A mum in Kansas has sparked outrage after revealing she made her sons drink bleach in a dangerous attempt to ‘cure’ their autism.
The formula, known as ‘Miracle Mineral Solution’ (MMS) is a mixture of industrial bleach containing sodium chlorinate and citrus acid diluted in water.
While some have claimed it can cure a number of diseases and conditions such as HIV, hepatitis, acne and cancer, as well as autism, doctors have slammed MMS as being both ineffective and dangerous.
Watch the mum discuss her choices here:
Laurel Austin, from Lenaxa, Kansas, defended her decision to give the formula to her 28-year-old autistic son Jeremy and his 27-year-old brother Joshua, who suffers with a less severe form of the condition.
The men were treated with MMS for one year, starting from June 2018, and Austin documented the dosing on YouTube, WRCB TV report.
The mum explained her decision to Fox News, saying:
When you have someone who tears up their arms and screams all the time and can’t speak and they’re trapped in their own body – that’s not normal, and that’s not something they were born with.
That’s torturous, and [Jeremy] deserves relief from that.
Austin claimed a doctor had signed off on the ‘treatment’ and that Jeremy’s health and behaviour has improved as a result of it.
She argued:
If I was poisoning them with bleach, wouldn’t their health be getting worse instead of better?
However, her ex-husband Brad has labelled the treatment ‘snake oil’ and said Austin’s use of it is akin to ‘child abuse’. He reported the mum to the Lenaxa police department but the action was dropped as blood tests did not show any signs of toxicity.
According to WRCB TV, a caseworker with the Kansas Adult Protective Services also told police she didn’t see the situation as serious enough for the state to take action.
Brad commented:
This thing claims to cure everything. It’s such a ludicrous idea. She’s giving Joshua and Jeremy bleach to try to cure their autism.
It is akin to child abuse in my opinion. I fear for their health, their safety.
All four of the couple’s children have autism, though it’s unclear whether Austin tried MMS with the other two.
Last year, British GP Jeff Foster commented on the use of MMS, explaining it does not treat autism or any other condition, The Sun report.
He said:
Autism is a neuro-developmental condition which is not amenable to any form of tablet treatment. It’s developed in the womb or in the early stages of life.
You just can’t reverse it and anyone claiming that does not understand the condition.
When you have very extreme measures like this to ‘cure’ a condition it’s just a roulette game. Eventually someone will die. It’s only a matter of time.
According to Fox News, key Scientology figures first brought MMS to the alternate treatment scene over 20 years ago.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.