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Dixie Chick
in "Timothy
Wakefield" treatments at
Thoughtful
House
gaffe
Now
country singer gives medical advice
on
vaccine safety and developmental
disorders
From "Violet" magazine,
November 2005
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"Natalie Maines,
lead singer for the Dixie Chicks, throws a powerful
verbal punch. Just consider the uproar her infamous
anti-Bush comment caused at a 2003 London concert.
But Maines has a soft side too. VIOLET recently spoke
with Maines about taking her kids on the road,
activism, and her commitment to curing autism."
[snip]
"Q.
Are you involved with any particular organizations at
the moment?"
"A.
Aside from hurricane relief, which we plan on
continuing to financially support for the next few
years, we are very involved in the Thoughtful House. It is a clinic started by Dr
Timothy Wakefield [a pioneering British
gastroenterologist] that is doing research and
treatment for autism. Many doctors just sort of
regurgitate what pharmaceutical companies and medical
journals say instead of listening to parents. Nobody
knows his or her child the way a mother knows their
child, and if a mother tells you her child was a
completely different person the morning after the MMR
vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) then she ought to
be taken seriously.
"Dr Wakefield is
controversial because he listens to these mothers. He
has had a lot of success treating children through
the colon and with a gluten-free diet. It is amazing
to hear parents testimonials about their children
getting 90% better through Dr Wakefield's treatments.
I don't think a parent should ever take "there
is nothing that can be done" as an answer. Find
a doctor that is willing to listen.
"As far as
vaccines go, there are some very easy, specific rules
to follow. First of all, spread out the vaccines.
Secondly, there should be no vaccines for at least
two weeks after a child has been sick. Lastly, the
MMR should not be taken before at least two years of
age and should be taken separately. Merck is the only
drug company that sells them separated and you have
to ask your doctor to order it that way. Whether or
not these things have been proven to have any effect
on the onset of autism, there isn't a parent I've met
that wouldn't take precautions to ensure the health
of their child."
[snip]
"Q.
Before you joined the Dixie Chicks, what did you
think you were going to do for a living?"
"A.
I thought I was going to be a musician, just not a
country musician. I love what I do, but I think being
a surgeon would be the one thing I might enjoy
more."
[snip]
Arthur Krigsman of
Thoughtful House in research ethics concerns
Investigations blocked
when Krigsman resigns from Lenox Hil