOL " campaigns). In addition, the Department of Health states one main

reason they want early vaccination is purely logistical: it is easier to

get infants and kids vaccinated.

Even in states such as California that have a Personal Belief Exemption

(Philosophical), the vast majority of the parents don't even know there is

an option. They are told correctly they are required to vaccinate, but they

are not given the entire statute that allows for an exemption. Parents are

afraid to experience a relatively minor disease like mumps, measles and

rubella which when experienced will confer life-long immunity.

An infant receives the exact dose of a vaccine that a 5 year old receives.

Jonas Salk, the inventor of the IPV, injected polio vaccine, testified

before a Senate sub-committee that nearly all polio occurrences since 1961

were caused by the vaccine and not the wild virus.

More physicians who know of the links between vaccines and long term

detrimental effects need to speak out. Parents need to know all 50 states

have a medical exemption, every state except Mississippi and West Virginia

have a religious exemption, and 15 or 16 states have a philosophical

exemption.

There needs to be a larger public outcry to this mass vaccination program

that is infringing on our Freedom Of Choice and that may be doing more harm

than good. Parents must be empowered to question their doctors on the

dangers and risks of vaccinations. Too many parents are being blindly led

into vaccinating their children.

More scientific, medical, objective media investigations must be conducted

to ascertain the facts that arise out of the vaccination issue. Because of

my research I started:

Vaccine Information and Awareness

12799 La Tortola

San Diego, CA 92129

619-339-5498 (voicemail)

619-484-1187 (fax)

via@... (email)

http://www.access1.net/via (website)

The group has members all over the United States and the world. Many

parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children and are afraid of the

legal ramifications of Statewide Immunization Mandates and of publicly

announcing their choice. Many parents here and across the US have children

who experienced severe vaccine reactions and have been compensated by the

government, many more have not. Parents voice outrage at not knowing any of

the risks or having had the risks downplayed by the medical community.

The New Yorker, Money Magazine, The Boston Globe, Mothering Magazine,

Vanity Fair, Science, The Lancet, Powter, Caryl and Marilyn show,

NOW, 20/20, American Journal, and Crusaders have done articles and shows on

the dangers and risks of vaccinations. We also need concerned people to

contact their Congressman and Senators, both state and federal to voice

their convictions and to demand accountability from the pharmaceutical

companies. Thankfully 1999 has been a great year for the government to

listen. There have been congressional hearings addressing Anthrax,

Hepatitis B, Vaccine Safety v. Personal Choice and the Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program.

This will only change from parents taking charge of their child's health

care. Once again, we are not anti-vaccination, we are pro information and

pro choice. We need to get this information out to the public and let them

know there is another side to this issue.

=================================

Some sites with info...

http://hometown.aol.com/ohnoapr/myhomepage/index.html

http://www.access1.net/gtmail/

http://www.jps.net/tumnus/karenanderson/

http://www.famvi.com/index.html

http://www.mjbovo.com/AbuseLinks.htm#nine

http://www.wrongfullyaccused.org/

http://www.the-facts.com/

http://www.shadow-net.com/

http://www.firedocs.com/familyjustice/index.shtml

http://www.fathermag.com/news/1790-fake-rape.shtml

============================

ZachNPep@... wrote: Todays courier news. www.injersey.com/c-n. In

addition to front page article all of page 6 is also about vaccinations.

Even lists each shot and the injury covered by vaccine compensation.

Jury: Father didn't shake his son

Published in The Courier-News 9/2/1998

By SHARON SILKE Staff Writer

A jury on Tuesday cleared a Warren County man who was accused of inflicting

brain damage on his son by shaking the then 5-month-old baby. Carey

was charged in March 1996 with second-degree aggravated assault and

endangering the welfare of a child a week after his son suffered seizures

and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors at Wood University

Medical Center detected hemorrhages behind the 5-month-old boy`s eyes and

determined the cause was shaken-baby syndrome. The baby had received an

immunization earlier that morning, which defense attorneys argued was the

cause of the seizures and the bleeding behind the boy`s eyes. " I think the

weight of the world was lifted from the Carey`s shoulders, " defense

attorney Joe Krakora said outside the courthouse in Flemington on Tuesday

after the 12-day trial. " They`re extremely relieved and tremendously

grateful. " Carey, a former Union County police officer who used to live in

Readington, now resides in Washington Township in Warren County. The son,

who is nearly 3, is developmentally disabled. It took the Superior Court

jury nearly two full days to reach a decision. Jurors returned to the Judge

Marilyn Rhine Herr`s courtroom three times to watch videotaped testimony

from witnesses from both the prosecution and the defense. Assistant

Prosecutor Marcia Crowe could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The baby was born in October 1995, and was first brought to the hospital on

Dec. 11, 1995. He was treated for vomiting and irritability, and his

pediatrician determined that the boy had a nonspecific viral condition and

an allergy to milk. He was brought back to the hospital on March 22, 1996,

by paramedics after he suffered a seizure. The boy had received an

inoculation a few hours earlier, which witnesses for both sides agreed

could trigger a seizure in babies who had suffered head trauma. Vomiting,

lethargy, increasing head circumference, seizures, apnea and coma are all

symptoms of shaken-baby syndrome. According to medical records, the boy was

demonstrating some of those symptoms during his December 1995 visit to the

hospital. But Krakora argued that these symptoms also could have been a

sign that the boy had some other neurological problem that wasn`t picked up

by doctors.

Source: The Courier-News Published: September 02, 1998

==================================

NANNY STRIKES A BABY DEATH DEAL

By s and AAP

The Australian Newspaper

19 jan 99

NANNY Louise Sullivan last night pleaded guilty at London's Central Court

to the manslaughter of baby Caroline Jongen.

After a morning of last-minute plea bargaining, ahead of the start of

Sullivan's murder trial, the Crown prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge

to manslaughter in return for a guilty plea by the 27-year-old Australian.

Sullivan was charged with murder last September after the death, while in

her care, of Caroline in a case which had chilling similarities to that of

Louise Woodward, the British nanny whose case became a sensation in the US.

Caroline died on April 21 last year, four days after being rushed to Great

Ormond Street Children's Hospital in a critical condition.

Sullivan was accompanied to court yesterday by her parents. Her trial was

due to start at 10.30am London time but was delayed twice before starting

almost four hours later - amid strong rumours of the plea-bargaining taking

place behind closed doors.

The prosecution accepted Sullivan's plea of guilty to manslaughter with

gross negligence, saying it could not disprove her lawyer's assertions that

a convulsion may have occurred that required her to shake the baby to

arouse it.

The child carer now faces a minimum four years' imprisonment with parole

after two years but the judge has the authority to suspend any sentence.

Sullivan has spent the past nine months in hiding, avoiding all media

contact and speaking to Australian consular officials rarely and then only

through a secret contact.

She was initially charged with grievous bodily harm after the baby died

from head injuries but the charge was upgraded to murder in July.

During committal proceedings, Sullivan pleaded not guilty to murder.

At a pre-trial hearing in December, the charge was varied to include the

alternative offence of manslaughter.

The prosecution had planned to rely on medical evidence and the testimony

of the Jongens and some of Sullivan's previous employers in Australia.

Lawyers for Sullivan had said they would attempt to disprove the murder

charge by calling a team of expert witnesses to show the baby might have

died from a pre-existing condition, rather than by shaking, as a coroner

ruled.

Sullivan, originally of Sydney, has been free on bail since April but has

been obliged to remain in Britain.

The trial - which had been expected to last up to five weeks - was

initially delayed by half an hour to await the arrival of the baby's

parents, Marcel and Muriel Jongen.

The couple had not been due to give evidence until the later stages of the

trial.

They are considered to be wealthy high-fliers in the City of London where

Dutch-born Marcel Jongen heads finance company Adelphi Capital and

French-born Muriel works as a financial analyst.

Like Sullivan, the Jongens, who were at their baby's bedside when the life

support system was turned off, have refused to speak publicly since the

death of Caroline

[baby had died shortly after being vaccinated]

==============================

SBS CASE FROM AUSTRALIA

Date: 10 Feb 1999

From: Bronwyn Hancock (bronwyn@...)

Please support Adam and Suzanne-we need to give as many as possible honest,

caring, freedom-respecting people the opportunity to be in Parliament. It's

all been rather sudden, so at short notice they need to get 200 signatures

by THIS Friday in order to stand, and they only have about 100 at the

moment (got 35 yesterday), but will be working hard on it over the next

couple of days.

You may not agree with every policy they've listed, but it doesn't matter-

you don't have to give them money or even your vote, just the opportunity!

I have attached a zipped version of the form to sign here, in case anyone

doesn't have a fax, but does have a printer (and Winzip or similar). By the

way, needless to say, we have educated Adam and Suzanne on vaccination-I

know them because Adam read Viera's article on " Shaken Baby Syndrome " in

Nexus magazine, and contacted her. They took AJ to ine Rose

yesterday-the Listen System practitioner on the video-and she is countering

the mild vaccine damage that AJ sufferred from his first two lots. So they

are informed, and with us 150% (150%? Well they say such non-mathematical

things in sport, so why can't I)!

-Bronwyn

(no subject)

Dear ,

I understand the reason there has not been an outcry from the parents in

Florida is because they are afraid they will be next. What they don't

understand is that this is being decided in the Florida courts Wednesday

5/3 at 4:30. IT WILL SET LEGAL PRECEDENT FOR THE USE OF SECRETIN IN FLORIDA.

If I lose, secretin will legally be child abuse. The doctors who advertise

on the net that they give secretin can be gone after and then their records

can be subpoenaed. The state has filed a petition for permanent custody.

And the group home is discharging because " they can't work with me "

Therefore, if I lose on 5/3, my son goes to a foster home, and secretin may

be unusable for autism in Florida. Silence is a vote for them. My attorney

wants protesters--anyone who can come outside the Broward County courthouse

Wednesday afternoon. If no one is there, then they can also keep quiet when

they have to go out of state to get secretin. Thanks for any help you can

give to pass this along. Cislo

Arraignment of Fla. Doctor Mom who Gave Son Secretin, From NLeGendre@...

Dear concerned autism parents,

I want to update you all on a surprising twist to the Cislo case

presently in the FL courts concerning the mom/ doctor who infused her

Asperger's son with secretin. Many of you are aware that has been

denied visitation rights with her son, effectively loosing custody of

because she chose to administer secretin upon her own authority.

Because a physician can choose to administer any FDA approved, " off label "

drug at their discretion and because secretin is, in fact, a legal, FDA

approved drug for GI diagnostic purposes, her actions are entirely legal.

An arraignment will take place in the FL courts on Wed., May 3rd (details

below). In the meantime, staff members at 's school have filed an

additional complaint. They are now claiming that they can't keep in

his present placement, specifically because they can't work with his

mother, Cislo. Effective in 30 days, a new placement must be made for

. If wins her case on 5-3, goes home. If loses,

then must be placed in foster care.

's son, , has a co-diagnosis of Bi-polar Disorder, ADHD, and

anxiety disorder. The mix with Asperger's is highly complex. This is a

child for whom unpredictable change is very definitely a stressor of huge

magnitude.

writes,

" The staff of Kids in Distress was uncomfortable with my son because he was

the only child there on a voluntary basis. They are not used to parents who

still retain a interest in their children or who still have custody of

their children. I insisted on being included in decisions concerning my

son's treatment. They felt resentment at having to answer to me, especially

when I disagreed with them. They behaved as though they believed my son

could not possibly be so ill unless I had abused him or neglected him.

" I understand the reason there has not been an outcry from the parents in

Florida is because they are afraid they will be next. This is being decided

in the Florida courts Wednesday 5/3 at 4:30. It Will Set Legal Precedent

For The Use Of Secretin In Florida. If I lose, secretin will legally be

child abuse.

The doctors who advertise on the net that they give secretin can be gone

after and then their records can be subpoenaed. The state has filed a

petition for permanent custody. And the group home is discharging

because 'they can't work with me' Therefore, if I lose on 5/3, my son goes

to a foster home, and secretin may be unusable for autism in Florida.

Silence is a vote for them. We need protesters--anyone who can come outside

the Broward County courthouse Wednesday afternoon. " Outside Florida: For

complete details search: http://www.feat.org/search/news.htm for April 10th

Another name/address to include in your letter writing efforts: Judge

Kathleen A. Kearney Secretary Florida Department of Children and Families

1317 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700 RE: In the Interest

of son, d/o/b 2/15/91, In the Circuit Court of the 17th

Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County, Florida, Case No. 2000 CJ-DP

Legislature's Website: http//www.leg.state.fl.us Please send letters,

faxes, postcards, telephone calls, or whatever you feel is appropriate to

Florida Governor, Jeb Bush and the presiding judge in this case: Judge:

Hon. A Frusciante, Broward County Courthouse, 201 S.E. Sixth Street,

Room 910 B, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33301.

*** Cislo will be arraigned on May 3, 2000 at 4:30 P.M. in room 910 B

of the Broward County Courthouse.

Money to cover legal fees can be sent to Dr. Cislo's attorney: Morrie I.

Levine, Esq., 2450 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 100, Hollywood, Florida, 33020

tel: 954-925-9000, fax: 954-925-9008.

-End Note: Cislo had subsequently been acquited and obtained custody

of her son.

================================================

NEW HAMPSHIRE: MOTHER FORCED TO HAVE CHILD VACCINATED

Saturday, February 05, 2000

Vaccine Police Force Mother to Have Child Injected

According to a recent report from the National Vaccine Information Center,

a single mother living in New Hampshire reported that a policewoman, a

detective and state social service worker showed up unannounced at her home

armed with a court order and forced her to submit her son to a DPT

injection. The forced injection came after she had taken her son to the

emergency room a few days earlier for a minor burn from a wood stove, and

had mentioned that her son had never received any vaccines. The hospital

notified state health authorities. A nurse at the hospital had insisted

that her son get a tetanus injection and an injection of immune globulin

(even though it was not medically indicated because there was no puncture).

When the group came to the woman's house, a social worker held down the

child while a nurse injected him with DPT toxoid. For several days after

the medical assault on her child, the child was hyperactive, " acted like a

different child " , could not sleep at night, and within a week he had a

fever and was ill. This child had previously been ill twice in his life.

The woman, Terra Newton, commented that " I feel like I have been violated

and that I am living in a Police State. If it is not my constitutional

right to protect my son from this kind of violence, then you might as well

throw the constitution out the window. " She is looking for a lawyer to

represent her. " I want to take this as far as I can legally go. This is

America, not Communist China. "

===========================================

Advice to parents regarding allegations of SBS, or other abuse:

1 --- It has happened to many parents.

2 --- they are traceable to a vaccine or prescribed drug.

3 --- you should not appear uncertain about how the death occured. If you

have no solid evidence that you caused it, then you must firmly maintain

that you did not cause the death. Period. Keep any personal doubts to

yourselves, or you may find yourselves being tried for manslaughter and/or

lose custody of your other children.

4 --- don't consent to an interview with the hospital, physician, police,

cws, or prosecutors without an attorney or a vaccine advocate that knows

the pitfalls for unsuspecting parents in these situations.

5 --- you must keep all evidence and be prepared to sue the doctor. Even if

you don't sue, you should have an independent (no affiliations with health

agency or da) doctor or medical examiner autopsy your baby. Make the

results available to a doctor familiar with drug or vaccine induced injuries.

6 --- there may be a point in these proceedings where you may have to go

public with your case. I can't tell you if or when. But your shame (which

is unwarrented) and wish to keep this incident private only gives the

advantage to the other side. Even if you are found innocent, if you don't

go on the offensive and charge that the vaccine was the cause of the death,

then you will be under suspicion even more if a similar thing happens to

any of your other children in the future. State and local child welfare

agencies now have you on their list. Whenever you apply for an adoption, or

a job involving children, you will likely be denied it. Also, there is no

statute of limitations on homocide. At their discretion, the DA may file

charges at any time, whether it is murder second degree, or manslaughter 1

or 2. Whatever they think they could prove.

7 --- do not vaccinate any of your other children. I can advise you how to

exempt them for school vaccines.

Coalition for informed choice. krasner, director

Po box 230426, hollis, ny 11423

Fax/phone: 718-479-2939, email: gk-cfic@...

" protect your rights! Become an advocate and inform others "

===========================================

THE VACCINE MAFIA

OR THE VACCINE CIA?

How the vaccine propaganda is manipulated

by J. Ellison

Among epidemiologists, it is often half-jokingly referred to as the

" medical CIA. " Founded in 1951 by public health professor

Langmuir, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) was first designed to act

as an elite biological-warfare countermeasures unit of the Center for

Disease Control (CDC).

Langmuir was hired because he also served as one of the select advisors to

the Defense Department's chemical and biological warfare program.

The first Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) class of 21 recent medical or

biological graduates underwent several weeks of intense training at the

Center for Disease Control's Atlanta headquarters, before being dispatched

on their two-year assignments on loan to various state or local health

departments around the country. They acted as the eyes and ears of the CDC,

carefully monitoring for any possible outbreak of war-induced disease.

While on their tours of duty, each EIS officer could be sent elsewhere in

the country on a 24 hour-a-day basis. In case of war, the EIS would operate

under any emergency powers granted the CDC - potentially including

quarantines, mass immunizations, or other drastic measures.

In an article written for the American journal of Public Health (March,

1952), Langmuir made clear that membership in the EIS did not end with the

two year assignment, but was permanent. He wrote that " ... as a result of

their experience, many of these officers may well remain in full-time

epidemiology or other public health pursuits at federal, state, or local

levels. Some, no doubt, will return to civilian, academic, or clinical

practice, but in the event of war they could be returned to active duty

with the Public Health Service and assigned to strategic areas to fulfill

the functions for which they were trained. "

Every year since 1951 has seen a new crop of EIS recruits, some classes

over one hundred members in size. The nearly 2,000 alumni have gone on to

high positions in society, though rarely advertising their affiliation.

Indeed, the CDC has now made the EIS more secretive than ever, having

suppressed the public availability of the membership directory since last

year.

EIS MEMBERS PLACED IN KEY POSITIONS

Members can be found in the Surgeons General's office and elsewhere in the

Federal government, as well as in the World Health Organization, state and

local health departments, universities, pharmaceutical companies,

tax-exempt foundations, hospitals, and even as staff writers, editors, or

news anchormen for major newspapers, scientific journals, and television

news departments. In these positions, EIS alumni act not only as the CDC's

surveillance arm and emergency reserve, but also as seemingly " independent "

advocates for CDC policies.

EIS AND POPULATION " CONTROL "

In time, the fear of artificial disease epidemics faded. But Langmuir and

other top CDC officials had always held bigger plans for the EIS. Langmuir,

for example, an apostle of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger,

involved the EIS in the population control movement by the 1960s. The CDC

has gained most, however, from EIS activities in natural disease epidemics,

to which its " disease detectives " have turned their attention.

THE FLU JAB SCAM

The flu, being truly an infectious disease, often proved itself most

valuable to the CDC. Although the winter following the end of World War I

was the last time a flu epidemic caused widespread death, the CDC has

pushed annual flu vaccinations up to the present day. At times, the agency

has even rung the alarm over an impending flu crisis, hoping to use

memories of the 1918 epidemic to gain emergency powers and impose mass

vaccinations. By using such tactics in 1957 over the Asian flu, the CDC

managed to wrangle extra money out of Congress to expand the EIS and

crash-produce a vaccine. But the flu season was already winding down by the

time the vaccine was ready, and the flu itself turned out to have been as

mild as in any other year.

By 1976, CDC director Sencer wanted to try again, though on a grander

scale. After one soldier in Pennsylvania died of a flu-related pneumonia in

January, Sencer predicted that a pig-borne human virus nicknamed the " swine

flu, " would soon devastate the United States.

Panicked with visions of impending doom, Congress moved to authorize the

CDC's immunization plan for every man, woman, and child in the country.

Unexpectedly, the legislation suddenly stalled when the insurance companies

underwriting the vaccine discovered that it had seriously toxic side effects.

THE " LEGIONAIRES DISEASE " SCAM

Sencer had to do something fast. He immediately set up a " War Room " in

Auditorium A at the CDC headquarters, and put the EIS network on full alert

to search for any disease outbreak that might resemble the flu. Within

weeks, the War Room received word of a pneumonia cluster among men just

returning home from the Philadelphia convention of the American Legion.

Several Philadelphia-based EIS officers and alumni had detected the

outbreak, and acted as a fifth column that not only helped arrange an

invitation for the CDC to come in, but also took their orders from the

arriving team of CDC and EIS Officers. Even the New York Times staff writer

sent to cover the story, Lawrence Altman, was himself an EIS alumnus.

The CDC team allowed media rumors to circulate that this Legionnaires'

disease was the beginning of the swine flu. Within days, Congress decided

to pass the vaccine bill. Only later did the CDC admit that the

legionnaires had not been infected by the flu virus, too late to stop the

immunization program. Some 50 million Americans received the vaccine,

leading to more than a thousand cases of nerve damage and paralysis, dozens

of deaths, and lawsuits awarding almost $100 million in damages. In the

ultimate irony, no swine flu epidemic ever materialized; the only

destruction left behind by the phantom swine flu resulted from the CDC's

vaccine.

The agency later blamed Legionnaires' disease on a common soil bacterium,

one that clearly fails Koch's postulates for causing the disease and is

therefore actually harmless. The legionnaires' deaths are not so hard to

understand, since the pneumonias struck elderly men, many of whom had

undergone kidney transplant operations, and who had become particularly

drunk during the Bicentennial celebration - the classic risks for

pneumonia. Thus Legionnaires' disease " is not an infectious condition, but

merely a new name for old pneumonias.

==============================================

From: Alive Magazine: Canadian Journal of Health and Nutrition Issue #215

September 2000

" Take the Pills, or We'll Take Your Kids! "

by Crowe

Jane Doe in Montreal refuses to give toxic, lifelong medication to her two

healthy sons, and loses custody of them. Another woman in Montreal hears

this and decides to have an abortion.

A woman in Maine has a daughter die on this medication, and finds that the

debilitating symptoms she and her son were also experiencing rapidly

disappear after stopping. The State takes her to court, but she wins her case.

A couple in Oregon are less fortunate. They are " legally " forced to

medicate their infant and the mother forbidden to nurse him! A woman in

British Columbia is harassed by social workers who threaten to force her to

medicate her two children, and then hastily leaves the province.

A couple in London refuse to test their baby and flee from England after

losing their case, fearing that forced medication will follow forced testing.

All these people have one thing in common--both they and their children are

HIV-positive. They all reject the need for medication for their condition,

and for their HIV-positive children. In fact, they question whether the HIV

test indicates an illness at all.

The AIDS Epidemic

To most Canadians, AIDS is something that happens to other people, largely

gay men and drug addicts. They have no reason to doubt that HIV is the

cause of AIDS, that new drugs are miraculous advances or that the tests for

HIV are accurate--unless they test positive, of course.

Just like a diagnosis of terminal cancer, most people are completely

unprepared for this shattering moment, and rely on their doctors for

advice, which is almost always to get on AIDS drugs immediately to try to

stop the virus from its deadly advance. They usually do not question that

they will die a painful and early death, but hope that the drugs can buy time.

Canada's top AIDS scientist, Dr. Mark Wainberg believes that HIV always

leads to AIDS. In his opinion, those people who question the accuracy of

the HIV tests, or question whether immunosuppressive drugs are wise for a

disease characterized by immunsuppression are considered a threat to public

health and should be thrown in jail! (1)

Many people would consider a parent refusing AIDS medication to be

irresponsible but, considering the fatal nature of the diagnosis, perhaps

within their rights to let their child die a natural death, versus gaining

a longer, but lower quality life with medication. Few people would consider

that Jane Doe is actually behaving more sanely than the doctors. Yet, her

do-nothing approach to HIV has worked. 14 years after being found

HIV-positive she is still extremely healthy, and has never taken medication.

AIDS and AZT

The oldest, and still most widely prescribed AIDS medications are

nucleoside analogs. If DNA is likened to a chain of beads, a nucleoside

analog is a broken bead that can attach at one end, but not the other.

Nucleoside analogs are supposed to stop retroviruses from being

incorporated into DNA, but the inevitable incorporation of a molecule

directly into a growing chain of DNA will cause replication of DNA to halt.

One of these nucleoside analogs, AZT, is prescribed to pregnant women to

prevent transmission of HIV to their rapidly growing fetuses. It is also

prescribed to HIV-positive children. Side effects of nucleoside analogs are

similar to chemotherapy--anemia so serious that transfusions are required,

bone marrow destruction, peripheral nerve damage, failure of the pancreas,

and many others. (2) It is also known that nucleoside analogs can cross the

placenta and likely cause cancer, birth defects and mutations. (3)

The Price Of Health

There are several reasons why AIDS doctors and researchers may be so

adamant that not taking anti-HIV drugs is irresponsible: money, money and

money. Dr. Mark Wainberg, for example, has acknowledged being a shareholder

in the Montreal company Biochem Pharma that manufacturers 3TC, one of the

drugs that Jane Doe's children are believed to be taking. While the income

from one patient is probably not significant to him, the impression that

every rational person supports taking them is worth millions. HIV/AIDS is

worth billions of dollars to doctors, researchers, hospitals and

manufacturers--far out of proportion to the number of people affected in

Canada (1,751 at the peak in 1993, declining to 279 in 1998. (4)

If it becomes legitimate to question whether HIV tests are accurate,

whether HIV always leads to AIDS, whether AIDS is always fatal without

medication and whether anti-HIV drugs are useful, the entire infrastructure

will collapse. While that would be the end of the career of men like Dr.

Mark Wainberg, for Jane Doe this would be the end of her nightmare.

Sidebar: One Woman's True Story

Jane Doe has been through hell ever since she had her first child about 8

years ago. When one son came down with a chest infection (variously

diagnosed as bronchitis or mild pneumonia) in 1999, the entire weight of

the medical, social service and legal establishment was thrown on her. It

was only through the major financial support of the US-based International

Coalition for Medical Justice (www.icmj.org) that she was able to fight

back. Even so, after the involvement of several lawyers and tens of

thousands of dollars, Jane Doe lost custody of her two sons. Her parents

were placed in the horrible position of providing the three-drug AIDS

cocktail to them several times a day. If the children vomit after taking

the drugs (a common reaction), they must be given again. If the children

refuse to take the drugs, they must be forced. If the children have

diarrhea, that is just the price they have to pay. Nobody knows how long

the children can live while taking these drugs, which have acknowledged

fatal side effects, but that does not stop doctors from almost universally

and absolutely recommending them.

Sidebar: No Report Card

The Canadian Government doesn't have statistics on how many Canadians are

taking HIV medications, let alone how many adverse reactions there are.

Every page of one Health Canada report of adverse reactions notes " Only a

small proportion of suspected adverse reactions are reported to the

program " . Other estimates suggest that one to 10 per cent of adverse

reactions are reported.

In HIV/AIDS, where the drugs can destroy the bone marrow, and therefore the

immune system, it is very difficult to distinguish the disease from the

side effects of the therapy.

Glaxo Wellcome, the largest manufacturer of AIDS drugs claims that a list

of adverse reactions to their AIDS drugs in Canada is 'proprietary to the

company'.

Alive magazine is distributed free at most whole-food stores and

alternative health practictioners in Canada and has an estimated

circulation of 270,000

References ------------ 1. Picard A. HIV deniers should be jailed:

researcher. Globe & Mail. 2000 May 1; A3.

2. A file of referenced quotations on the side effects and ineffectiveness

of AZT is available upon request from the author crowed@....

3. Olivero OA et al. AZT is a Genotoxic Transplacental Carcinogen in Animal

Models. J Acquir Immun Defic Syndr Hum Retro. 1997 Apr 1; 14(4):

A29.,Olivero OA et al. Incorporation of zidovudine into leukocyte DNA from

HIV-1-positive adults and pregnant women, and cord blood from infants

exposed in utero. AIDS. 1999 May 28; 13: 919-25,Olivero OA et al.

Transplacental effects of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT):

tumorigenicity in mice and genotoxicity in mice and monkeys. J Natl Cancer

Inst. 1997 Nov 5; 89(21): 1602-8.,Olivero OA et al. Vaginal epithelial DNA

damage and expression of preneoplastic markers in mice during chronic

dosing with tumorigenic levels of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT).

Cancer Res. 1994; 54: 6235-42., Olivero OA et al.

3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) transplacental perfusion kinetics and DNA

incorporation in normal human placentas perfused with AZT. Mutat Res Fundam

Mol Mech Mutagen. 1999 Jul 16; 428(1-2): 41-7 .

4. Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (Health Canada). HIV and AIDS in

Canada: Surveillance Report to December 31, 1998. Health Canada.

1999.Available at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/publicat.html

========================================

merica's medical witch-hunting spreads to Scotland:

From the Evening Times of Scotland, Oct. 20, 2000

PARENTS RISK LOSING CHILDREN' OVER MMR COMPLAINTS

by ALAN MacDERMID

PARENTS who claim their children have developed autism as a result of being

given the controversial MMR vaccine risk having them taken away by social

workers, MSPs will be told next week.

A leading autism expert said yesterday that an estimated 200 such families

in the UK, including Scotland, had lost their children after being accused

of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy.

Dr Shattock, director of the Autism Research Unit at Sunderland

University, said the court orders had been carried out under cover of

draconian gagging orders framed ostensibly to safeguard the identity of the

children.

He will lay his allegations before MSPs on Wednesday, at the launch of the

ish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

" There have been cases where people say their children are autistic and

blame the vaccine. Then social services come and say the child is not

autistic, you have made him that way because of Munchausen's, and they take

the children away, " he said.

The term Munchausen's syndrome by proxy was coined to describe parents who

subject their children to unnecessary medical care on the pretext of a

bogus illness, in extreme cases injuring the children or making them ill in

order to fit their fantasies. It is often seen as an attention-seeking device.

Dr Shattock said it was now being used as a cover-up over the suspected

link between the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, introduced in

1988, and a distinctive combination of autism and intestinal disorder

described nearly three years ago by Dr Wakefield at the Royal Free

Hospital in London, and which he attributed to excess strain on the immune

system caused by giving all three vaccines in one jab.

It has precipitated demands by parents to have each vaccine administered

singly with an interlude between each, a move resisted by the Government.

" It is down to pride. The medical establishment can't admit to being

wrong, " said Dr Shattock.

" Something is going on, whether it is vaccines, pesticides, plasticisers in

food, or whatever. The research the Government has provided in defence of

MMR is flawed. "

The ish Society for Autism, which will provide the professional

secretariat for the all-party group, accepts that the evidence against MMR

so far is anecdotal, but they want more research and, in the meantime, the

option of single vaccines to be available for parents.

Spokesman Bruce Tait said: " It is available elsewhere in Europe. Presumably

there is a cost implication for the Government. "

©The Evening Times

200 Renfield Street,

Glasgow G2 3PR

Email: TimesEditorial@...

Editorial Management

Phone: 0141 302 7000

Fax: 0141 302 7272

Online Editor

Email: online@...

====================================================

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA

Dear List, 15.2.2001

This is a MUST conference for all those individuals involved in seeing that

justice is done in alleged Shaken Baby Syndrome cases.

s Law Firm, Sydney, Australia, have again been instructed by an

accused individual who is presently in jail for allegedly shaking a baby

and causing death. As I will be part of the investigative team involved in

this case I will certainly be in attendance at this conference. If any law

firm acting on behalf of accused individuals or the accused individuals

themselves would like information, tapes, etc. from this conference will

they please contact me direct.

Sincerely, Maureen Hickman, Para/Legal-s Law Firm, Auburn, NSW,

Australia

e-mail: mhickman@...

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME CONFERENCE AUSTRALIA 2001

National Australian Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome to be held in Sydney,

Australia on September 3-4, 2001 at Regent Hotel.

The conference is being sponsored by The National Center on Shaken Baby

Syndrome, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital.

Speakers include:-

Professor Kim Oates M.D. and Les White, M.D. welcome

Mr. Larry Federal Minister for Family Services opening

remarks

Professor Marie Bashir, MBBS, FRANZCP Govenor of NSW keynote address

Craig son, M.D. Occular Injuries What are they and What

Fellow of the Royal Australian Do they tell us?

College of Ophthalmologists

Ron Barr, MDCM Does the Age-related Pattern of Shaken

Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry Baby Syndrome Correspond to the Age-

McGill University, Montreal, related pattern of early crying?

Canada

Cpl. Craig Shaken baby syndrome A Police

Formerly Royal Canadian Mounted Investigator's Perspective

Police, Alberta, Canada

Marilyn Sandberg, Executive Elijah's Story: Documentary on a Shaken

Director, National Center on Baby Syndrome. The Story of Elijah

Shaken Baby syndrome follows a young family from the birth of

Their son and family celebrations to the

911 call and testimony at sentencing.

Fisher "

Parent of Shaken Baby Syndrome

Victim

, M.D., Alternative Medical opinions for Shaken

Fellow of the Royal Australian Baby Syndrome Cases

College of Physicians

Senior Staff Specialist in child

Protection

McIntyre, M.D., "

Department of Infectious Disease

Children's Hospital at Westmead

Gattenby "

District Officer, Department of

Community Services,

Chatswood Joint Investigation

Team

Randy , M.D. Mechanisms of Injuries of Shaken Baby

Morehouse School of Medicine Syndrome

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Reece, M.D. Medical Literature Review 1997-2000

Massachusetts Society for the Articles on Abusive Head Traums

Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Boston

Adam Salazar, Program Specialist Dads 101 a Training Program for New

National Center on Shaken Baby and Expecting Fathers

Syndrome, Ogden, Utah

-Clare Waugh, M.D. Rehabilitation Methods for Shaken Baby

Staff Specialist Department of Syndrome Victims

Rehabilitation Medicine

Fellow of the Royal Australian

College of Physicians,

The Children's Hospital, Westmead

Lowe, MD & Adrienne Epps, MD "

Rehabilitation

Sydney Children's Hospital

Avis Joint Investigation Teams The

Department of Community Services Interagency/Multidisciplinary Approach

Sydney

Representative "

NSW Police Service, Sydney

Kirschner, M.D., A Forensic Response to Shaken Baby

Department of Pathology & Syndrome

Pediatrics, University of Chicago

Rob Parrish, J.D., Deputy Director Key to the Successful Prosecution of

National Centre on Shaken Baby Shaken Baby Syndrome Cases

Syndrome, Ogden, Utah

Roy Ellis, Lawyer "

=================================================

How many cases of abuse are really vaccine injuries?

FROM

Redbook Magazine, Sept. 2000. Page 158. www.redbook.com.

Was It Murder, Or A Bad Vaccine?

By Jan Goodwin

Teaser:

It's a question that is tearing families apart, as prosecutors blame

parents for the shortcomings of common vaccines.

THE SMALL NURSERY

that Lois Scoon and her husband, Malcolm, of Queens, NY, lovingly

wallpapered in little yellow and white roses is quiet now. The crib is

still there, but it is empty. The stuffed toys-the giraffe, monkey, and

lion that soothed baby h to sleep every night-were tucked alongside

her in the coffin the tiny 5-month-old was buried in.

The death of a young child is devastating to any parent. But Lois Scoon's

grief has been compounded by the fact that her husband is not at home to

share it with her. A few months after h died from a brain hemorrhage

in March 1996, Malcolm Scoon was accused of causing her injuries by shaking

her violently. Convicted of second-degree manslaughter, Scoon, once a

practicing anesthesiologist, is now serving two to six years in a

medium-security prison in upstate New York.

To those who knew Malcolm Scoon as a gentle man who never lost his temper,

the idea that he had caused his daughter's death was impossible to accept.

h was the Scoons' only child, the baby Malcolm and Lois, both now 41,

had struggled hard to conceive, undergoing in vitro fertilization three

times. Born almost three months premature in September 1995, weighing just

over two pounds, the fragile baby spent the first two-and-a-half months of

her life in a neonatal intensive-care unit, much of that time on a

ventilator to help her breathe. As she fought to survive, she would require

six blood transfusions. " We were at the hospital every day, " remembers

Lois, then a teacher. " I pumped breast milk to give her. She was so small,

with tubes everywhere. The hardest part for us was that we couldn't hold

her. But we were thrilled she was alive. No one can say we weren't

attentive parents. All the hospital records confirm this. " In fact, several

respected medical experts insist that prosecutors fingered the wrong

culprit in h's death. " I cannot understand why Malcolm Scoon was found

guilty, " says , M.D., former chief of pediatric

neuroradiology at Boston Children's Hospital. " I've been looking at injury

to the brain for 22 years, and in that time, I've reviewed a lot of child

abuse cases. This was not one of them. " Instead, and others are

convinced that Scoon is among a growing number of parents who are unfairly

blamed for the side effects of vaccines given to mil- lions of American

babies each year. It is a shocking trend, one that alarms both government

officials and medical professionals. " We are very disturbed to learn that

there are a lot more injuries [from vaccines] than is realized, " says Beth

Clay, a staffer with the congressional Government Reform Committee, which

has been conducting hearings on vaccine side effects for the past year. " A

number of people have been accused of causing Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)

and jailed. "

" There is a sudden groundswell of these cases, " agrees Menkes, M.D., a

pediatric neurologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles who is

regarded by many as the " father " of his specialty. Even when there are

other, more likely medical explanations for a baby's injuries, Menkes says,

prosecutors rush to judgment-and he is cynical about the reasons:

" Ambitious prosecutors get their names in the paper. It's a career boost

for them. "

FATHERS FALSELY ACCUSED

Helen Carey, a 33-year-old mother of three, still weeps at the memory of

her husband, Bill's, arrest. Their 6- month-old son, , had just had his

second DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) shot, along with two other

vaccines for polio and hepatitis B. 's first dose of DTP had been

followed by a night of fever and vomiting. This time, 's fever set off

convulsions. His parents rushed him to Hunterdon Medical Center in

Flemington, NJ, where doctors noted that the seizures were most likely a

reaction to the DTP shot. But the next day, was examined at nearby

Wood Hospital, where an MRI showed three subdural hematomas,

or spots of bleeding in the brain. A hospital social worker convinced that

the injuries were a sign of SBS, called child-welfare authorities and the

police. was taken from his parents, and his father-a police

officer-was arrested. " It was the worst day of our lives, " says Helen

Carey. " We not only had a son who was very sick, we were told we had caused

it. I had never seen my husband cry until then. He'd been on the force for

nine years. Imagine how we felt when police surrounded our house, pounded

on the door, and took him away in cuffs. " During Carey's trial in September

1998, his lawyer discovered that 's DTP shot had come from a so-called

hot lot-a batch of too-strong vaccine that had caused seizures in at least

17 other children. Carey was acquitted; , now 4, is permanently brain

damaged. Larry Gray, 34, of Macomb, OK, was also accused of causing the

massive brain injury that has left his son , now 11, blind and

unable to walk, talk, or swallow. " First, we were told our son would be a

vegetable for the rest of his life, " recalls Gray. " Then they accused me of

trying to kill my child. I wasn't permitted to see my son. I'd given him

mouth-to-mouth resuscitation that night, for heaven's sake. "

Gray, too, was eventually acquitted after doctors agreed that the injuries

could have been a severe reaction to DTaP " But I was guilty until proven

innocent, " he says, " not the reverse. Malcolm Scoon was not so lucky,

despite the expert witnesses who came to his defense. Neuroradiologist

Barns-who took the stand against British au pair Louise Woodward in the SBS

death of Eappen in 1997-testified that the kind of blood clot

h had was caused by a meningitis-like infection triggered by the

pertussis portion of the DTP vaccine, which in turn caused brain

hemorrhaging, swelling, and inflammation of the brain and its lining.

With a child as frail as h, he adds, emergency room doctors' attempts

to give her CPR could also have put pressure on the blood vessels leading

to her brain, contributing to her bleeding.

" h Scoon was a very frail baby who died from meningitis, which at that

age has a very high mortality rate, " agrees Enid Gilbert s, M.D., a

pediatric pathologist and professor at the University of South Florida who

also testified for Scoon. " It was right there on her pathology slides. A

blind man on a galloping horse could have seen it. But once it was decided

this was SBS, they didn't look any further. The guilty finding was an

absolute miscarriage of justice. " Prosecutors made much of Scoon 's

admission that he slightly jostled his daughter, hoping to revive her that

day he found her limp body in the crib. Lois Scoon is also convinced that

her husband's case was hurt by the media attention it received. A frenzy of

front-page tabloid headlines was triggered by Long Island Jewish Medical

Center's recommendation that h be taken off life support. The deeply

religious couple refused, and the hospital took them to court. Eventually

the late Cardinal O'Connor, archbishop of New York, arranged for the

baby to be transferred to St. 's Medical Center, a Catholic

hospital, where h remained on life support until her heart stopped

beating. But the couple's battle with the hospital fueled suspicions that

they were trying to delay the criminal investigation. Lois maintains that

she and her husband simply were hoping that a " miracle might happen. " We

wanted to give h every opportunity to live, " she says.

WHEN VACCINES HARM

Mass vaccination is arguably modem medicine's most successful tool for

preventing disease, disability, and death. Vaccines have saved tens of

millions of lives, eradicating smallpox and polio from most industrialized

countries. Dreaded killers like whooping cough (caused by the pertussis

bacteria) and diphtheria are now almost unheard of in developed countries.

Most of the 4 million infants born in the U.S. each year are vaccinated

beginning at birth and continue to receive booster shots for the next five

year-a total of 33 doses of ten different vaccines. (continued) No vaccine

is 100 percent safe, and public health officials acknowledge that

immunizations serve the common good at a high cost for a few. In 1986 the

federal government officially recognized that trade-off by creating the

National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Funded by a surcharge on

every vaccine dose, the program has so far paid out more than $1 billion in

settlements to the parents of brain-damaged and other seriously hurt

children. Almost 75 per- cent of those claims concern the DTP vaccine (see

box, " The Trouble With DTP, " page 161).

Few people wanted to look closely at the problem of vaccine injuries 18

years ago when Barbara Loe Fisher, 52, co- founded the National Vaccine

Information Center in Vienna, VA, with other parents whose children had

suffered devastating problems after being immunized. " It's hard for me to

express in words how tragic the denial of the reality of vaccine injuries

and deaths has been, " says Fisher, whose own son Christian, now 22, suffers

from multiple learning disabilities as a result of a reaction to DTP.

Fisher, who now serves on vaccine advisory panels for both the Food and

Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences, says that the

success of the smallpox vaccine nurtured a belief that mass vaccination

could save the world from all infectious diseases. " The drug industry, the

government, and the medical community raced for- ward developing all manner

of vaccines, " she says. " In their speed to act and their hope of making the

world a better place, they apparently did not consider that there may be a

significant risk to the immune and neurological systems of some children. "

While 150 new vaccines are now in development, Fisher, along with

congressman Dan Burton, a Republican from Indiana and chair of the

Government Reform Committee, and others in Congress, is working to raise

awareness of vaccine-related safety issues. Among the concerns critics

would like to see addressed:

What is the real rate of adverse reactions? The federal Vaccine Adverse

Event Reporting System receives between 11,000 and 12,000 reports each

year, mainly from physicians and vaccine manufacturers. But reporting is

voluntary, and surveys show that responses vary widely from state to state,

with as many as one in ten to as few as one in 100 doctors actually

bothering to fill out the necessary paper- work when a child suffers a

reaction. In addition, some fatal injuries may be misclassified, as Sudden

Infant Death Syndrome, for instance.

Why aren't side effects of vaccines studied? The government spends $1

billion a year to develop and promote vaccines, but only a fraction of that

goes to fund independent studies of side effects, says Fisher. " Vaccine

testing is done on a too-small number of kids, and they are monitored for

too short a time, " says Mark Geier, M.D., a land geneticist formerly

with the National Institutes of Health and an expert on DTP. " Previously

undetected reactions can show up later, when larger numbers of children are

inoculated. I've seen a manufacturer insert in a vaccine that read 'Studies

show no significant major reactions, but some may show up in the field.'

And they do. "

-Why aren't hot lots immediately pulled off the market? " Hot lot " is the

term used to describe a batch of a vaccine that generates ten or more

reports of illness or two or more reports of seizure or death. " There is

tremendous variability between a good lot and a bad one, " says Geier. " The

endotoxin in DTP vaccine lots, for example, can vary 50-fold. " According to

the National Vaccine Information Center, some vaccine lots have resulted in

as many as 227 reports of serious reactions, and others in as many as 13

deaths. But the Food and Drug Administration leaves it to drug

manufacturers to voluntarily recall a bad batch. And because lots vary

dramatically in size, says Larry Gray's attorney Curtis Webb, of Twin

Falls, ID, " it's hard to determine if eight to ten serious reactions are

many or not, " meaning that hot lots continue to be sold.

-How safe is it to give infants several vaccines at once? Congressional

investigators are concerned about the growing practice of giving a child as

many as six separate shots or one " super shot " containing as many as nine

vaccines in one visit. Pediatricians do this for convenience's sake or to

keep the number of needle sticks per kid at a minimum. " But everybody just

guesses, " says the Government Reform Committee's Clay. " By introducing so

many different vaccines at the same time, it's possible that we could be

blowing a child's immune system, just like overloading the electrical

system by putting too many plugs into one outlet. "

" Federal policy makers are not paying serious enough attention to the

dangerous side effects that are occurring, " says Congressman Burton. " We

can no longer keep our heads buried in the sand on this issue. The risks

are too great for both parents and children. "

FAMILIES ON TRIAL

ph Krakora, the Careys' lawyer, says it is understandable that

authorities want to protect children. " But when hemorrhaging and subdural

hematomas are found, all too quickly doctors and child- welfare authorities

decide it's abuse. Just because the facts are consistent with SBS, doesn't

mean it is SBS. Once they see bleeding in the brain, however, they don't

want to hear anything else. " Krakora believes that authorities need to be

educated that there are other causes of this kind of damage. But he also

complains that even some doctors deny-in court- that vaccines can cause

injuries. The resistance to the truth about adverse reactions takes both an

emotional and a financial toll on families. After his acquittal, Carey

returned to his job as a police officer in Union County, NJ, and received

$100,000 in back pay for the time he was suspended. But the family's

finances remain in ruins. " We spent considerably more than that on legal

fees and were forced to sell the house we'd just built, " says Helen Carey.

The Careys are seeking an award from the Vaccine Compensation Fund to cover

the cost of 's care. " doesn't talk, he has vision problems, his

walking is very unsteady, and he has difficulty swallowing, " says Helen.

" Doctors say he has some neurological signs of cerebral palsy and exhibits

a form of autism. He doesn't play with other children or like to be

touched. He screams a lot of the time and has difficulty sitting still. "

But after almost four years, their case is still pending. Parents suing

for dam- ages must wait in line-the backlog of cases is huge. They can also

face as much of a legal mauling as they would if they faced criminal charges.

After his acquittal, for example, Larry Gray filed for damages from the

Vaccine Compensation Program. It took him eight years to get a hearing.

During that time, the emotional and financial pressures were so enormous

that his marriage to 's mother fell apart. When Gray finally got

a chance to testify, the government's lawyer once again accused him of

having abused his son. " I've never had a kid as badly hurt as

Gray, nor a father more devoted than Larry, " says attorney Webb, who

represented Gray at the compensation hearings. " But despite this, the case

was very adversarial against him. Larry was treated like a convicted felon.

Government lawyers brought up the fact that when Larry was a young man he'd

had a speeding ticket. This was supposed to support the fact that he was

the violent type. "

Gray was eventually awarded $2.5 million in trust to cover 's

costly medical care as long as he lives. Doctors told Gray they didn't

expect his son to make it past his 10th birthday; is now 11.

As for Lois Scoon, she has faith that one day, her husband too will be

exonerated. The $400,000 in legal fees wiped the couple out financially, so

they are relying on a court-appointed attorney in their appeal. Meanwhile,

each Friday night Lois boards a prison charter bus for the eight-and-a-half

hour trip to the Bare Hill Correctional Facility in upstate New York, near

the Canadian border, where her husband is held.

" If anyone saw him, they would not believe what he has been through, " says

Lois, who attributes her husband's good spirits to his strong faith. " He

has been an encouragement to me. " The worst thing for her, she says, is the

loss of a child she adored. " h had just started smiling and cooing

when she died, " she says. " Her little smile and that cooing sound are what

I miss so much when I come home. "

-----END MAIN BODY OF ARTICLE

----------------

Caption1:

Lois (above left) and Malcolm (above and fop right) Scoon had been

attentive to their fragile baby's needs. Then Malcolm was charged with

causing his daughter's fatal brain injuries. (Opposite page) Every Friday

night, Lois boards a prison bus for the all-night trip to see her husband.

Caption2:

When Larry Gray (above with 11-year-old ) sued the government

for damages to cover his son's expensive medical costs, he was treated like

a felon. "

----------------

________________________________

TEXT BOX #1:

DTP has always been among the more dangerous vaccines. The trouble is in he

pertussis component, which in the original form of the vaccine was made

from whole or " live " cells of pertussis bacteria containing endotoxin

poisons. 'Endotoxin is the most notorious fever-causing agent in the world

and can interfere with clotting and cause bleeding in the brain, cause

seizures and permanent brain damage, and trigger auto-immune problems, "

explains Mark Geier, M.D. In fact, pertussis is so poisonous that scienists

use it to study brain swelling and hemorrhage in lab animals.

Doctors in Japan and in several European countries have been vaccinating

children for two decades with a safer, slightly costlier alternative known

as DTaP. U.S. pediatricians are only now making the switch to this

" acellular " version (hence the " a " in the name) of the vaccine, although it

was actually developed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). " We

didn't act on it, " says Geier, " but a Japanese doctor studying at NIH did.

Japan had the safer vaccine long before we did. " Geier is among those who

believe that suits against the vaccine had the effect of keeping DTP in

circulation. " When arents started suing, " he charges, 'suddenly we found

doctors being paid 500,000 by the industry to say that it still hadn't been

proven that DTP caused severe side effects. "

The Centers for Disease Control CDC) estimates that only 6 or 7 per cent of

the pertussis vaccine doses now on the market contain the whole-cell

pertussis bacteria. But while Japan banned the inferior vaccine as soon as

DTaP became available, U.S. government authorities declined to pull it off

the shelves. The CDC pamphlet that explains the risks of DTP and DTaP to

parents notes that DTaP causes fewer adverse reactions, but stops short of

recommending that parents avoid the old vaccine altogether. Pediatricians

who aren't up to speed on the recommendations from the American Academy of

Pediatrics can legally dispense the outmoded, cheaper vaccine. " It's still

a licensed product, " explains Vitek, M.D., a medical epidemiologist

with the CDC. " As long as it is a licensed product-which means basically

that it's been found by the Food and Drug Administration to be effective

and reasonably safe-there's nothing to say that it should be pulled from

the market. " What will it take to get it off? Says Vitek, " When the demand

from practitioners drops so low that manufacturers decide it's not worth

their while to make it. "

Other medical experts argue that the laws of supply and demand shouldn't be

allowed to take precedence over safety concerns. " I'm very

pro-vaccination, " says Geier. " But our vaccines should be as good as we

know how to make them. In 1940, DTP was the best we knew how to make. In

2000, it's a dangerous embarrassment. "

------------------------

___________________________________________

TEXT BOX #2:

STEPS YOU MUST TAKE TO SAFEGUARD YOUR CHILD:

Thanks to vaccines, virtually none of us knows a child who has contracted

polio, whooping cough, or one of the other illnesses that disabled or

killed thousands of children in our grandparents' era. Even critics of the

federal vaccination program agree that for most children, vaccines cause

only mild side effects, if any. To reduce the risk that your child could

have a more serious reaction:

1. Request that your doctor use the newer DTaP vaccine.

2. Have your child vaccinated only if she is in good health. If she has

been running a fever, ask your doctor about postponing the vaccination

until she is well again

3. Familiarize yourself with vaccine side effects. Your physician is

required by law to give you a handout from the Centers for Disease Control

explaining benefits and risks before your child is vaccinated; be sure you

read the material and keep it on file.

4. Ask for and read the manufacturer's package insert and look for any side

effects or contraindications.

5. Monitor your child for symptoms. Most adverse reactions occur within

three days, but a few vaccines can take several weeks to trigger symptoms.

Serious reactions include high fever, prolonged high-pitched screaming,

breathing difficulty, shock, seizures, or lethargy. If you suspect a bad

reaction, call your doctor, or take your child to the emergency room.

6. Tell your physician if your child had a previous had reaction to any

vaccine; a first reaction, even if it is mild, increases your child's

chance of having another.

7. Alert your physician if anyone in your family has had vaccine reactions,

convulsions or neurological disorders, severe allergies, or auto-immune

diseases.

8. Keep your own permanent record of all vaccinations, including the

vaccine manufacturer's name and lot number.

9. Keep yourself informed about new vaccines, new recommendations, and the

latest reports on vaccine safety by contacting the following:

o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization

Information Hotline (800-232-2522; www.cdc.gov/nip/) for the latest

immunization recommendations and materials on risks and benefits.

-National Vaccine Information Center (800-909-SHOT; www.9O9shot.com) for

assistance if your child has a reaction, guidelines on how to report an

adverse event, and information on vaccine research.

---------------------------------

=========================================

POSTED APPROX. SUMMER 2000

Report prepared by:

Donna Meads-Barlow (the mother)

15 Dulwich Rd

Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone 02 94103333

Fax 02 94103444

Mobile 0418465245

Husband: Meads-Barlow

Children:

la 6yr. (Diabetic Type1), Diagnosed Oct 99

: 3yr.

Codey: 5mts (Born 28/2/00)

Story regards Codey Meads-Barlow

Friends,

We are parents of our 5 month old baby Codey who is in RNSH diagnosed with

" Shaken Baby Syndrome " and desperately need help with Expert Witnesses for

our case on 21 & 22nd August.

PLEASE read my daily diary attached and if you can help us at all, PLEASE

phone me on 02 94103333. We know our baby has not been shaken and

desperately need HELP to bring our family unit back together.

Kindest as always

Donna Meads-Barlow

-DIARY OF DONNA MEADS-BARLOW-

WEEKLY ROUTINE - Robyn Farrar (the nanny)

Mornings Robyn arrives, collects , la and Codey and drops

la at LPS and then drops at UTS Kidz Campus (Mon, Tue, Wed).

On Thu and Fri she drops at Masada College at St Ives. Mondays,

Tuesdays & Wednesdays -return with Codey between 0930 & 0945 Thursday &

Fridays-return with Codey around 1000-1015

Daytime Bulk of Days at House looking after Codey, doing basic house

duties. Makes the kids beds, Does the Shopping as required, pays some bills

over the phone, does the washing & ironing downstairs and often has Codey

downstairs with her when doing these duties.

Afternoons Mondays-Robyn leaves the house around 2.15pm, picks up la

from LPS at 3pm and takes la to Ballet at Roseville PS. Ballet is

from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. Then she goes to UTS, picks up and returns to

Chatswood to prepare Baths & Dinner for the kids.

Tuesdays-Robyn leaves the house around 5-5.30pm top/up la &

together at UTS-Lindfield, returns to Chatswood to prepare Baths & Dinner

for the kids.

Wednesdays-Robyn leaves the house around 5-5.30pm top/up la &

together at UTS-Lindfield, returns to Chatswood to prepare Dinner.

Thursdays-Robyn leaves the house around 2.30-2.45pm & goes to St Ives to

pickup by 3.30pm. Returns to Chatswood around 4pm and then later

picks up la around 5.30pm departing the house., returns to Chatswood

to prepare Baths & Dinner for the kids.

Fridays-Robyn leaves the house around 2-2.15pm & goes to St Ives to pickup

by 2.45pm, back to LPS to pickup la at 3pm and over to the

handicapped school at Lindfield by 3.30pm for 30minute Pat Swim

School for both la & . They return to Chatswood around

4.30-4.45pm to prepare Baths & Dinner for the Kids.

Monday 28th February 2000 Mother-Donna Meads-Barlow went into the SAN at

Wahroongha at 0730 for Induction and Epidural & Codey

Meads-Barlow was born at 1211. Codey was put straight onto Karicare

formulae and seemed to be doing well. Sunday 05th March milk came down so

mother & Codey stayed in hospital till Monday 06th March when released.

Within the 1st few weeks Codey seemed to be crying and drinking lots but

the formulae seemed to be not filling him. Constant contact by phone with

Dr Neil Ginsberg (pediatrician), and after an appointment I think around

Mid March Ginsberg changed his formulae to SMA & Codey settled.

Right up till early May, Codey was doing well and towards the end of April

was sleeping through the night from about 9pm till 5 or 6am. was in

Vietnam that last week of April 2000, so I was excited to tell him I had

Codey sleeping through the night.

08th May 2000 Codey was vaccinated with Infanrix.

Shortly after vaccination he became unsettled, crying day and night with

arched back like he was in pain. We gave panadol Infant drops whenever we

thought necessary. We thought perhaps he was windy and this was giving him

the pain.

24th May 2000 Codey seemed to be getting worse and presented with like a

cold and was really blocked up and having problems breathing. We took him

to the GP who said give Dimetapp and panadol when necessary and he should

be fine.

Over the next few weeks Codey's health deteriorated and he seemed to be

quite fluey with constant crying, arched back, red cheeks, problems

breathing and a terrible constant cough. His chest coupled with his cough

sounded like a bag of bones.

Tuesday 13th June 0830-1930

Robyn worked

0915-1100 Donna at Lindfield Public School Reading Classes then returned

back to homeoffice (chatswood) to work

Codey seemed to be having problems with his breathing and still seemed

fluey so Donna instructed Robyn to take Codey to see the family Doctor

Dianna Staniforth.

Dr. Dianna diagnosed as Bronchilitis & to be sure arranged Codey to have a

Chest Xray for which Robyn took Codey to have. Dianna recommended warmth

and just make sure he keeps his fluids up. No medication prescribed. From

time to time I heated Nappies up in the microwave for 30seconds to put on

his tummy to settle him as this was something I was taught at the SAN and

seemed to work to settle Codey down when he seemed in pain. I taught Robbie

to do this too.

Wednesday 14th June 0830-1830

Robyn worked

Donna left house around 1230 for a 1pm Business meeting/Lunch with client

Eddy Stanley from Medtel. Lunch was at Lane Cove. Donna did shopping for

la's Birthday party at Lane Cove & returned Chatswood around 4.30pm

Thursday 15th June 0830-1900

Robyn worked

1000 Donna & left Chatswood for a 1030 business Meeting at Norgine

P/L at Pymble with Dellit & Tara . Meeting concluded around

1330h, which Donna returned to Chatswood to work

Friday 16th June 0830-1800

Robyn worked

Donna requested Robyn take Codey back to the GP-Dr. She saw Dr Anne Tonkin

who diagnosed productive Cough and prescribed Amoxil pediatric drops.

Saturday 17th June

Donna took la to Dance Rehearsal at Wahroongha around 12noon &

returned around 2pm

Sunday 18th June-Robyn arrived around 11am and took care of Codey whilst

Donna finished preparing for la Birthday party. 2 Cars left C/wood

about 11.00am to go to L/Cove Dingle Dell kindergarten to setup for

la's Birthday party to start at 1pm to 4pm. Robyn took Codey in her

Car to L/cove & looked after Codey most of this day till around 4pm when we

all left.

Monday 19th June 0830-1830 Robyn worked

1000- & Donna Business meeting in the formal lounge at Lane Cove.

Robyn not coping with Codey who seemed quite distressed so took him

and spent till around 1045 with him settling him. Meeting concluded around

1300 Tuesday 20th June 0830 -1900 Robyn worked

1030-Donna left house for Dentist 1045 Appt at Roseville. Returned

Chatswood around 12noon

Wednesday 21st June 0830-1900

Robyn worked

1300 (around) Codey no better so Donna asked Robyn to again take Codey to

see the Dr. The antibiotics don't seem to be working as Codey seems still

quite chesty and runny nose with problems breathing. Dr Anne Tonkin saw

Codey again and phoned me to saw that the " cry she heard in the surgery

isn't like a normal cry " and she felt it best we take Codey to see a

pediatrician Urgently. She asked my permission to track down Ginsberg then

called me back.

Dr Anne Tonkin advised that Ginsberg was at Baulkham Hills private hospital

and she had arranged for Codey to go straight to have a chest examination

and then take him straight up to Ginsbergs rooms at B/Hills Hospital.

Ginsberg examined Codey saying his chest wasn't as bad as it sounded, but

he thought his ears were quite bad and perhaps giving him the main trouble.

Continue with the antibiotics and take Codey back to the GP for a checkover

next Tuesday.

Thursday 22nd June 0830-1800

Robyn worked

Friday 23rd June 0830-0100 (24th June)-0930 Donna & left Chatswood

for a meeting at Paradises Ink at Surrey Hills with Craig Davies and

Bloomfield. Meeting concluded around 1430, at which time & Donna

returned back to Chatswood at around 1530H.

Saturday 24th June 1200-Donna took la to Dance rehearsals. Returned

home later that day. stayed home with and Codey. 5pm Donna

took la & back to Wahroongha to the Ballet Concert. &

the Barlow Grandparents followed for the evening concert. Returned home

around 9pm. Codey quite unsettled the whole day.

Sunday 25th June Donna's birthday-Family (Barlow Grandparents & Brother

Mark, sister-in-law Fiona) & Friends Craig, Debra, & Simon and

families came over for lunch. All Day Codey was distressed and unsettled.

Even when he went down to sleep, he didn't go down for long. He seemed

feverish and unwell generally. He still had a dreadful cough and every time

anyone spoke loudly or coughed themselves, Codey jumped and cried.

Monday 26th June Codey quite unsettled all day. Normal Monday family

routine. Around 6pm, Robyn came into my office with Codey in her arms

saying " Donna, theres something wrong with Codey " I took him into my arms

and he seemed stiff and heavy, then went limp. I was panicked and yelled

" Quick ring triple 0, and get an ambulance and ask them what to do " .

la and were at the Breakfast bar having their dinner. As

instructed by the emergency person that Robyn had on the phone, I lied

Codey on the couch, undressed him and applied cold washers on him. Codey

was on fire, you could have cooked an egg on his forehead. His eyes were

glassed and he seemed all-stiff and hardly breathing at all-I thought my

baby was dying! la kept going back to the bathroom to get cold cloths

to apply on Codey., and I shook him yelling at him " Codey, Codey Codey "

-desperate to revive him. During this time Robyn rang back to the ambulance

I think twice asking where they were. Prior to the ambulance arriving my

friend O'Meara called in to wish me happy belated birthday. He was

stroking Codeys head and trying to talk to him-we were desperate for him to

become conscious, as he looked so strange. Finally the ambulance arrived,

followed by paramedics. Immediately they diagnosed a febrile convulsion and

applied oxygen and raced , Codey and I to the hospital. Codey was pale

and continued to be quite shocked and daised and was observed by the onduty

Dr at the SAN hospital. The Dr discussed a Lumber puncture and said they

would leave that to Ginsberg to decide if this needed to be done. They took

blood samples from Codey and inserted a catheter. Ginsberg was contacted

and later arrived around 10pm. I think Ginsberg said there was a high white

blood cell count and this ruled out the requirement of a Lumbar puncture.

He said it presented like a febrile convulsion, although this was unusual

for a baby under the age of 6 months.

Codey was admitted to the SAN and put on an antibiotic drip for several

days. Either my husband or I slept at the hospital each night. Robyn helped

one day at the hospital so I could do a few hours work. In anycase, one of

us were at the hospital 24 hours a day. During the time Codey was in

hospital he continued to be unsettled and seemed like he was in pain.

Ginsberg asked for an ENT specialist to come in to examine Codey to see if

the ears may have been the cause for the seizure. I can't remember the ENT

specialist's name (a south African Dr), but he said " absolutely not the

ears being the cause " . Each day Ginsberg called in to examine Codey, still

with no specific conclusion of what happened to Codey. Ginsberg said that

although it was unusual for a 4mth baby to have a febrile convulsion, it

wasn't impossible and still this is the most likely diagnosis.

Although it was suggested that we could take Codey home on the Thursday, I

requested we leave him in hospital, so he is off the drip for " at least 24

hours " and doing well. I still didn't feel confident to take Codey home

till he was better.

On Friday 30th June we brought Codey home. Still on oral Antibiotics and

still not 100% well and settled. Codey continued to be unsettled from time

to time but seemed to get stronger by the day. At the time Codey went home,

Ginsberg suggested that Codey had perhaps had an upper respiratory tract

infection and during the next month when Codey was well, that we might run

an EEG just to be sure there was no signs of epilepsy. The hospital advised

to give Codey either Panadol or Painstop whenever we thought necessary.

Tuesday 27th June 0830-2230

Robyn worked (had several hours off during the day)

Wednesday 28th June 0830-2000

Robyn worked (had 6 hours off during the day)

Thursday 29th June 0830-1930 Robyn worked (spend from around 1300 till 1600

at the hospital with Codey whilst went to N.Ryde & I to Chatswood to

work). I picked up that day at St Ives and took him to the hospital

and did a change over with Robyn.

Friday 30th June 0830-1900

Robyn worked

Around 1745H, one of my staff (Tara McNaney) picked me up at Chatswood to

go to a Business Appointment & Dinner in the City. Both & I were

supposed to go to this Appointment, however we agreed it best for to

stay home with Codey as he had just come out from hospital.

Saturday 01st July & Sunday 02nd July Most of our weekend was spent around

the house keeping Codey in so we could keep him warm and allow him to heal.

Sunday afternoon we went with our friends Debra & Craig to the Great

Northern hotel for lunch. Over the weekend Codey seemed still somewhat

unsettled at times.

Monday 02nd July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to the children. School was on holidays so la went to Kidz Campus

with .

1030 Donna & left the house to go to Pymble for a Business

presentation with MAN B & W Diesel. The meeting ended around 1330 at which

stage dropped me back at Chatswood and continued into the North Ryde

office to work the remainder of the day.

Tuesday 03rd July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to the children. School was on holidays so la went to Kidz Campus

with .

Around 1230 Qantas representative Quinlan picked up Donna at

Chatswood and went for a Business meeting and lunch at the Great Northern

Hotel at Chatswood. dropped Donna back at Chatswood at around 1430,

and Robyn was out with Codey attending errands.

Robyn returned later and then did the weekly afternoon pickup routine.

Wednesday 04th July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn

attending to the children. School was on holidays so la went to Kidz

Campus with .

Donna worked the day from Chatswood.

Thursday 06th July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to the children. la had a school type education day at Westmead

Hospital for Diabetes Children aged 5-7 which I had booked her into so

Robyn took la to Westmead Hospital to be there by 9.30pm and picket

her up around 3.30pm. During this week la had been quite sick and her

levels were all over the place. But today was such an important day for her

to meet other children with Diabetes that we agreed that she was well

enough to go and the fact that she would be at a hospital with Diabetes

educators was safe enough.

Donna worked the day from Chatswood.

Friday 07th July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to the children. School was on holidays so la went to Kidz Campus

with .

Donna worked the day from Chatswood. Sometime during this week Robyn & I

discussed Codey having his 4month shots, but agreed to wait till he had

completely finished his antibiotics and seemed well.

Saturday 08th July Most of our day was spent around the house keeping Codey

in so we could keep him warm and allow him to heal.

Sunday 09th July Around Midday my parents (Grandparents Barlow) picked up

la and took her on holidays up to they place at Port s. I

think we had a late lunch/early dinner up at our friends Debra & Craig

Davies in View Street Chatswood and took and Codey.

Codey seemed to be getting stronger and had finished his antibiotics by

now. There were times that he still seemed unsettled which we gave either

panadol or painstop.

Monday 10th July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to & Codey.

1000-Donna left Chatswood to go to Pymble to attend a business meeting

again at MAN B & W Diesel. Codey was rather unsettled when I left, but

Robyn knew I was running late for the meeting and said, " You go, he will be

right " . I returned to Chatswood from that meeting around 1245. I continued

to work from Chatswood for the rest of the day & I think maybe it was this

day that around 6pm Codey was screaming uncontrollably and I was on the

phone to my Accountant that I went up the hall and took Codey from Robby's

arms and said I will deal with him. I settled him whilst on the phone to my

Accountant Ray Loney.

I think Robyn left that night around 6.30pm

Tuesday 11th July Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn attending

to & Codey.

1015H-Donna left Chatswood for a meeting at Pymble-Solvay Pharmaceuticals

with Shirleigh Thorensen. At my time of departure, I remember Codey was

again unsettled; yet Robyn said you go. I met Tara McNaney from our N/Ryde

office at the meeting and the meeting concluded around 1245H. I returned to

Chatswood to work for the rest of the day.

Codey was sleeping when I returned and when he woke seemed in good spirits.

Around 1430 Robyn & I agreed that perhaps we should arrange for Codey to

now have his 4month shots and she would go to Dr Dianna Staniforth for that

and then go straight to Kidz Campus to pickup for the Day.

Wednesday 12th July -Our normal weekly routine continued with Robyn

attending to & Codey. 0930H-Donna & left Chatswood for a

meeting at North Sydney - Australian Business with Walter Roso &

Obrien. At our time of departure, I remember Codey was again unsettled, yet

Robyn said you go. Meeting Concluded around 1130H when we returned to

Chatswood and found a note on the counter saying something like " Gone to

Westmead Hospital to pickup la's Jacket, and get Codey some sleep "

I made a comment to something like " Poor Robbie, Codey doesn't give

her a very good time " . went into N/Ryde office and Donna continued to

work the afternoon at Chatswood.

Around 1530H some business colleagues arrived Brettel & Brett Jowett

from Sanford International Travel at Chatswood. On arriving, Robyn was in

the Foyer with Codey in her arms and made a comment to Codey like "

you give your mummy a big scare " and went onto explain the previous episode

to Brett. Robyn had made us coffee and then left with Codey to pickup

from Kidz Campus early as my sister-in-law Fiona was coming to

pickup around 4pm so he could go on his first holiday away from

home. Robyn had packed a bag ready to go.

I was in my meeting with & Brett when Fiona arrived. I introduced

Fiona & her family and to & Brett on their way out the door at

around 1630H.

I have later asked Fiona how Codey was when she arrived and she commented

that she thought that Codey looked distant and daised, but when she looked

again at him, he didn't have a runny nose or anything, so she just thought

he was particularly quiet.

When I came out of my meeting around 1700H, I farewelled my colleagues and

came into the family room where Robyn was sitting on the couch with Codey.

She commented she thought he didn't seem right and did I think he had a

fever? I felt his forehead and said I thought it was warm but not on fire,

but to be sure I said lets go the soft drug and give him panadol.

Codey seemed unsettled, yet Robyn rocked him to sleep and put him down. She

was in the kitchen when Codey cried again and she again patted him to

sleep. Not long after Codey let out a scream and Robyn went to the bedroom

to find Codey again fitting. She picked him up and raced into my office

yelling, " Donna he's doing it again " . I took him from Robyn's arms and said

call Triple 0 and get an ambulance urgently. I lied him on the couch and

again began to immediately undress him and asked Robyn to get cold washers.

I swapped with her and went straight to get Codey's Blue book dialed

Ginsbergs number and left a message for him to call me back Urgently. I

went back to Codey and Robyn rang and said again " Codey is really

sick and is having another seizure and to come quick, we have an ambulance

on the way " .

Ginsberg rang back and I described what was happening to Codey. He asked if

I had a thermometer, and I said I can't read the bloody thing. He asked

what I had done and I explained I undressed him and was applying cold

washers, he said no need for anymore washers, turn him on his side and get

the paramedics to take his temperature soon as they arrive-which I did. The

ambulance and I think arrived around the same time. The paramedics

took Codeys temperature and I think they told me it was 33.5 so he was

quite cool.

I requested we go to the SAN as that was where Codey's pediatrician was and

they said its peak hour we should go to RNSH. I agreed and on the way to

the hospital the pediatrician did an ECG on Codey. Codey was blowing little

bubbles and eyes open but noone seemed there. He was really pale but didn't

seem as hot as he was in the first seizure. The intensive care unit

paramedic in the ambulance said clearly to me " he didn't think this was a

febrile convulsion, and we must not leave the hospital till they had run

all the tests on him to find out what was causing this " .

Robyn followed us to the hospital and was there when we arrived. She

apparently said to my husband " what took you so long " , as she got there

before us.

On arrival they took us into the resuscitation room and began tests and

checking Codey over. We described all the above and they asked us questions

about family history etc and I remember Robyn jumping in and saying " and

the 6 year old is a diabetic " . The registrar who was on duty was a woman

named .

I told her that Codey was immunized yesterday and she didn't seem to pay

any attention-she was more concerned with his state and taking blood tests

etc. I think she immediately put him on an antibiotic intravenous drip but

said she didn't necessarily think he had a virus.

Neither my husband nor myself had any money on us so I asked Robyn to lend

me $20, which she did. I think around 10pm my husband and Robyn left the

hospital and Robyn dropped home. They had advised by this stage that

Codey was being admitted. They kept him in casualty till around midnight

waiting to get a urine sample and eventually got one in a bag. After this

they said they were taking us down to Children's ward.

A security person arrived and took Codey, myself and a nurse down to the

Children's ward in a Car with the drip as it was freezing outside. We

arrived and Codey seemed settled and I knew the nurse on duty from my

previous weeks that we spend at RNSH when la was diagnosed with

Diabetes.

The nurse suggested that I looked like I should try to get some sleep and

walked me down to the annex to sleep the night.

Thursday 13th July Around 6am the nursing staff called me and asked me to

come as Codey was unsettled. I threw on my pants and a cardigan and raced

up to the ward and settled him straight away with a bottle.

I had advised Robyn not to come in on the Thursday, as we knew that Codey

would be in hospital at least that day for all the necessary tests.

la was still with my parents at Port s and was with my

Brother and Sister-in-law at Dural.

Robyn arrived at the hospital around 0815 and my husband arrived not long

after. We asked Robyn to stay with Codey whilst we did a few things and I

said we wouldn't be long. I remember Robyn commenting something like " OK

I'm timing you " , which we thought was strange.

Codey was booked in for a Brain Ultrasound, & Opthamoligist examination,

followed by an EEG, ECG. It was the Opthamologist that spent the most time

with Codey putting 3 lots of drops in his eyes to completely dilate them.

After examination the Opthamologist asked us had Codey ever been shaken? We

said No, what do you mean " Shaken " ? He said " Shaken " ! We were hurried to

the next appointment, which was for an EEG & ECG-this appointment was

across the hall at the hospital. The Opthamologist was in the hall and

went back again to him and quizzed him-saying that he bumped Codeys

head when putting him into the 4-wheel drive and Codey cried and it was

quite a bump. The Opthamologist replied " no not a bump, a shake " .

then went onto say that the kids often jump on him in his rocker, and again

the Opthamologist replied " No not a rock, I mean a shake " . We asked each

other would Robyn ever shake Codey, and agreed that Robbie gets stressed at

times with Codey but we never in a million years would think Robbie would

ever harm Codey. Robyn has been with our family for over 2.5 years and she

loves our kids like her own family.

We knew the results were coming back that evening and we were eager to get

them and see everything is all right with our little Codey. The person who

did the ultrasound on the Brain had advised us at the time that she saw

nothing unusual and the Brain looked perfectly normal and undamaged-that

much we knew which was fabulous.

Around 6pm that night Dr Hugh and his registrar Jane called us into

the office and told us they believed Codey had been " Shaken " . and I

were totally horrified and questioned their findings suggesting how sure

could they be and were they 100% correct. They asked us questions about

Robyn (our nanny) and we agreed that at times Codey didn't give her a very

good time but we never ever imagined in our wildest dreams that she would

ever willingly harm him. We were asking a lot of questions, and at the

time, Hugh got on the phone and before we knew it he was on the phone

reporting this to the " emergency child abuse line " . He put the phone onto

my husband who also spoke to the woman, at which stage my husband broke

down crying and handed the phone to me to try and answer the questions. We

were both so devastated and couldn't believe what they were telling us. I

cant remember the name of the woman we spoke to but she advised us we had

to give our 100% vow that Robyn would not be near our children under any

circumstances.

My father was dropping our daughter la back that evening from

holidays and was waiting home for us. We came home feeling shell-shocked

and unbelieving of what was happening, still not understanding what they

were telling us.

Later that evening around 2230H, the woman from the emergency child abuse

line called us and we went over and over their diagnosis saying we couldn't

believe that this could be true. She again reaffirmed that we had to keep

Robyn away from our family under any circumstance. She advised that someone

from Docs would be in touch with us tomorrow morning and would want to

speak with us. She advised that they would probably meet us at the hospital.

and I discussed Robyn being an employee and we couldn't just sack her

and at this stage she knew nothing of their findings.

Neither my husband nor I got any sleep that night.

Friday 14th July-We had la with us that day and went back to the

hospital and some time that morning met up again with Dr Hugh , again

questioning him saying " are you sure you are right " , we need to be 100%

sure as this is going to pull our family apart. Our 2 children la and

love Robyn so much and she is so wonderful with them that we just

don't want them to make any mistakes. We asked if they were sure they had

covered all possibilities and they kept shaking their head saying, " Codey

is a shakenbaby " . They also said, they were sorry that this was the

diagnosis and were sympathetic but they were 100% sure!

They advised that Codey had been booked in for Xray on every bone in his

body that day and a MRI for which they would put him under a general

anaseptic next Tuesday. In the opinion of Dr his diagnosis was

conclusive.

Around 1100H, Emma the Social worker at the hospital came to talk with me

and I was in total devastation. She advised that Docs would come to talk to

us around 1200H. I sat with Emma outside and cried in disbelief saying they

would want to be sure as I still cant believe that Robyn would ever do

anything like this to our baby.

Around 1200H my husband arrived at the hospital as he had to go to

our N/Ryde office this morning to pay our staff. Shortly after Emma advised

us that the Docs people were here and wanted to have a chat with us. We

were taken up to the 1st floor of the hospital to a room up the end. When

Emma opened the door we were quite shocked to see 6 people seated around a

boardroom table.

and I sat down and they immediately gave us a paper that said that

Codey had been placed in the hands of the Director General or the state and

that they were claiming him for 72 hours. They introduced themselves

Henry and Nillson from Docs, & Cheryl Hall from Police

and Child Protection person from RNS (who we don't remember her name) plus

Social worker Emma. They explained that they made up JIT and this was

called Joint Investigation Team of Police and Docs from Chatswood Office

and that they wanted to split my husband and I up and get a statement. They

never said anything about lawyers or anything that raised concern to us so

we didn 't think anything other than to be totally co-operative and give

them everything we could. We just simply wanted our baby home.

Emma left and said she would look after our daughter who was downstairs.

They split and I up and took to another room with Henry

from Docs and the Police officer.

I remained in the room (which was freezing), and was interviewed by Cheryl

Hall (Police), and Nillson. The process was ridiculously slow as I

had to wait for Cheryl to type everything I was saying, I suggested they

should After several hours, was tapping her watch and ran out of the

room on 2 occasions to take phone calls. At around 4.30pm they were really

tapping their watches saying that they were only touching the surface and

needed to resume this on Monday. went to get , and

and they all came back into the room saying that we resume the

meeting again on Monday 17th July at their office at Chatswood.

At sometime around 2pm in the afternoon my girlfriend Debra Davies came to

the hospital to see us and was told that Codey had to go for a full X-ray

of every bone in his body and the nursing staff asked Debra if she wanted

to go with Codey for which she said yes and went with my daughter la

and was with Codey whilst they x-rayed him. She advised it was very

traumatic for Codey and perhaps it was best that and I were not there.

Our friend Craig Davies arrived at the hospital around 6pm to pickup

la as we were waiting for an Opthamologist Dr Lawless to come in and

examine Codey.

The nurses put dilating drops in Codeys eyes and and I waited till

around 1915H when Dr Lawless finally arrived. When he examined Codey we

asked how old he through the hemorrhages were to which he responded-I would

suggest several hours. I replied, " how could that be, when Codey was

brought in on Wednesday night " , he responded " well perhaps 2 to 3 days " .

and I were a little dumbfounded by his immediate reanalysis learning

that Codey had been in hospital since Wednesday. Dr Lawless advised that he

could see no damage to the nerves and that was good news and eventually left.

Saturday 15th July On the recommendation of Dr Hugh we attended the

scheduled Diabetes Education for Parents workshop at Western Suburbs

University at South Penrith which ran from 0830 till 1700 and went directly

to RNSH to see Codey then returning to our friends Debra and Craig's late

that night to pickup la. Today was 's birthday for which we

didn't celebrate as a family as we would have normally.

Sunday 16th July-We spent all of our day at the Hospital with Codey and

took la.

Monday 17th July We dropped our daughter off at Kidz Campus for the day.

They were going Ice-Skating and we phoned them back to give instructions

for la's diet, as she needed to have some carbs in her before she got

on the ice. We had also forgotten to enclose la's BSL monitor so

advised them to please keep a close watch on her and gave them both our

mobile numbers.

0930H -We then went to the Docs office at Chatswood and was

interviewed by Vivien (Police officer head of the Dept) and Henry

(Docs) and I was interviewed in another room by Cheryl (Police). Around

1630H they asked for me to come into the room with and explained that

they were sympathetic to our situation. We asked has Robyn been interviewed

yet and they said they were interviewing us and No she had not been

interviewed " . Vivien-the police officer in charge said that " we had been

unusually most co-operative and that in her experience she knew clearly

that we were innocent-but that of course had to be off the record " .

advised that there was a call from my mother that she had to return to

discuss if they would come to be interviewed. I phoned my mother who seemed

rather off-put by the whole senario and ended up having an argument with

her. I think that this together with la's diabetes was just too much

stress for my parents within a space of 9 months.

brought a proposed Court order to the table and went through it

with us suggesting this is what they intended to file on Wednesday at court

- which we didn't seem to understand what was going on. She suggested don't

worry I will arrange to interview your parents and things will take care of

themselves and we will get Codey home to you ASAP.

Vivien and conversed agreeing that their best approach was to turn

up on Robyn's doorstep to interview Robyn by surprise. To take her by

surprise was the best option to make sure they got a true report.

We left around 1650H and I went directly to the hospital and went to

pickup our children at UTS and take them home, as we have still to manage

our daughters diabetes diet and keep her stable. We also have to make sure

that la does not become stressed or pick up on any stress as this

will affect her BSL levels and can be detrimental to her health.

I returned home from the hospital around 2130H. Phoned my mother who said

dad had been in touch with Henry at Docs and she said she was too

busy to see dad prior to Thursday. Dad asked if it could be Tuesday and

said he could be there by 3pm and said " sorry not enough time for

the interview at 3pm and Wednesday she would be in court so it had to be

Thursday " We were under the understanding that Codey could be released from

hospital to come home and they would interview my parents immediately for

which it became obvious they were buying time.

Again and I had no sleep all night worrying about our baby.

Tuesday 18th July 0730-I phoned my father and said I was concerned that

they didn't seem supportive and my father reacted in an angry way saying

" why were they so much under the limelight " . I advised and requested my

father keep his nose out if he couldn't address the situation in a stable

manner. I think that this together with la's diabetes was just too

much stress for my parents within a space of 9 months.

0800-I then phoned my girlfriend Debra who agreed they (herself and Craig)

would do all possible to help to bring Codey home.

0830H -I dropped la at School and spoke with her teacher Bev

Middlebrook advising what was going on in our lives and to please watch

la and her levels as we are concerned she pick up on our stress. I

returned back to Chatswood to make phone calls

0930H-I phoned Docs asking Vivien when they intended to interview Robyn.

They said soon as possible and they were hoping to go that afternoon. I

then asked to speak with and advised that my mum and dad were not

an option and to please interview Debra and Craig Davies our closest

friends and pursue the UTS option. I gave her their phone details.

1100-Debra Davies phoned Docs and spoke to Henry to arrange an

interview. She advised they would need to put aside 4 hours. Debra availed

herself for later that morning for which advised that they were

unavailable. Debra then availed themselves for that afternoon, again they

were unavailable. Debra advised she would make herself free for Wednesday

for which they said they were too busy and would be in court. In the end

they advised that they could not see Debra till after they had been to

court and at the earliest it would happen at 1000H on Thursday 20th July.

Still we were under the understanding that they were interviewing Debra and

Craig for a short-term thing for only a few days for which Debra and Craig

agreed to move into our place.

1105-I spoke with a colleague and Lawyer Karin Bergseng offering the

problem we were faced with. Karin offered to track down the best person she

thought that would specialise in Family law and have them call me to advise

on the best procedure.

Several times that day either my husband or myself phoned JIT to enquire if

they had been to interview Robyn and what was happening. At various times I

was reminded that " we were not the only case they had and they were working

as fast as they could " . They would get around to interviewing Robyn at a

time convenient to them.

1300-We both accompanied Codey to the main MRI area where I held him whilst

they put the gas on him to send him under and we were told to go away for

45 minutes whilst they did the MRI under a General anaseptic. I cried, not

believing this was happening to our poor little baby feeling sad for him to

have to go through all this.

1500-approximate time I spoke with Grace Basaglia from Tress Cocks and

Maddox who advised she could help and suggested we needed to urgently get a

barrister involved right from the start. She advised the best person for

the job is Trish Hanna and would be in touch later that day to perhaps

conference. I advised that I we were waiting on the results from the MRI

and would be able to conference thereafter.

1600H-Robyn phoned my husband to ask how Codey was and what was happening

and if we wanted her to work tomorrow. She also offered that her sister

( Farrar-Police officer), was in Manly hospital and broke down crying

suggesting that had potentially a broken back. sympathised with

her and reminded her that the Dr.'s suggested that she not be round the

children for the entire week as a direct result of her Gastro problem. Both

and I were sick to think that we were being told we had a shaken baby

and knowing full well it wasn't or myself there was only one other

that it could be and that was Robyn. moved to conclude the

conversation ASAP reaffirming that Robyn was not required to work till at

least next Monday.

I spoke again at the end of the Day with Docs Nillson and asked if

the Police had interviewed Robyn, she said that she thought they had been

to her home at 4pm but noone was home.

We couldn't believe that the Police hadn't tracked Robyn down yet and

spoke later again to Vivian (police) and offered the information of Robyn

calling and that her sister was in Manly hospital and Vivien (police

in charge) advised that they would try to track Robyn down perhaps at Manly

Hospital-later that night.

1700-We spoke again with Grace advising we were still waiting on the

results from the MRI. We agreed again to conference later that night and I

faxed everything I had through to Grace for review and discussion with

Trish Hanna.

1745-Dr Hugh met with and I individually advising that the

results from the MRI were good and no damage, however he suggested that

there was evidence of previous hemorrhaging and fluid around the brain,

which would suggest there were more than one incidents. In any case he

advised that Codey would be the Archaeologist that we had intended him to

be and he would be just fine.

left the hospital to pickup la and from Craig and

Debra's place and take them home to feed them. I returned home from the

hospital much later that night as I was waiting on Dr to come

an examine Codey.

Around 1900 Dr arrived at RNSH to examine Codey. spent

quite a bit of time with Codey and explained that without all the other

medical reports that he couldn't say for sure that Codey was a shakenbaby.

He explained that there are many parts of the jigsaw and all these pieces

needed to be considered and brought to light. confirmed he would

write his report prior to departing the hospital that night. I gave Codey a

bottle and settled him prior to my leaving.

Wednesday 19th July 0800-Telephone conference with Trish Hanna and Grace

Basaglio. Agreed to meet us at the courts at 1000H. Dropped la at

School and Josh at UTS and proceeded to Campsie to the courthouse.

1000H-Arrived at the Campsie Children's Courthouse and met with Grace &

Trish for which they showed us into a Conference room. I was distraught and

unknowing of what was happening. We were called into court and and I

sat at the first row of seats with Grace. Trish sat at the bench with a

lawyer for Codey and Nillson sat with a lawyer for Docs. They

requested the child be released in supervision into the home and the

magistrate flipped and said that carers needed to be found and the court

was adjourned till next Wednesday. The magistrate also ordered Neurological

reports as well as the MRI and other reports to be presented in court next

Wednesday. I broke down into tears and couldn't believe that Codey was

perhaps staying in hospital for another few days. Henry from Docs

said " its alright Donna, we will go to the court soon as we get an

admission from Robyn and I will arrange for Codey to be released the very

next day " . In anycase they advised they were interviewing Craig & Debra

(our friends) tomorrow and everything would work out. Trish Hanna (our

barrister) conversed with them asking what their intentions were with Codey

and the conversation seemingly went no-where.

Afterwards, we drove down to Campsie shopping centre with Trish & Grace and

tried to through some options around. We had to find a carer that would be

approved by Docs ASAP to get Codey out of hospital. We explored nanny

options, parents, friends, and a live-in nanny. I went away with a long

list of people to follow-up and phone and they did the same.

1530-Vivien/ called from Police and said Robyn denied all

allegations-add, they didn't find any unusual behavior during their

interview with her. Also said our Key and health card had been left with

them and that Robyn doesn't want her job and that she wants her pay. She

also added, any discussions from us must take place with her father. Police

advised Docs would now plan to interview Robyn.

1535- took me to see Dr Dianna Staniforth as I felt like I was falling

apart. I explained to Dianna what was going on in our lives and the

pressure we were under and Dianna sympathised and was horrified at the

situation. I question Dianna about Codeys medical record and was told that

13/6 Codey saw Dianna who diagnosed Bronchilitis and had his chest x-rayed.

16/6 Dr Anne Tonkin attended to Codey and diagnosed a productive Cough and

Bronchilitis and prescribed Amoxil. 21/6 Anne Tonkin attended Codey again

and we confirmed it was that day that Anne phoned me and said " this cry

that I hear, theres just something not right and I want to track down your

pediatrician to examine him immediately " and 11/7 Codey was given his

4month shots Trepasil. Dianna didn't have the notes for Trepasil but gave

us some notes for Inframix, which we gave to our lawyers next time we met.

1600- and I went directly to the hospital to spend as much time as

possible with Codey before picking up la and .

1800-Received a phone call from a Greer that was tracked down by a

girlfriend of mine. Greer was interested in the nanny position so I

explained the entire story to her and asked her if she was interested. Her

mother is the deputy mayor for Baulkham Hills shire and she said she was

very interested but thought she should discuss this with her mother. She

confirmed her qualifications was a Certificate in Childcare/Infant and she

had 5 months to run out her Certificate in Community services which would

qualify her to be a director of a Childcare Centre. Greer expressed a lot

of interest in helping us out and she agreed she would come for an

interview at around 1830H the following night to discuss a plan of how we

could work things.

Thursday 20th July 0830-I took la to school LPS and took

to St Ives Masada. Our friend Tomiko Omeara offered to pick Josh up that

day and take him home to her place for to pick up on his way home at

the end of the day.

0930-I phoned Henry asking if they had interviewed Robyn yet and

was told that we were not the only case they have and they would get to her

at a time convenient to them. I enquired about UTS and what was happening

and received no answers. She advised would be in touch.

1000- Nillson and Henry interviewed our friends Debra & Craig

Davies. Meeting concluded around 1300H (Report attached)

1100-I phoned Debra Tai at UTS 95145157 to ask if Docs had been in touch

with her and where were they at with Docs as noone at Docs seemed to be

helpful enough to answer any of our questions or offer any direction of

where they were at with possible day-care for Codey. Debra advised " it was

up to the Department to make the decision and authorise the exemption to go

over the law and provide funding for an additional staff member. She also

offered that in principle the department agreed to over the number but the

stumbling block lied in the department offering funding for Codey. Debra

also said that she would agree to even 5 hours a day of funding to assist.

She advised me that if she hears anything further she would be in touch

with me "

After this we went to the hospital to be with Codey as long as possible

knowing we would have to meet with our lawyers that afternoon sometime.

Later that day we caught up again with Dr Hugh and asked more

questions about his diagnosis for which he seemed tunnel visioned and in an

off-handed way sympathetic. He recommended that we should be pushing docs

to interview my Brother and sister-in-law to take Codey at worst case

senario. He also questioned again if Robyn had given a statement and I

confirmed that this happened yesterday and she denied all allegations. I

asked Hugh why the Departments had not received all the medical

reports they had asked for and he advised his report was enough and they

needed nothing further. I explained that the Judge clearly requested more

reports and he said that the department had not asked for any further

reports. I also advised that we had lawyers and they need a copy of the

reports for which he said that shouldn't be a problem.

1400-met with Trish Hanna and Grace Basaglio and Trish kept saying there

must be something else, there must be another medical reason for all this

happening. Grace advised that Dr Hugh was not being cooperative at

all and that the hospital refused to release any reports till we couriered

$36 which she confirmed had been done. Grace had her colleagues tracking

down all these medical records but RNSH were being somewhat uncooperative.

Trish and Grace gave me a big checklist of tracking down care options and

we confirmed we would speak again tomorrow. Meeting concluded around 1730H

at which time we went straight to pickup at Tomiko's and onto pickup

la at Debra and Craig's and go straight home to feed and bath the kids.

1630H- Nillson from Docs finally returned my call and I asked her what

was happening with UTS for which she said she didn't know. She said they

were waiting on medical reports and I asked what medical records are you

waiting on. She said she didn't know-I said, how could you not know what

records you are waiting on when you tell me you are waiting on them. I

asked what was happening with Debra & Craig and she advised the interview

went well and there were other checks that needed to be run on them and

said this was only a preliminary interview and a follow-up interview would

be required at sometime. I expressed how exasperated that things seemed to

be going at a snails pace and again she reminded me that we are not their

only case! I asked had Docs interviewed Robyn yet, and she said No.

advised they were hoping to do the interview tomorrow morning with Robyn

but didn't know what time and would call me after the interview.

1900-Interviewed Greer who still seemed keen. She had lots of questions for

which we answered them all. Debra Davies spoke also with Greer and gave her

experience with Docs and the type of questions that she might be asked as a

possible potential supervisory live-in nanny/carer. I asked Greer to think

carefully about this and phone me in the morning.

Friday 21st July 0830-We dropped off the kids at schools LPS and Masada St

Ives.

0900 went to JIT to pickup the Key and Medicare Card. Following is

's statement: greeted me and opened the door. introduced

herself and I said that we had in fact already met, and that was the

person who was studying welfare. agreed. I then told I had come

to pickup our medicare card and Key that Robyn (the nanny) had left.

waved to me (behind her back). was on the phone.

(police officer), also spotted me and met me at the door and said she was

going to call me re a " Greer " that has called her enquiring about the

Meads-Barlow case and she commented she " thought it was odd " . And we agreed

Greer could have been anyone. I offered that we had interviewed Greer the

night that she called JIT, and that I didn't think it was particularly odd

in light of what Donna had already told her (Greer). I also suggested the

nanny had, in principle, accepted the position. I then asked if Docs

had been to see Robyn. said that she knew it was scheduled, however

didn't know if they had indeed met with her. added something like

" it's a Docs think " and she didn't know, nor could she answer for them.

and (Docs) then entered the reception area and asked (in a

seemingly serious manner), something like " is everything OK? " . I then asked

them of the status with meeting Robyn. They said " No, not as yet, and that

they are working very hard to get there and said it would be imminent " .

They also added that there are more officers working on this case than any

other case there " . During the course of the conversation, asked why

I was there, and I told her that I had come to pick up the cards/key -

confirmed. I said I appreciated their efforts and I'm sure they are

working hard as they can, however I added, t looks a whole lot different

from a parents point of view, and that it is difficult to cope with. All 3

officers concluded with kind words and I departed. During initial

conversations there with , she was called behind a closed door to

take what she described as a phone call.

0930 Donna phoned JIT asking for either Henry or Nillson, to

be told by (who took the call) that they were both unavailable. I

explained again to that at all costs that Mark & Fiona need to be

interviewed as if the UTS option wasn't to come through that Codey

absolutely must go to my brother and sister-in-laws place. I added that I

thought it was their responsibility to make sure that Codey didn't go to

just any forster home and he needed to be with family in a worst case

senario. I offered Mark and Fionas phone number and requested that she have

or arrange to meet with them and do all the necessary checks.

agreed and confirmed that she would pass on the number and have

or phone me back ASAP.

0940-I embarked on day care options that would satisfy Docs if UTS doesn't

come through. I phoned the following but received no help whatso ever, but

the last person I spoke to, Donna Thornton from Gumnut cottage at Macquarie

Uni advised me that " its up to the dept & they take their orders from the

Dept. She advised that all centres can go over if approved by the

Department. In the end it's up to the Dept " .

Centres contacted are following:-

Willoughby Family Care 97777836 North Ryde Family Care 98583222-Christian

Community Dianna Kurringai Family Care 94240834-Sandy Dept. Community

Services-Suzie 94820800 Father Steve at the Catholic Church at

Chatswood 94121042 CSIRO Care 94905527 Cressy Rd Care 98071726 Henley

Care 98797694 Magic Kids 98048036 Mia Mia 98508036 0-5 Early Childcare

98871974 Oz Education 2001 98085288 Greenwich care 94381162 Meadowbank care

98082692 Carlingford care 98726155 Bambinis Chatswood 99581684 Chatswood

Long Day Care 94173333 Devonshire St Centre 94115436 Kookaburra 94194325

Gumnut Cottage 98507740

After this I was totally exhausted and went to the hospital to see my baby.

1100H -Donna phoned JIT and asked again for or to be told

they were busy interviewing. I left a message for them to call me urgently

1200H-Donna phoned JIT and asked again for or to be told they

were busy interviewing. I left another message for them to call me urgently

and added that I had already left 3 messages.

1330H-Donna phoned JIT and answered the phone and said she couldn'

t speak with me as she was interviewing. added that would be

in touch. I requested she return my call Urgently. 1500H

-Donna phoned JIT and asked if she knew if they had interviewed Robyn

as yet, she said she didn't know and that she had left the message for

and and would have them return my call.

1655H-Donna phoned JIT, no answer.

Saturday 23rd July 0830 Left message for Neil Ginsberg who returned my

call. Discussed Viera Scheibner paper with him who agreed it was a

possibility.

Contacted Scheibner explained the situation who asked me to fax through all

the documentation I had inclusive of medical records, police statements etc

and she agreed this is most definitely indicative of her findings.

Sunday 24th July 0900 phoned Scheibner back who had read the case and

agreed without a doubt it is indicative of her findings and whilst Docs may

move to have Codey fostered out, he is subject to a 6 Mth immunisation and

may even die in the future. She agreed we need to work fast. She said she

had left messages for Ginsberg to phone her and the timing needed to be

right to get Ginsberg in the right frame of mind for support. She advised

if this was in a court in the US it would have been thrown out but in

Australia the Govt. continues to insist that all children be immunised. She

also advised that perhaps la's diabetes is a direct reaction to

Vaccine Damage and advised me to contact ine Rose-Homeopath on 02

94362992 to arrange for all my children to be treated for Vaccine Damage.

She will be in touch.

0930 tracked down Dr who is in Adelaide on conference. Left

message with wife to have him phone me urgently on return.

0945 phoned MCCrohon who suggested that I get a medical history on

other 2 children as Scheibner suggested that perhaps la's Diabetes is

a direct link to Vaccine Damage. I gave Graces number and

agreed he would call in his own resources of Neurologists and

Opthamoligists but would talk to Grace 1st.

1500 Phoned my girlfriend Soraya Harding 98808304 explained situation.

Soraya advised her 7 year old (Dominique) had the same type of reaction

when she had the 2-month shots. Stopped breathing etc. Soraya went this

afternoon to her doctor and obtained the medical records from The

children's Hospital Camperdown diagnosing " Hypotonic/hypopusine episode

post pertussis vaccination " and treatment " not for any pertussis next

vaccination " . They diagnosed Dominique's condition as a direct link to the

" Whooping Cough Vaccine " Soraya has delivered these documents to me and

authorises us to use them however we wish.

1700 Phoned Herz (Aventis Pasteur-Vaccine Specialist & Client), in

Indonesia-explained the situation will call back with assistance of

who can help us.

1900 Phoned Dr back again at home and explained the situation

and my findings of Viera Scheibner. said he is happy to keep an open

mind but in his opinion there was intense damage. He asked me to fax

through the paper and findings of Viera Scheibner together with the Medical

diary from our GP Dianna Staniforth and Ginsbergs report and findings of

Codey's 1st admittance to hospital. He advised he would consider the

situation and would be in touch tomorrow morning. I faxed the paper with

Codey GP Diary and Ginsberg's findings from the 1st diagnosed febrile

Convulsion to 99773775. mobile number is 0414 549314. He

confirmed to me that Tress Cocks and Maddox had been in touch to try and

obtain his medical report on Codey.

2000 Herz phoned back and recommended the following. Report adverse

reaction to Drug Company 03 92134444- Klien & Beecham (Inframix). Also

phone New Children's Hospital NCR (National Centre for Research) - 98455555

and report adverse reaction-speak to a Doctor. arrives in Sydney from

Bali tomorrow morning and will make contact with a colleague that she hopes

will be able to assist. She will be in contact with us. Herz can be

contacted on 0414 237326

Monday 24th July 0900-sent a fax to Poly Clinic at Port s on 02

49840710 Phone 0249 841344 Attn: arranging all and any medical

records relation to my daughter la to be released this morning to my

parents Maureen & Barlow (Phone 0249 846840).

0915-Phone Dr Dianna Staniforth and requested all medical records for

la and be released by fax to me on 02 94103444.

1000-Received a call from friend Louise (Phone 0407 061209), who

advised her best friend in the world is Carol Cook (Phone 93844999), who

works for the Community Services Commissioner which is the Federal Body and

has due restriction over Docs. Carol apparently is the person who overrides

any decision Docs make. Louise is going to keep trying to contact Carol

today and confidentially discuss the situation with her and have Carol

phone us later today with any advice or assistance she can offer.

1000-Spoke to Dianna Staniforth (GP), who advised that the 1st vaccine that

Codey had was Inframix (by Klien & Beecham), and the 2nd vaccine was

Tripacel from CSL (distributed by Aventis Pasteur or Rhone Poulenc). Dianna

faxed all medical records for both and la.

1115-Louise called back and advised that it is quite difficult for

Docs to get a ruling against us as the burden is on Docs in terms of a

legal position to prove that we are unfit parents. We are assumed to be fit

parents and Docs have to prove that we are not. Where the Community Service

Commission comes in is they review the process by which the Department

acts. We need to find a hole in the process as we have counter evidence.

I.e. have they considered every diagnosis and we have evidence of this

being potentially an incorrect diagnosis. She advised that Carol can't talk

to us directly, as she could stuff things up if she got the case. She would

put us onto Piper who is an intake officer who will discuss with us

what the Community Services Commission can do and how we can appeal through

them-this would all depend on where it is legally. should be in

touch with us today to advise what to do and how they can help. can

be contacted on 93844999.

Louise is a Journo for the Sydney Morning Herald, she advises we

need to do everything legally at the moment but this should go to the media

eventually and she knows the right person to put us onto who is familiar

with Community Services etc.

1230-Emma social worker from RNS phoned to see how we were. I advised her

that JIT have not returned any of my calls and I left over 6 messages for

them on Friday-various messages with Henry and for Nillson

and again reaffirmed that I had spoken to at JIT at 0915H last Friday

advising that at all costs Codey MUST not go to Forster care and Docs must

call my Brother and Sister in law-Mark & Fiona Barlow on 96512122 and must

make time to interview them urgently. I told Emma that I don't for a moment

believe that Codey has been shaken and I believe their diagnosis is

incorrect. I advised her that it had cost me about $10,000 so far just to

get my baby back. I said I was really annoyed that the Doctors had not

considered all the probable causes of Codeys condition. I clearly advised

Emma that my lawyers were handling this and I did not authorise her to

disclose any of our conversation. Emma advised me she was phoning

from Docs to see why they were not returning any of my calls. I offered her

again my brother and sister-in-laws phone number and she advised she would

speak with and have her call Mark and Fiona to ensure that

something was in place prior to Wednesday. Emma advised me that the reason

that the hospital was making it so hard for us to get our hands on any

medical records was because Codey was in " temporary hands of the state " and

he was their property so even though I am his mother-technically I am not

entitled to these records.

1245-Documents arrived through on fax from CSL and it turns out Tripacel is

a Rhone Poulenc/Aventis product. I faxed all the information received to

Viera Scheibner.

1300-I contacted Noelene ( Herz secretary) and explained it is

in fact Tripacel and she advises that she will have return my call.

1340- Piper (Community Services Commission), called and took

the call. advised what she does and said I believe you are

having problems with Docs the department. advised that we had left 6

messages last Friday and they are not returning our calls. mentioned

that it goes to call on Wednesday and she advised if the court hands down a

ruling then theres nothing she can do to help-everything would need to be

done prior to Wed. advised that he has just taken a message off his

mobile from and he was going to return her call now. explained

that we are trying to work with the system but the system is too slow and

we don't seem to be getting anywhere. They keep on telling us that we are

not the only case they have and they are working as fast as they can. In

our opinion, their not returning our calls or taking note of our request

for Fiona & Mark to be interviewed is not working in the best interests of

our son. advised to write our problems down and perhaps call her

back and she could intervene to ensure that Docs the department is doing

what they should be doing.

1345- Nillson phoned Donna. Said she wanted to meet with us to discuss

their interview with Robyn and with Debra and Craig and where they were at

with Codey's care. I asked her why she or were not replying any of

our calls and she went quiet. She said they are very busy and were too busy

to talk with us on Friday. She advised they were interviewing all day

Friday. I said, whilst you go home at 4 or 5 O clock, our baby is still

lying in hospital and I had put in numerous calls last Friday-one being at

around 0930 to requesting they interview Mark & Fiona. She said she

wanted to meet to discuss the outcome of the interview with Debra and

Craig. I asked what was happening with UTS. She said she didn't know that

was 's area. I said, well do you know if has arranged

something? Again she replied No I have no idea. I said, well what do you

want to discuss if you don't know what you have in place or arranged? She

said, we want to talk to you and together about the whole process and

that she didn't have the time or inclination to discuss this with me over

the phone. I asked, when will be back and when can she advise us at

least where they are at with UTS, she said was at lunch and she

expected her back around 2pm. I said, what are you doing about interviewing

my brother & sister in law -Mark and Fiona. She said we would discuss that

when we meet and that had advised about 11am tomorrow would be a

good time. I said, and at 11am tomorrow you will have enough time to

interview Mark and Fiona and do all the necessary checks on them?.She said,

well she didn't think that would be possible, as they were too busy. I

said, it is in the interests of our son and all I was concerned about was

my child and his welfare and I believed that they would also be working

with us in the best interests of Codey. She went quiet and seemed

exasperated with me. I said that I knew that they asked Craig and Debra if

they would take Codey to live with them and I was annoyed that they had

never suggested to us they were going to ask this. I also knew that Craig

and Debra suggested to them that this would not be possible for Codey to

live with them. I added, in these circumstances that it is in Codey's

interests that they should be interviewing Mark and Fiona, as he must go to

family at worst case senario. It was not 1347 and I asked her to please

find out from what the outcome with UTS was and to please phone me

back immediately to at least advise me where they were with that. I

reconfirmed that would be back in around 13 minutes and that I

would wait for the call. I also again pointed out that I had waited over 3

days for her to return my calls from Friday and I didn't think they were

acting in our interests at all. She said that although she expected

back she was a very busy person and she would see if could call me.

She then suggested that I couldn't make the time to meet with them and I

reaffirmed that I did not say this at all, I simply said I wanted to know

the outcome of UTS and their intentions and we would arrange the meeting

when they call back. I added, that I would make myself available but they

also had a duty to let me know their intentions and I was extremely

concerned that it is now almost 2pm on Monday and what are they planning on

recommending to the courts on Wednesday-for which she did not reply.

closed with saying again was a busy person and reminding me that I

am not their only case and she would get to call me. I said, " I

will wait for her call " , and we hung up!

1430- phoned back and advised that she had a verbal ok for Codey to go

to UTS but nothing in writing as yet. I asked her how she saw Debra and

Craig fitting into the UTS routine and she said she would discuss this with

and I tomorrow. I said I needed to know their intentions and that if

this wasn't suitable that I needed to push for them to interview Mark &

Fiona. She said, " was I not prepared to come in tomorrow " , I said, that I

never said that I would not be there and to " please not put words into my

mouth that I had never said " . I reminded her my question was clearly " how

did she expect Debra and Craig to fit into the routine " , and added it was

my right to know their intentions. She said she would discuss this tomorrow

- she also added that it was not my right to push them to interview anyone

else and that they will have the final decision on where they place Codey

either with Debra or Craig or with anyone they decided. I asked again,

" , how do you see Debra and Craig fitting in with Codeys routine " , she

said she was not prepared to discuss this over the phone and she would not

discuss this prior to 11am tomorrow-she added in a nasty manner, that " it

would be really helpful if could avail himself to be there too " .

Totally exasperated, I said " thankyou so much for you help-I will see you

at 11 " and hung up.

1455- Piper Community Services Commission called back and I

explained our issues of the lack of co-operation with Docs. She recommended

that they could make a referral under section 17a,Local resolution, which

means that the Commission refers the matter back to Community Services

Centre (to or ) to undertake to resolve our complaint that

they meet with us to resolve timely processes acceptable to both ourselves

and their department etc-which I suggested that we were doing anyway.

said they don't have the powers to tell the department what to do.

We agreed that could be of no assistance at this stage.

1500- Herz advised she had spoken to Professor Margaret Burgess Ph

98450520-Immunisation specialist at New Children's Hospital. Margaret

advised 1. Issue on how strong is their evidence of Shaken Baby. 2. She

recommended we go through the correct channels of requesting Dr Dianna

Staniforth (GP) Phone 94189670 to approach Dr Tait who is the Child

Protection Pediatrician Expert at New Children's Hospital Phone 98450000 to

review the reports. She also advised that it would be helpful to have a

Pediatric Neurologist who would be the best person to assess what other

things can cause the seizures.

1530-Phoned Dr Dianna Staniforth explained request to approach Dr

Tait. Dianna has left a message for Tait to return her call. She will be

back in touch when he hopefully returns Dianna's call.

1535- returned mobile message call to Nillson's call to JIT

(Docs) I opened conversation by saying " I am returning your call, and

acknowledged that she had already spoken to Donna " said " yes-but

thanked me for calling anyway. She went on to explain about Tuesdays 11am

meeting and to suggest that they want to tell us of what is going to be

presented in court " . I added " like a sneak preview " said " yes " .

then said " they want to discuss the options " I said, " It sounds like you

have already made up your mind about where Codey is going on Wednesday " .

said " there were options and they'd like to make an agreement " I said

" if we don 't agree?...you do it anyway? " said something like " yes,

but we would like to meet with you first and discuss this " The discussion

ended with talk about our decision and our availability. During the

discussion I told - " I was at the hospital " .

1555-Phoned Immunise Australia Program on 93919000 and was put through to

North Sydney Public Health. Explained the whole situation and schedule of

Inframix and Tripacel immunization. Cath Cannings Immunisation coordinator

for Northern Sydney Public Health said it certainly was in line with an

adverse reaction to immunisations and recommended to speak with Dr Margaret

Burgess who specialises in immunization at the New Children's Hospital. She

might review the case or recommend someone to review the case. She also

recommended to get a 2nd opinion from another Dr or contact Adverse Events

Clinic at the New Children's hospital 98453418 (held only on Friday

Mornings). Find a specialist who can help us speak with someone who

specializes in adverse events following immunisation.

1605-Called 98453418 requesting to talk with a specialist Adverse Events

Clinic- Ellen Burn Immunization Nurse at New Children's Hospital. She

will talk to the Doctors who specialise in immunization and call me back.

She advised that my story is definitely in line with an adverse effect. She

said we would need to bring Codey in to see a Dr there to discuss further

immunisation. I explained the seriousness of the situation with Codey in

the hands of the Director General.

1640- Ellen phoned back said they cant help and we should go back to Dr

Hugh to review in light of our findings and to point out that he has

not explored the immunization schedule and adverse reactions.

Alternatively, we need another pediatrician i.e. Ginsberg to go over the

files and write a contrary independent report.

1730-CSL Medical Affairs Liz 1800 642865 (MEL), Reported incident and

side effects and complete medical history of vaccines and side effects from

both Inframix (which isn't their product), and then bringing him home from

hospital on 30th June and finishing the Antibiotics around 7th July then

taking him to be immunised on 11th July with their product Tripacel and

there after presenting with a seizure on the 12th. Liz will gather all the

references she can from their library and will be speaking to Manager

Hobbs who she will speak to tonight. She will be looking for any data on

retinal hemorrhaging and neurological side effects that are not in the

publicly released data. Liz will call back either tonight or tomorrow morning.

1730-Grace phoned and advised she is going into conference and will

phone us later tonight. She advised that she had spoken to Ginsberg who

said that he should be seen to be directly involved with the investigation

as he was Codeys personal pediatrician but he was happy work with whatever

pediatrician we brought into the case.

1800-Viera phoned me to advise that she had just come of the phone to

Ginsberg who finally returned her call. She said she let Ginsberg have his

say and she talked about Immunological Insults and the published 48 hour

reactions and most are " delayed reactions " which are not published however

she has documented in medical reports. Finally Ginsberg agreed that he

would endorse the 2nd Seizure as a direct link and eventually kind of

suggested that he may be prepared to work with her and asked her to

document everything and fax him the reports and he would review it and

perhaps work with us. Viera asked me to find out if Codey had Hepatitis B.

Viera advised she would work all night to complete her report and fax it to

myself 94103444 and Ginsberg Fax 94899521 and we would talk in the morning.

Viera requested I fax through the medical history on my other 2 children

for her to analyse. I thanked Viera for everything she is doing and how

appreciative we are of her dedication and help. I told Viera I would fax

her this ongoing update as well for her reference.

1805-I called Lane Cove Medical Practice and spoke to Roussel who

advised No he had Heb B.

1810-I phoned Viera back to advise that Codey did not have Hepatitis B.

1900-Spoke to Grace about where we were at, at the moment. I discussed the

interview that Debra and Craig had with Docs and explained that I had a

report of that interview that I would fax. Which I did at 1911H to

92217483. Grace agreed it best for us to go with legal representation to

this meeting tomorrow morning and to defer to 1130H. I agreed that I would

phone in the morning saying we were running late and would be there at

1130H. I advised all the above events of today drawing particular attention

to Viera perhaps talking Ginsberg around to assisting and reassessing. We

agreed we would talk in the morning and meet out the front of the Docs

place (Gas place) at 1130H.

Tuesday 25th July 1000-Phoned Kline Beecham (Aust) P/L 1800251905

spoke to Medical Dept-Theresa McGarry and reported Codey having Inframix on

08th May and around 48 hours after becoming unsettled and constant fevers.

Advised given Infant panadol but deteriorated to cough and nasal on 24th

May and continued to go downhill till 13th June when we took him back again

to the Dr to be diagnosed with Bronchilitis. Dr advised best to still not

give any antibiotics and on 16th June his condition was no better. 16th

June we took him back to Lane cove General Practice this time observed by

Dr Anne Tonkin who arranged a Chest X-ray and prescribed Amoxil pediatric

100ml drops. On 21st June we took him back again as he was really a very

sick baby and Dr Anne Tonkin said the cry that she hears in her

surgery-something is just not right and she wanted him to see a

pediatrician straight away. Dr Anne Tonkin tracked down Ginsberg

(pediatrician) at Baulkham Hills Hospital and I took him there to 1st have

a chest x-ray and then to be attended by Ginsberg. Ginsberg said his cough

was very bad but his chest didn't sound as bad on the inside as out and

perhaps it was his ears giving him most of the trouble. Ginsberg suggested

Codey continue the Antibiotics and go back next Tuesday to be examined by

the GP. On the following Monday 26th June Co dey had a seizure. I advised

Theresa at SKB that Codey is well however they have discovered retinal

Hemorrhaging and she confirmed that a baby could suffer retinal

Hemorrhaging from constant coughing and convulsions and that our

pediatrician should have explained this to us. She advised that she is

filing the report and it will go to the adverse reaction board in Canberra

and a copy will go to our GP for signature and acknowledgment on my report.

1130-Fax finally came through from Viera Schiebner (54pg), which I took

with me to meet Grace out the front of Docs. We were worried sick about

Docs intentions with Codey. I cleared my messages on my mobile from the day

prior and found a message from Debra Tait at UTS who confirmed good news

that Docs had approved the funding for Codey and UTS were accepting him. My

concern was how did Docs see Debra and Craig fitting into Codeys routine. I

requested Debra do me a report on her discussions with Docs and discovered

that Docs had approached Debra and Craig asking them to take Codey into

their home as Forster parents indefinitely, taking him Mon-Fri to UTS for

Day care-which was different to the suggested Debra and/or Craig coming to

our home to supervise that docs had originally suggested. We met Grace out

the front of the Docs office at 1135 at Chatswood and Grace suggested

because I was so distraught that she does most of the talking. I was really

angry with docs when they pushed us into a corner suggesting that they had

been in touch with Debra and Craig that morning to ask them to take Codey

home to live with them and Debra said No...and the reason she said not was

that I explained to her on the weekend at worst case senario if Codey

couldn 't come home that and I thought it was best for Codey to go to

Mark and Fionas (my brothers) now realising that this was bigger than Docs

originally suggested. Despite my million calls to Docs over the past few

days, docs either didn't return my calls or wouldn't answer me as to how

they saw Craig and Debra fitting into Codeys routine. It appears they had

said to Craig & Debra that they were not to discuss with or I their

suggested discussions of Debra & Craig taking Codey home to their place!

What made me angry was being pushed into a corner saying that it was their

intentions that Codey go to live with Debra and Craig and now they had said

no, then Codey was going to Forster Care to someone we wouldn't know. This

was my BABY and we haven't done anything to deserve this nightmare other

than be loving and good parents and now some department just comes along

and takes our baby off us! I requested with Docs I have privacy whilst I

phoned Debra pleading with her to PLEASE TAKE CODEY...for which after

several calls back to her she agreed that she and Craig would take him. We

left Docs around 1315H agreed that he would go to UTS during the day and

Debra & Craig's nights and weekends.

1400- and I drove to Wahroongha to Neil Ginsbergs rooms who had agreed

to look at Viera Scheibners report and comment. Neil saw us and thankfully

gave us about 40 minutes of time. He said that we really needed Expert

witnesses in our case and made some suggestions as follows from New

Children's Hospital at Westmead.

1730-CSL Medical Affairs Hobbs 1800 642865 (MEL), Reported incident

and side effects and complete medical history of vaccines and side effects

- he put me through to Niedermayr. She asked re history and took a

full report from the time of Inframix right up to Tripacel with all

medication and medical history along the way. She confirmed she was writing

a full report to be signed off by Dr Dianna Staniforth and would copy me in

on all further correspondence.

Wednesday 26th July

Normal routing is to drop la at LPS and at UTS each Mon-Wed

Morn and and I have continued our normal weekly routine with la

and Josh.

1000-I phoned Grace to advise we were thick in traffic at Strathfield and

would be at Campsie ASAP. She advised to please get there as soon as

possible. I had with me an affidavit from Craig Davies taking full care and

responsibility for Codey for Trish and Grace to present to the courts that

day.

We were Number 10 on the list and Grace had us moved to number 4. Around

1040H I received a call from my brother on my mobile and he asked where was

what was happening and I. I explained I was at Campsie Courthouse and how

horrible this was as there were really horrible drongo looking people here

for which I felt somewhat demoralized. I asked Mark where he was and he

said come out the front I am here to support you. With that I went out the

front (where the 2 docs people were) and ran into my brothers arms crying

and saying " thankyou so very very much for coming " . Not long after I

introduced Mark to Trish and Grace and subsequently to and

from Docs asking them again to please interview my brother and his wife and

reminding them I had been requesting this for a week now " . They agreed to

interview Mark and Fiona prior to the end of this week. (Docs)

advised , Mark and I that she and had interviewed Robyn over one

and a half days at the end of last week. The magistrate seemed in a better

mood today and Trish contested on Medical grounds. At one stage there was

talk about Robyn (the nanny) being exonerated but Nillson jumped in

and said, " no this wasn't the case " . The magistrate asked docs to present

their expert Dr witnesses who they offered Dr Hugh , Dr Lawless (who

they advised hasn't yet written a report on Codey, but just arrived back

today from Miami, and would arrange a written report to be filed in the

next week). We broke for about 45 minutes and Mark, and I stepped out

the front. Then and came looking for our Lawyers and said

they had arrange for Dr , Lawless and to be there on 21st & 22nd

August and we would now have to go back into court to confirm this. The

magistrate called us back in and confirmed a hearing for 21 & 22 august and

the Docs lawyer requested she advise a time span as the Doctors were busy

people and needed to arrange surgery times etc. Trish Hanna (our

barrister), clarified if Robyn (the nanny) was exonerated for which they

confirmed No and Trish asked this to be recorded. She also confirmed

liberal access for , myself and our 2 other children for which the

magistrate agreed and Trish again asked for this to be on the record. The

Docs lawyer suggested something to the tune that Robyn (the nanny) had been

interviewed but the interview needed to be typed and this would not happen

till the end of this week. He made a strange comment to the tune of " the

nanny's report will speak for itself " . The magistrate advised that Docs had

until 02nd August to file all their reports and we had until 16th and on

18th they would file for readiness. We then left thereafter with the

hearing being set for 21 & 22nd August. and agreed they would

make the necessary arrangements with Craig and Debra and would most

probably arrange release of Codey on Thursday 27th July. Trish asked

and if they were calling on Robyn (the nanny) to court and they

said " no you are contesting on medical grounds and that she would not be

required " . Trish advised she would supena Robyn Farrar if necessary for

which they suggested initially she couldn't do that and she argued she

could. A lawyer approached us out the front and said she might be

representing (? Codey), and gave Grace a business card and said she would

be in touch.

1630- went to Craig and Debras home and they signed the JIT

confirmation to care for Codey under the direction of the DG. We met up

with Craig and Debra later than night and they gave us a copy and we went

over all the schedule and how and I could help Debra and Craig still

maintaining their lifestyle as normal as possible and include Codey.

Thursday 27th July 1040-Emailed Maureen Hickman from AVN to see if she can

help.

1100-http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/online/vaccine/mr-jan28.html-AVN stands

for " Australian Vaccination Network "

I spoke with Meryl Dorey Phone 02 66872600 of the AVN stands for Australian

Vaccination Network, explained the case and she agrees that this is without

a doubt Vaccine Related. A couple of things-she said 1. Present Viera's

report as supporting evidence but 2. " Dont " have Viera testify as it might

harm our case She gave me the following contacts who have been used as

" Expert Witnesses " recently for SBS cases won by parents based on " Vaccine

related " injury. She advised to speak straight away with Dr Robyn

Cosford-at Northern Beaches Care at Mona Vale Ph 99799444 who apparently

has a huge network of specialists that she is working with. She confirmed

that Robyn would probably help us to find an expert Pediatric Neurologist

that we will need! She also said contact: Dr Mark Donohoe 99681087 or 0411

193215 at Mosman and Dr Archie Kalakerinos 02 67608166 who is in Tamworth.

Additionally Gizelle Cooke at Gordon 94181388 a well recognised and active

Naturopath/GP who has had experience in this area and apparently is very

credible. Lastly, she advised to contact TODAY Mr. Allan Corbett MLC NSW

Upperhouse on 92302122 & 92303064. He must be contacted today as he is not

in chamber on Fri, Sat or Sun. I phoned all these people and left urgent

crisis messages for them to call me back. I think it was Meryl and a number

of people here after that suggested that " SBS is the flavor of the month at

the moment and they are quick to jump it "

1130-Emailed above to Grace Basaglia/Trish Hanna

1135-Rang all of the above people and left messages for them to return my

call.

1200-Allan Corbett returned my call. Advised once its in the hands of Docs

he cant help, but wished us luck and after this is over and hopefully we

will win, then he may be able to help. He recommended we make contact down

the track with the Community Services Commission so they see Docs take

steps to make sure this nightmare doesn't happen to someone else. He also

advised for any further Vaccinations Codey should be admitted to the New

Children's Hospital for constant Monitor after vaccination.

1300-Received a call from at docs saying Codey wasn't going to be

released today as they checked the circumference on his head and it had

grown from 44cm at admission to 44.8cm in 2 weeks and this was unusual so

they decided they were going to run a CT Scan. I asked why hadn't they run

a CT Scan anyway and she said if she were a medico she would be much better

at her job and couldn't answer that. She also said that it should be the

hospitals responsibility to have phoned me and she was sorry for that. I

said I was packing Codeys things and I would phone the hospital and find

out what's going on.

1315-I phoned the hospital who advised he was being done at 4pm and to be

there around 3pm if I wanted to go down with him. The nurse explained to me

that they were concerned about the heamotomas getting bigger and just

wanted to check to be sure. I advised I would be there at 3pm.

1320-Dr Archie Kalakerinos phoned me and said he vowed to his wife that he

wouldn't work on another of these cases again-but still please tell him my

story. I started at the beginning when Codey was born and went through the

whole history of his life. Archie said he would consider if he would assist

us over the weekend and for me to call him on Monday night at 7pm and he

would let me know then.

I explained he was an induced baby and was originally unsettled when put

straight on Karicare and then after about 2 weeks was changed over to SMA

and became a happy and settled baby. Towards the end of April my husband

went to Vietnam and at that stage I had Codey in a good routine and

sleeping through the night. On the 08th May he was 1st vaccined with

Infanrix (SKB), and shortly after became unsettled, fevers and arched back

constantly for which I thought perhaps he was having problems passing wind.

I explained Codey became like fluey towards the end of May with constant

runny nose and by 13th June he was really quite ill with what appeared like

the flu with a terrible cough and very chesty. I took him to the GP on the

13th June and she diagnosed Bronchilitis and said just continue to give

panadol and Dimetapp infant drops. We then took him back to the GP on 16th

June and they did a Chest x-ray and prescribed Amoxil 100mg Pediatric Drops

3 timesa day 1/2-ml doses. On 21st June he was still deteriorating rapidly

and the Antibiotic didn't seem to be touching the sides so we (my nanny)

took him back again. The GP rang me and said " this baby's cry that I hear

in my surgery, something just isn't right and I want him to see a

pediatrician urgently today " ...possible pneumonia?-She asked, could I

track down Ginsberg, your pediatrician. Dr Tonkin called me back and said

Ginsberg was at Baulkham Hills hospital and he would see him immediately,

but 1st go to the xray and Ginsberg would arrange for Codey's chest to be

x-rayed first and then go straight to Ginsberg-which I did. Ginsberg said,

" although he sounded terrible and rattly like a bag of bones, that he

didn't necessarily think it was his chest that was giving him he trouble,

perhaps it was his ears that seemed quite inflamed. Ginsberg advised to

continue the Amoxil antibiotic and take Codey back next Tuesday to the GP

to have her examine him. Over the weekend Codey seemed to still be really

unsettled still very arched back and constant crying and fever. On Monday

26th June, my nanny was changing Codey and he went all stiff and she

couldn't get Codeys leg into his jumpsuit. Codey's eyes rolled back into

his head and looked glazed and he was stiff and shaking. She (the nanny),

picked him up quickly and ran into my office with him yelling " something's

wrong with Codey " . I took him into my arms and he was stiff and then went

all limp and seemed as though he was hardly breathing. I thought my baby

was dying and I yelled " Quick Call triple 0 and ask them what to do "

URGENT! Robby (the nanny) called Triple 0 asked for an ambulance urgent and

they told her to undress Codey and apply wet cloths on him and keep him

awake for which I lied him down on the couch following instructions and

shaking his arms and torso yelling Codey Codey Codey. I was panicked. I

think Robby rang the ambulance back twice asking where were they. I also

phoned my husband and said " quick you have to come, I have an ambulance on

the way, Codey is REALLY SICK " My daughter la, was going back to the

bathroom getting cold washers for me to apply on Codey. My friend

Omeara arrived to wish me a happy belated birthday and was with Codey and I

whilst I continued with the cold washers and shook him to keep him awake

and revive him. The ambulance arrived and followed by paramedics and

arrived. I asked if we could go to the SAN as that was where Codeys

pediatrician was. The ambulance men diagnosed a febrile convulsion and took

us to the SAN emergency. A registrar attended to us and explained they

would be doing blood tests and pending on those as to whether they would do

a lumber punch and Ginsberg would be in later and decide that. During this

time they did blood tests on Codey and put a drip on him, for which

and I waited outside as I couldn't stand how much they were hurting my baby

and he was screaming. He was still very pale and shocked. Ginsberg came I

think around 2130 and said that there was a high white blood cell count and

this indicated a virus and would rule out a lumber punch. We were taken up

to the children's ward I think around 11pm and our friend Omeara came

to pick up (his wife was at home with my other 2 children, and Robyn

left around 7pm and went to her usual bowling on a Monday night). I stayed

that night with Codey and he was quite unsettled all night, crying and the

nurses gave him panadol. Over the course of the next few days either my

husband or I stayed at the hospital 24 hours a day with Codey. One day

Robyn sat in for a few hours so and I could get some work done. They

took him off the drip on Thursday at which stage he was still quite unwell

so I requested he stay in hospital for another day to at least be off the

drip for 24 hours and on oral antibiotics before I took him home. Ginsberg

arranged a ENT specialist to come into examine Codey and he took wax out of

his ears and said that although one was still quite inflamed, he didn't

think at all that the seizure was caused by his ears. During the time at

the hospital they also did a Chest and abdomen xray which apparently showed

clear. We brought Codey home on Friday 30th June with oral antibiotics (I

think amoxacyllan), and he continued on these till I think around 7th or

8th July-still quite unsettled and feverish, for which the hospital told us

to give Panadol and Painstop alternatively. Codey was still arched back at

times and unsettled with fever from time to time. During that week Robyn

(the nanny) and I discussed Codey having his 4mth shots and decided to wait

a few more days till he was off the antibiotics and seeming better. On

Tuesday 11th, I think around 2pm Robby took Codey to our GP for his 4mth

shots for which they gave Trepacil. That night Codey was quite unsettled.

On Wednesday 12th July- left Chatswood for a meeting at North

Sydney-Australian Business with Walter Roso & Obrien. At our time

of departure, I remember Codey was again unsettled; yet Robyn said you go.

Meeting Concluded around 1130H when we returned to Chatswood and found a

note on the counter saying something like " Gone to Westmead Hospital to

pickup las Jacket, and get Codey some sleep "

I made a comment to something like " Poor Robbie, Codey doesn't give

her a very good time " . went into N/Ryde office and Donna continued to

work the afternoon at Chatswood.

Around 1530H some business colleagues arrived Brettel & Brett Jowett

from Sanford International Travel at Chatswood. On arriving, Robyn was in

the Foyer with Codey in her arms and made a comment to Codey like "

you give your mummy a big scare " and went onto explain the previous episode

to Brett. Robyn had made us coffee and then left with Codey to pickup

from Kidz Campus early as my sister-in-law Fiona was coming to

pickup around 4pm so he could go on his first holiday away from

home. Robyn had packed a bag ready to go.

I was in my meeting with & Brett when Fiona arrived. I introduced

Fiona & her family and to & Brett on their way out the door at

around 1630H.

I have later asked Fiona how Codey was when she arrived and she commented

that she thought that Codey looked distant and daised, but when she looked

again at him, he didn't have a runny nose or anything, so she just thought

he was particularly quiet.

When I came out of my meeting around 1700H, I farewelled my colleagues and

came into the family room where Robyn was sitting on the couch with Codey.

She commented she thought he didn't seem right and did I think he had a

fever? I felt his forehead and said I thought it was warm but not on fire,

but to be sure I said lets go the soft drug and give him panadol.

Codey seemed unsettled, yet Robyn rocked him to sleep and put him down. She

was in the kitchen when Codey cried again and she again patted him to

sleep. Not long after Codey let out a scream and Robyn went to the bedroom

to find Codey again fitting. She picked him up and raced into my office

yelling, " Donna he's doing it again " . I took him from Robby's arms and said

call Triple 0 and get an ambulance urgently. I lied him on the couch and

again began to immediately undress him and asked Robyn to get cold washers.

I swapped with her and went straight to get Codey's Blue book dialed

Ginsbergs number and left a message for him to call me back Urgently. I

went back to Codey and Robyn rang and said again " Codey is really

sick and is having another seizure and to come quick, we have an ambulance

on the way " .

Ginsberg rang back and I described what was happening to Codey. He asked if

I had a thermometer, and I said I can't read the bloody thing. He asked

what I had done and I explained I undressed him and was applying cold

washers, he said no need for anymore washers, turn him on his side and get

the paramedics to take his temperature soon as they arrive-which I did. The

ambulance and I think arrived around the same time. The paramedics

took Codeys temperature and I think they told me it was 33.5 so he was

quite cool.

I requested we go to the SAN as that was where Codey's pediatrician was and

they said its peak hour we should go to RNSH. I agreed and on the way to

the hospital the pediatrician did an ECG on Codey. Codey was blowing little

bubbles and eyes open but noone seemed there. He was really pale but didn't

seem as hot as he was in the first seizure. The intensive care unit

paramedic in the ambulance said clearly to me " he didn't think this was a

febrile convulsion, and we must not leave the hospital till they had run

all the tests on him to find out what was causing this " .

Robyn followed us to the hospital and was there when we arrived. She

apparently said to my husband " what took you so long " , as she got there

before us.

On arrival they took us into the resuscitation room and began tests and

checking Codey over. We described all the above and they asked us questions

about family history etc and I remember Robyn jumping in and saying " and

the 6 year old is a diabetic " . The registrar who was on duty was a woman

named .

I told her that Codey was immunized yesterday and she didn't seem to pay

any attention-she was more concerned with his state and taking blood tests

etc. I think she immediately put him on an antibiotic intravenous drip but

said she didn't necessarily think he had a virus.

Neither my husband nor myself had any money on us so I asked Robyn to lend

me $20, which she did. I think around 10pm my husband and Robyn left the

hospital and Robyn dropped home. They had advised by this stage that

Codey was being admitted. They kept him in casualty till around midnight

waiting to get a urine sample and eventually got one in a bag. After this

they said they were taking us down to Children's ward.

A security person arrived and took Codey, a nurse and myself down to the

Children's ward in a Car with the drip as it was freezing outside. We

arrived and Codey seemed settled and I knew the nurse on duty from my

previous weeks that we spend at RNSH when la was diagnosed with

Diabetes.

The nurse suggested that I looked like I should try to get some sleep and

walked me down to the annex to sleep the night.

Thursday 13th July-Around 6am the nursing staff called me and asked me to

come as Codey was unsettled. I threw on my pants and a cardigan and raced

up to the ward and settled him straight away with a bottle.

I had advised Robyn not to come in on the Thursday, as we knew that Codey

would be in hospital at least that day for all the necessary tests.

la was still with my parents at Port s and was with my

Brother and Sister-in-law at Dural.

Robyn arrived at the hospital around 0815 and my husband arrived not long

after. We asked Robyn to stay with Codey whilst we did a few things and I

said we wouldn't be long. I remember Robyn commenting something like " OK

I'm timing you " , which we thought was strange.

Codey was booked in for a Brain Ultrasound, & Opthamoligist examination,

followed by an EEG, ECG. It was the Opthamologist that spent the most time

with Codey putting 3 lots of drops in his eyes to completely dilate them.

After examination the Opthamologist asked us had Codey ever been shaken? We

said No, what do you mean " Shaken " ? He said " Shaken " ! We were hurried to

the next appointment, which was for an EEG & ECG-this appointment was

across the hall at the hospital. The Opthamologist was in the hall and

went back again to him and quizzed him-saying that he bumped Codeys

head when putting him into the 4-wheel drive and Codey cried and it was

quite a bump. The Opthamologist replied " no not a bump, a shake " .

then went onto say that the kids often jump on him in his rocker, and again

the Opthamologist replied " No I mean a shake " . We asked each other would

Robyn ever shake Codey, and agreed that Robbie gets stressed at times with

Codey but we never in a million years would think Robbie would ever harm

Codey. Robyn has been with our family for over 2.5 years and she loves our

kids like her own family.

We knew the results were coming back that evening and we were eager to get

them and see everything is all right with our little Codey. The person who

did the ultrasound on the Brain had advised us at the time that she saw

nothing unusual and the Brain looked perfectly normal and undamaged-that

much we knew which was fabulous.

Around 6pm that night Dr Hugh and his registrar Jane called us into

the office and told us they believed Codey had been " Shaken " . and I

were totally horrified and questioned their findings suggesting how sure

could they be and were they 100% correct. They asked us question about

Robyn (our nanny) and we agreed that at times Codey didn't give her a very

good time but we never ever imagined in our wildest dreams that she would

ever willingly harm him. We were asking a lot of questions, and at the

time, Hugh got on the phone and before we knew it he was reporting this to

the " emergency child abuse line " . He put the phone onto my husband who also

spoke to the woman, at which stage my husband broke down crying and handed

the phone to me to try and answer the questions. We were both so devastated

and couldn't believe what they were telling us. I cant remember the name of

the woman we spoke to but she advised us we had to give our 100% vow that

Robyn would not be near our children under any circumstances.

My father was dropping our daughter la back that evening from

holidays and was waiting home for us. We came home feeling shell-shocked

and unbelieving of what was happening, still not understanding what they

were telling us.

Later that evening around 2230H, the woman from the emergency child abuse

line called us and we went over and over their diagnosis saying we couldn't

believe that this could be true. She again reaffirmed that we had to keep

Robyn away from our family under any circumstance. She advised that someone

from Docs would be in touch with us tomorrow morning and would want to

speak with us. She advised that they would probably meet us at the hospital.

and I discussed Robyn being an employee and we couldn't just sack her

and at this stage she knew nothing of their findings.

Neither my husband nor I got any sleep that night. Refer Friday 14th July

for diary after this.

1400-Allan Corbett MCL NSW Upperhouse phone back and recommended I speak

with Geoff Ruttledge Ph 92303098. He explained Geoff was with the Democrats

office and previous to that with Docs and would expect our call to advise

perhaps how he might help with the Docs issue. Allan also rang back again

recommending Dr Antony Underwood at Pymble Grove Medical Centre at Gordon

on Ph 94181388. Underwood apparently did a lecture for him in the NSW

upperhouse recently on Vaccines and the options etc. He suggested Dr Antony

Underwood might be a good Expert Witness Pediatrician who is sympathetic to

Vaccine Damage. He also explained I would need a referral to make an

appointment.

1445-I left Chatswood to go to the hospital to Codey. I sat with granny,

Dawn outside in the sun and felt it was important I speak with her and

explain why I am not at the hospital all the time and that we had contested

on medical grounds and explained how I spend every awake moment of my days

trying to find Dr.'s and people to help me as I am still sure that my baby

was not skaken! Dawn (the volunteer granny) told me that this Dr Archie

Kalakerinos was very famous and it would be wonderful if he could help me.

Dawn then left for the day and I stayed with Codey.

1450-Nurses and Peta came into give Codey Medasalin, half up his

nose and the rest orally. The explained it would take around 15mins and

Codey would go to sleep and would be asleep for around 2 hours. At first

Codey seemed a little drowsy and the warden came and I walked with

(nurse) and the warden to the Xray CT Scan dept.

I had Codeys notes in my hand and on the way through the tunnel to the main

building I was reading his notes. I knew that in them somewhere was a

report that I had asked Dr to write immediately after he had

seen Codey on the evening of Tuesday 18th. I found the written report with

diagrams on yellow Consultation sheets and saw that had diagnosed

Tersor Syndrome? I was thinking quickly to myself how can I get my hands on

a copy of this report, as it isn't the same as the report that was typed

and presented at the courts on last Wednesday. Thinking as quick as I could

and my heart racing I decided to quickly rip the notes from the folder. The

nurse turned around and said " I will take those " for which she did

and I thought Oh my god I'm going to get caught but she turned so quickly

that these notes fell into my hands and I folded them quickly and put them

into my bag. I was petrified of being caught.

We continued to the CT Scan and by the time we got their Codey was Hypo!

Apparently 99% of children go to sleep within 15 mins and sleep for hours

but not my baby he had the opposite reaction and went Hypo. I tried to give

him a bottle but he wouldn't drink. I got quite annoyed with the Registrar

Pediatrician asking, " why wasn't a CT Scan done in the 1st place? " and " Why

wasn't Codeys circumference of his head checked on a daily basis? " If they

were " so sure he was a SBS baby then, it was their duty to check him on a

daily basis " . She advised that the last time they checked this was a week

ago and it was about 44.2cm. I was quite angry with her and in the end we

agreed that Codey wasn't going to settle down enough for a CT Scan and we

had to return to the ward and perhaps reschedule tomorrow under a general

anaseptic. She advised she would have to take instructions from Dr Hugh

on this! We returned to the ward for which I stayed with Codey a

short while and had to return home to help my husband with Dinner and

la's insulin as my children were getting very agitated with my not

being there each night when they arrived home.

I arrived home around 6pm. I phoned Dr Archie Kalakerinos and told him I

had a report from and he said pack everything up and copy it and send

it to him and he will talk with me on Monday night. He also advised that

" at birth babies are clinically well and yet on a cat scan they have

hemorrhages and get re-bleeding. A lot of infants at birth have retinal

haemmorages and it takes time to clear and the time varies. He said, they

don't know the nature of these retinal heammorages at birth-yet are laying

the law in these situations calling it SBS "

2030-I called Viera Scheibner and spoke to Dr Lansky who lives with

Viera and had a long chat. He recommended Dr Baritosi in Adelaide may

be of assistance on 08 2589103 and to get a hold of a video by Bronwyn

Hancock on Ph 02 91446625 who had a list of Doctors on it that may be of

assistance as Expert witnesses. He advised he would have Viera return my call.

2120-Phoned RNS hospital to see how Codey is. I asked for who

walked up to the CT X-ray place with us today and she said he was unsettled

earlier but is fine and sleeping well now. I apologised to for

getting cranky with them this afternoon (or at the Registrar), and she said

she understood and was sorry for what I was going through. She said she is

not a Doctor but also thought it strange they hadn't checked the

circumference of Codey's head on a daily basis. She reaffirmed that most

children who have the Medasalin would go to sleep within 15 minutes and she

couldn't explain Codeys reaction to the drug... I asked her if she could

tell me the last time Codey's head circumference had in fact been

checked-she went through the notes and advised that it was last Wednesday

19th June and it was 44.2cm. She also told me she remembered when she was

on night duty last that there was a " night duty query as to the diagnosis

of Codey " ....I remembered that was the night that Dr Lawless came in and

diagnosed the retinal hemorrhages as " several hours hold " and when I said

" how could that be as Codey was admitted on Wednesday, I remembered he

changed his diagnosis to " perhaps, about 2 to 3 days old " . (nurse)

explained that Codeys head had grown much faster than normal to 44.8cm and

they wanted to do the CT Scan to check in the heamotomas were getting

bigger. She suggested that Codey would hopefully go down about 10am and I

asked her to ring me in the morning to confirm exactly what time he was

going so I could make sure I was there to go with him.

2130-Received return phone call from Dr Robyn Cosford Ph 99799444 who

agreed that this certainly sounds like Vaccine Damage and when Codey was

arched back and unsettled in May he may well have been Convulsing all the

time. She advised to make an Urgent Telephone Conference with her offices

and she would do all possible to help.

2230-Viera returned my call and said she would research Tersor Syndrome and

come back to me.

Friday 28th July 0900-I phoned the hospital and asked again for

(nurse looking after Codey), to be told she thought that Dr Hugh was

trying to arrange an urgent CT Scan & hopefully that would be a 10am. I

asked her to ring me back to confirm exactly what time and said that every

5minutes counted at the moment. She said she would call back.

0930-Dr Hugh called back saying " Hi Donna, how are you? " I thought

Yeah I just great...what did he expect me to say! He said, " hey listen I'm

sorry about that yesterday, I checked the circumference of Codeys head last

Friday and it was 44.2 or 44.3cm " and yesterday it had grown quicker than

normal " . I said, " what date was last Friday? " , he said " oh, I don't know

lets see...21st and then went onto say that they had scheduled Codey for a

CT next Tuesday but under the circumstances thought it best to do it

yesterday " I knew he was lying to me, as I had check the notes

yesterday for me and the last time it was checked was in fact 19th July! He

said Codey was going down around 1030H and if I were there around 1015 that

would be good so I could sign the papers for his General Anaseptic. I said

I would be there!

1015H-I arrived at the hospital and waited till almost 1100H till they came

to take him down to have the CT Scan. The nurse put Codeys notes on the bed

and left the room for about 40seconds so I quickly took the Dr

report from my bag and slipped the notes back into the folder....I think

someone up above must be looking over me at the moment! I was allowed to go

with him into the room whilst they put him to sleep, and then asked to

leave and wait till they came to get me to advise he was in recovery. I

asked the nurse (Donna), if she would please arrange for a bottle for Codey

for when he wakes up as he will be very hungry. She went to get the bottle

and about 40mins later one of the people from the CT room (ne) came to

get me and take me to recovery and then asked me to wait in the outpatients

emergency area of the hospital for Steve (the anathesis that was with

Codey) who would come and get me when he woke.

1215H-A girl came to get me and took me to Steve and Codey in the recovery

room and Codey had just woken and I cuddled him and gave him a bottle.

Steve commented he wok much better this time from the anaseptic...I agreed

and said we have the bottle and that makes the difference! I asked Steve

about the Medasalin that he had yesterday and he went through the notes and

said " WOW, Codey had 3.5mg and that would put him under " , he added that he

" thought it was strange that Codey had a adverse reaction to the

Medasalin " . He showed me the MRI report and I said I would like to get a

copy of that and he said that we can arrange that through our GP...that is

the normal practice " .

1250-Steve walked with Codey and I and a warden down to the Children's ward

and I gave Codey more of his bottle on arrival and put him in his rocker to

play. I left him with Dawn (granny), and said I would be back around 1530H.

1255-I spoke with the Registrar who showed me the MRI x-rays and showed me

where they thought the bleeds were. I asked her for a copy of that and the

MRI report and she said she didn't think it would be a problem and would

check with Hugh . I said " thankyou, I will be back around 1530H " .

1315-I went to Chatswood to get a present for Dawn (Granny), and formulae,

nappies, baby food etc for Codey to go to Debra's later. I also phoned

Debra who said that she was concerned and needed to be 100% assured that

Codey was well cause she was worried if he had another seizure or died that

she would be up for manslaughter charges and she didn't want that

responsibility. I calmed her saying Codey was well and we could check again

with the Doctor that afternoon if it made her feel better-she said Yes

please! I said I would meet her there at the hospital at 4pm, and she could

take my car with the capsule and I would drive her car home. We agreed that

was the best thing to do!

1320-I rang OMeara asking if Tomiko could pick up la and

this afternoon from School and he called me back saying yes its all under

control. I said thankyou and I would pick them up from their place at

Willoughby on my way home around 5pm. I called both LPS and Masada to

advise Tomiko would be picking them up.

1330-Took a phone message off my mobile from Dr Lansky who lives with

Viera who says he has a contact opthamologist who might be able to help.

1440-I phoned the hospital asking for to see if the CT Scan

results were back yet and she said, they had just had changeover and would

need to have the registrar Pediatrician talk to me but from what she could

see they all looked good! I asked her if she knew if Codey was being

released this afternoon and she advised me she thought so but would call me

back.

1430-Received a reply email from Maureen Hickman AVN and forwarded it to

Grace.

1445-I phoned at the office to say I wasn't sure if Codey was being

released today yet and would call him back the minute I hear.

1500-I phoned (nurse) back at RNS and asked what was happening.

She said she thought it was all go for Codey to go home and Emma (social

worker) was just arranging it and she would call me back soon, as she knew

what was happening.

1520-Debra Davies phoned me and said she had spoken to both the hospital

and docs and decided she wouldn't and couldn't take Codey. She said

at Docs said they would interview Fiona and Mark on Monday.

1530-I phoned Fiona (my sister-in-law), almost beside myself. She said she

would take Codey no matter what and give her the phone number of Docs -

94957099 and she would phone them immediately and arrange the

interview to get Codey out of hospital. She said she would call me back.

1540-Spoke to Grace (lawyer), and she was asking my instructions to phone

McCrohon to sort this out with him re Debra & Craig. I said, " too

late, Debra has already spoken to Docs and the hospital and said No " . She

said, she would call Docs herself and call me back.

1545-Phoned Dr Antony Underwood (Pediatrician), and spoke to him, explained

the medical history and what had happened to date and he said that " Codey

certainly sounded like he had a adverse reaction to the vaccine & how do

you think I can help? " . I said we need Expert witnesses for court on 21 &

22nd August and that I had been in contact with Viera Scheibner who had

written a 54-page report on Codey and his medical history linking the

hemorrhages and MRI results directly to Vaccine. He said that he thought

that perhaps Robyn Cosford would be the better person, but if my lawyers

wanted to call him to discuss if he could assist then that would be fine.

1600-Emma (Social worker) from RNS phoned and said she was " so sorry about

all this and had Debra and Craig called me to advise why they wouldn't take

Codey? " I said " Yes Debra said she had legal advice and that if Codey had

another seizure or was to die she would be up for manslaughter and she

wasn' t prepared to take that responsibility " . Emma said she thought this

was ridiculous and I said " for over a week now I have been pushing Docs to

interview Mark & Fiona, and still they haven't " . She said she would call

at Docs to request they interview Mark & Fiona URGENTLY and suggested

we phone Docs too to make the same request. She said " that there was no

problem for Codey to remain in hospital, but it was Docs call as to what

happened to Codey " .

1615-My bother Mark phoned asking what's happening? I told him about Debra

& Craig and he couldn't believe it. He said I told you Donna right from the

start we will take Codey. I said, thankyou and that I had given Docs number

to Fiona whom was calling them and he said " tell them to come over tonight

and interview us at home and kill 2 birds at once in seeing the home and

the interview " . He added, " we need to get Codey out of that Hospital " .

1620- arrived home. Said Debra called him and he is distraught and

beside himself.

1630-I phoned my sister-in-law Fiona back who told me had stepped out

and would call her back. I said ask for Henry and call them every 5

minutes till she gets a hold of them. She agreed this is now Urgent and

would let me know how she goes.

1635-Called Grace back and spoke to Maggie and she said Grace was on the

phone with one call waiting and would have her call me back.

1645- called Nillson at Docs who advised she couldn't understand

why they all of a sudden decided to do this CT Scan. She advised that she

had spoken with my brother Mark Barlow and was arranging to interview Mark

& Fiona on Monday morning. said to " is something wrong with

Codey, is he sick, because if he is sick then we should consider moving him

to New children's Hospital where they had all the equipment " . agreed

and said, " that's what any father would request of their child " .

asked this question because it appears that Docs had indicated to Debra

that Codey was sick and she would be liable if something happened to Codey

and this is why Debra became scared stiff that she would be liable if

something happened to him and he had another seizure. reconfirmed

they were interviewing Mark and Fiona on Monday.

1710-Mark Barlow phoned back and said he had spoken to Nillson at

Docs who agreed that they would interview Mark & Fiona next Monday and

would call him back to reconfirm. Mark then said that not long after he

hung up from that Henry from Docs called Fiona saying the

first availability they had for an interview was next Thursday. Mark tried

immediately to phone Docs back but they had gone for the day. Mark agreed

to phone them first thing Monday and apply pressure for

1730- picked up la and at Tomikos and brought them home

to test, Insulin la and feed them.

1800-Packed up copies of Codey's GP reports together with Ginsbergs

reports, My complete diary to date (some parts of this updated version

missing), the Trepasil details, both written and typed reports from Dr

, and Viera Scheibners report + email copy of Maureen Hickman

details and sent the lot off to Dr Archie Kalakerinos RMB 2182A Bournes

Lane; Tamworth_NSW 2340. Bag was collected around 1830H and overnight

Ansettpac to arrive Monday morning. I am due to phone Archie on Monday

night at 7pm for which he is considering over the weekend and discussing

with his wife if he will help us. My gosh I hope he will help...please

please please!!

1840-Craig arrived sorry for what had happened today. He said " Docs made

Debra scared stiff and told her they were not going to release Codey today

anyway... " which is certainly not what they told us. Up till 1520H as I

understood that Codey was being released at 1600H today. He indicated he

needed to talk with Debra to find where she was coming from and I said the

damage is done now and its too late for you guys to do anything. I

explained Codey is still in hospital and now docs are saying that they cant

interview Mark & Fiona till next Thursday for which said " well that

makes sense as they have till next Wednesday to file their reports and

expert witnesses " and if they don't make themselves available till Thursday

then it would appear they are buying time because we have contested on

medical grounds " . Craig then left and said he was really really sorry for

not helping us in our time of need but Docs certainly were suggesting that

Codey was still " sick " and Debra & Craig would be liable if anything

happened to him.

1930-Grace phoned me and I went over the rest of the days events. She said

she phoned Docs and left messages but they never phoned her back. I

explained that I felt I had gone as far as possible and now it was time

that they took over and arranged the expert witnesses and take advantage of

whilst Codey was in hospital to call all the medical tests we might need on

Codey for our case. She said Gizelle was a good friend of hers and she

would make contact with her and she was trying to contact Jane Antony at

Westmead. Grace said she would need an affidavit from and I and I

offered this report to be my affidavit. She said she would call me on

Monday Morning.

Oct.-Nov. 2000

The court adjourned again at the end of 31st October because the

Departments barristers claimed they couldn't cross-examine our Expert

Witness (Dr Mark Donohoe) who brought light to the massive discrepancies in

the hospital records. They then adjourned till 7th November and

cross-examined our Dr Donohoe. Recalled the Paediatrician from the hospital

and then at the end of the day-the magistrate called for " written

submissions " ....I thought I was going to have a breakdown when they

adjourned AGAIN!

So from there-the Barrister for the Dept and the Lawyer for Codey had till

Wed 15th and we were given till Mon 20th to file. Then of cause they get

right of reply till Fri 24th and from there the magistrate advised she

would take 7 days to decide if this is case for establishment or NOT? We

filed our submissions last week-a 90 odd page document. The dept filed

prior to that a hypothesising submission of some 16 pages and the lawyer

for Codey did the same hypotheses of some 6 pages! They had right of reply

till last Friday-but today is Monday and still nothing has been filed!

What we discovered in the hospital records in brief was : " Ambulance called

around 1800H and Codey had a very low temp of around 33.5, pale, mottled.

On arrival at hospital still temp low with the same presentation " . Hospital

notes Immunisation yesterday, Vaccination PVO (Post Vaccine Origin).

*They did a babinski (plantars test) and the results on admission were

neurologically normal * They then took blood at 19:24H * They didn't weigh

him and put ?10Kg on the Triage sheets (in fact he was between 7kg and

7.5kg) * 19:30H They then gave him an estimated 33% overdose of ceftriaxone

(penicillin) * Subsequently His temp rose to over 38 his BP rose from 108

to 148 * Following morning in comes the paediatrician and does the babinski

test-Results Abnormal * paediatrician CEASES Ceftriaxone * paediatrician

orders following tests - EEG-Normal - ECG-Abnormal - Cranial

Ultrasound-Normal - Opthamology test-18 hours after admission-Results Bi

lateral Retinal Haemorrhage * NO further blood coag or extensive coag Tests

were ever performed after the overdose * NO liver tests ever done in the

month he was in hospital * NO tests for E-Coli or Deficiency of Vit K * 2

days later in comes another opthamologist & WE ASKED: " how old do you think

these Retinal Haemorrhages are? " Answer: " I would think Several hours " ...WE

SAY " how could that be when Codey has been here for over 2 days? " Answer

" Oh well perhaps 2 to 3 days "

* 3 days later they order a Skeletal survey = results Normal No evidence of

NAI * 6 days later (or 7 after admission) they run an MRI. * again they

DIDN'T WEIGH HIM ?10Kg and give him a GA based on that weight-another

overdose! * Results of the MRI show Subdural hemm * Paediatrician says that

night there is evidence of " old and new haemorrhage " which indicates " the

injury has occurred on more than one occasion " * That same day we ordered

another opthamologist who came in saying " I cant say that Codeys retinal

haemorrhages are SBS. There are retinal Haemorrhages that are indicative of

SBS ie Parthognomic signs, retinoschisis & pappilodema, but Codey doesn't

have these " FYI-this guy LIED on the stand! Additionally, at the time, he

suggested Retcam photography-but for some reason they never ordered this

test or photography? * Few days later-We contest the Department on Medical

Grounds * Immediately following our contesting the paediatrician wants to

run an URGENT CT * paediatrician say's reason for running Urgent CT was

because Codeys Head Circumference grew too quickly * This time they weigh

him 8.03kg (we are now 16 days after admission) * They give Codey a local

Anaesthetic (Modozolan) and Codey doesn't go to sleep like he should, but

has an adverse reaction to the drug and they cant run the CT * Following

day-They run the CT under GA-results Haemorrhages resolved Hospital notes

" ? Error Head circumference measurement " * Next thing that happens is

Codey is sent to Forster care where we cannot get any medical tests run on

him for over 3 weeks * paediatrician amends his report the following day

saying there is only one sub dural haemorrhage and claims he " misunderstood

the MRI doctors " Sheri, the question is " when did these Bi-lateral Retinal

haemorrhages and subsequent Sub Dural " happen & hellip;? There are without a

doubt a LOT OF DISCREPANCIES and I wonder if the paediatrician knew all

along he had blundered? Anyhow, like I said, we now WAIT and just prey that

the magistrate has the balls to rule for Justice! It's very condensed, but

I am sure you understand what we have discovered is a tremendous pressure

on innocent people that are treated like criminals when in fact the only

criminality here seems to lie in department and the hospital! Keep praying

Sheri....only a few days to go. We need all the prayers we can get!

Wed, 6 Dec 2000

The magistrate handed down her findings last Friday and ruled in favour of

the Department " Case established-Codey is a shaken baby " . Where to from

here? Well, she has ordered and I to be psychologically assessed for

Risk. The department put forward a psychologist as did our Barrister-both

of which are supposedly " independent " . I have since spoken with both and of

course have discovered that the psychologist put forward by the department

is in fact an ex-DoCs worker of 13 years! Yeah Independent indeed!! So they

were supposed to come back to us by Monday last to let us know if they

accept the credentials of the Independent Phycologist put forward by our

barrister...but we still wait their decision...I feel as though they will

do everything in their power to disqualify her... The ultimate objective

" if we pass the assessment " is to bring Codey home prior to Xmas. So we

just sit and wait out their delay tactics now... Please keep praying-surely

justice has to prevail somewhere along the way...

Wed, 7 Feb 2001 (written by ):

In short, the " State " is prepared to return Codey to us. There are certain

undertakings attached however Donna and I aren't shy about the very normal

lifestyle we live.

The media became involved and the " Dept " seemingly backed-down; although we

are still intent on continueing our own investigations.

An Ophthalmologist (expert witness in our case-for the State) has agreed to

investigate retinal bleeding in association with vaccination. (ie. test

before and after - randomly) Suddenly, he revealed that his own child had

an adverse reaction to vaccination.

Anyway, our case has taken a number of side-steps. Much more has come to

light.

Very unfortunately, with new evidence that's come to light recently; we

believe our son has been harmed. Funnily enough, it would seem he was

harmed because of his illness/es that were attributed from being

vaccinated, and his very adverse reactions and inconsolable crying.

The " Nanny " , evidently has since made an attempt on her life. Something the

Dept. has " played down " .

Either way, Donna and I are very certain that an adverse reaction has been

the basis of behaviour between baby and carer at the time.

We are not resting on this theory alone, but will continue to research.

The State has attributed only one seizure as caused by " heavy-handedness "

....the minds boggles as to why he seized the other time. Pediatritions have

agreed it could have been vaccine related.

-----END-----------

====================================================

------------END CFIC---------------

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

vaccineinfo@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm

ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL

OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION TO VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.

******

" Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down.

Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy

knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information

and religions destroy spirituality " .... Ellner