Generation Rescue

The organization was established in 2005 by Lisa and J.B. Handley and 150 volunteer "Rescue Angels". More recently, it was led by Jenny McCarthy, an author, television personality and former Playboy model.{{cite journal |last= Coombes |first= R |title= Vaccine disputes |journal= BMJ |volume= 338 |page= b2435 |year= 2009 |pmid= 19546136 |doi= 10.1136/bmj.b2435 |s2cid= 37280530 |url= http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/documents/vaccines/Vaccine%20disputes,%20BMJ.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110716055010/http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/documents/vaccines/Vaccine%20disputes%2C%20BMJ.pdf |archive-date= 2011-07-16 }} Since McCarthy became president, the organization was rebranded variously as "Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey's Autism Organization", "Jenny McCarthy's Generation Rescue" and "Jenny McCarthy's Autism Organization".{{cite book |last= Mnookin |first= Seth |author-link= Seth Mnookin |year= 2012 |title= The Panic Virus: The True Story Behind the Vaccine-Autism Controversy |publisher= Simon & Schuster |location= New York |isbn= 978-1-4391-5865-4 |page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=l_KwCOs3QhsC&pg=PA258 258] }} Bonnie Rochman wrote in Time, "...McCarthy's celebrity status has meant that her affiliation with Generation Rescue, an organization that links autism with immunization, has spooked thousands of parents, encouraging them to reject vaccines for their children — the same vaccines that are responsible for saving lives around the world."{{cite news |last= Rochman |first= Bonnie |date= 2012-05-23 |title= Why Jenny McCarthy doesn't matter |url= https://healthland.time.com/2012/05/23/why-jenny-mccarthy-doesnt-matter/ |magazine= Time |department= Family Matters |access-date= 2014-10-04}}

Generation Rescue proposed a number of possible causes for developmental-related issues, such as vaccines, the increase in the number of vaccines administered, and thiomersal,{{Cite book |title=Autism's false prophets: bad science, risky medicine, and the search for a cure |last=Offit |first=Paul A. |date=2010 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-51796-6 |edition=Paperback |location=New York |page=116 |oclc=694142893}} a mercury-based vaccine preservative.{{cite news |last= Willingham |first= Emily |author-link=Emily Willingham|date= 2014-02-20 |title= On autism, environmental toxicants, and bias |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2014/02/20/on-autism-environmental-toxicants-and-bias/ |work= Forbes |access-date= 2014-10-04}} Generation Rescue claimed that biomedical intervention could help children recover.{{cite news |last= Willingham |first= Emily |author-link=Emily Willingham|date= 2012-11-05 |title= We can now add forced sweating to the faux autism treatment list |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2012/11/05/we-can-now-add-forced-sweating-to-the-faux-autism-treatment-list/ |work= Forbes |access-date= 2014-10-04}} The hypotheses that vaccines, such as MMR, or thiomersal cause autism have been refuted by scientific research,Vaccines and autism:

• {{cite journal |journal= Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences |year= 2006 |volume= 33 |issue= 4 |pages= 341–6 |title= Immunizations and autism: A review of the literature |last1= Doja |first1= A |last2= Roberts |first2= W |pmid= 17168158 |doi=10.1017/s031716710000528x|doi-access= free }}
• {{cite journal |last1= Gerber |first1= JS |author-link2= Paul Offit |last2= Offit |first2= Paul A. |title= Vaccines and autism: A tale of shifting hypotheses |journal= Clinical Infectious Diseases |volume= 48 |issue= 4 |pages= 456–61 |year= 2009 |pmid= 19128068 |pmc= 2908388 |doi= 10.1086/596476 }}
• {{cite journal |last= Gross |first= L |title= A broken trust: Lessons from the vaccine–autism wars |journal= PLOS Biology |volume= 7 |issue= 5 |page= e1000114 |year= 2009 |pmid= 19478850 |doi= 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000114 |pmc= 2682483 |doi-access= free }}
• {{cite journal |journal= The New England Journal of Medicine |year= 2007 |volume= 357 |issue= 13 |pages= 1278–9 |title= Thimerosal and vaccines—a cautionary tale |last= Offit |first= Paul A. |s2cid= 36318722 |author-link= Paul Offit |doi= 10.1056/NEJMp078187 |pmid= 17898096 |doi-access= free }}
• {{cite journal |last= Paul |first= R |title= Parents ask: Am I risking autism if I vaccinate my children? |journal= Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |volume= 39 |issue= 6 |pages= 962–3 |year= 2009 |pmid= 19363650 |doi= 10.1007/s10803-009-0739-y|s2cid= 34467853 }}

as have claims that diets, drugs or chelation can cure autism.Claims of autism cures:

• {{cite journal |journal= Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics |year= 2006 |volume= 27 |issue= 2 Suppl 2 |pages= S162–71 |title= Elimination diets in autism spectrum disorders: Any wheat amidst the chaff? |last1= Christison |first1= GW |last2= Ivany |first2= K |pmid= 16685183 |doi= 10.1097/00004703-200604002-00015}}
• {{cite journal |journal= Autism |year= 2007 |volume= 11 |issue= 4 |pages= 335–48 |title= Systematic review of the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder |last1= Broadstock |first1= M |last2= Doughty |first2= C |last3= Eggleston |first3= M |doi= 10.1177/1362361307078132 |pmid= 17656398|s2cid= 42629626 }}
• {{cite journal |last1= Davis |first1= TN |last2= O'Reilly |first2= M |last3= Kang |first3= S |last4= Lang |first4= R |last5= Rispoli |first5= M |last6= Sigafoos |first6= J |last7= Lancioni |first7= G |last8= Copeland |first8= D |last9= Attai |first9= S |last10= Mulloy |first10=A |display-authors= 4 |title= Chelation treatment for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review |journal= Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders |volume= 7 |issue= 1 |year= 2013 |pages= 49–55 |doi= 10.1016/j.rasd.2012.06.005}}

Because of Generation Rescue's public profile through national advertising and because its point of view was not shared by the mainstream medical community, its message was controversial,{{cite news |url= http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/debunking-the-link-between-autism-and-vaccination-20100204-nf9p.html |location= Melbourne |newspaper= The Age |title= Debunking the link between autism and vaccination |first= Nick |last= Miller |date= 2010-02-04 |access-date= 4 February 2010 |archive-date= 7 November 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121107031446/http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/debunking-the-link-between-autism-and-vaccination-20100204-nf9p.html |url-status= dead }} and the organization has been described as anti-vaccine.{{cite news |last= Salzberg |first= Steven |author-link= Steven Salzberg |date= 2010-12-31 |title= Why do we need to 'recontrol' Whooping Cough? |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/sciencebiz/2010/12/31/why-do-we-need-to-recontrol-whooping-cough/ |work= Forbes |access-date= 2014-10-04}}{{cite news |url= http://www.newsweek.com/2009/02/20/anatomy-of-a-scare.html |title= Anatomy of a scare |first= Sharon |last= Begley |magazine=Newsweek |date= 2009-02-21}}{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/health/16vaccine.html |title= Swine flu shots revive a debate about vaccines |first= Jennifer |last= Steinhauer |newspaper= The New York Times |date= 2009-10-15}}

Several products and treatments recommended by Generation Rescue to their members were sold by members of their board of directors or their medical advisory board. A $20,000 hyperbaric chamber sold by a firm whose president was then-board member Samir Patel was promoted by the group. Generation Rescue also encouraged its members to seek hyperbaric treatments from Dan Rossignol, who was a member of their science advisory board. Another member of that board, Anjum Usman Singh, also offered such treatments and received a reprimand by the medical board of the California Department of Consumer Affairs for failing to disclose she held a financial interest in the company selling the chambers she used with her patients.

Generation Rescue recommended lollipops enriched with vitamins sold by a company co-founded by Stan Kurtz and owned by Candace McDonald, who respectively served as president and executive director of Generation Rescue. For a time, the lollipops were sold directly through the group's website. A $2,000 foot bath that was promoted by Generation Rescue was sold by a sponsor of the group who contributed a minimum of $25,000 to its operating budget.

None of these featured products were recognized by the medical community as effective treatments related to autism. Until March, 2019, the organization also offered grants to some families, with which they would buy products offered by companies sponsoring Generation Rescue.{{Cite news|url=https://jezebel.com/jenny-mccarthys-autism-charity-has-helped-its-board-mem-1832461139|title=Jenny McCarthy's Autism Charity Has Helped Its Board Members Make Money Off Dangerous, Discredited Ideas|last=Merlan|first=Anna|date= March 20, 2019|work=Jezebel|access-date= March 28, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329171221/https://jezebel.com/jenny-mccarthys-autism-charity-has-helped-its-board-mem-1832461139|archive-date= March 29, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/debunked/2016/09/27/upcoming-dallas-autism-summit-peddles-unproven-treatmentsby-discredited-medical-professionals|title=Anti-vaxxer Jenny McCarthy's autism summit peddles dangerous treatments, features discredited doctors|last=Yasmin|first=Seema |author-link1=Seema Yasmin |date=September 2016|work=Dallas News|access-date=March 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329171551/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/debunked/2016/09/27/upcoming-dallas-autism-summit-peddles-unproven-treatmentsby-discredited-medical-professionals|url-status=live|archive-date=March 29, 2019}}

On June 19, 2017, Generation Rescue held a fundraising event in St. Charles, Illinois with Jenny McCarthy and husband Donnie Wahlberg, with part of the proceeds to be put aside for the construction of an integrative health clinic. Construction of the clinic begun in July, under a company managed by Candace McDonald, who was then executive director of Generation Rescue. Jenny McCarthy herself was on hand for the ground-breaking ceremony. The clinic was to open in January, 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/01/14/setback-for-contractor-suing-over-unfinished-clinic-with-ties-to-jenny-mccarthy/amvhj2p/|title=Setback for contractor suing over unfinished clinic with ties to Jenny McCarthy|last=Schory|first=Brenda|date=January 16, 2019|work=Kane County Chronicle|access-date=March 29, 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329185011/https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/01/14/setback-for-contractor-suing-over-unfinished-clinic-with-ties-to-jenny-mccarthy/amvhj2p/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.kcchronicle.com/2017/06/22/ground-breaking-takes-place-in-st-charles-for-integrative-health-clinic/apcnmjh/|title=Ground breaking takes place in St. Charles for integrative health clinic|date=July 4, 2017|work=Kane County Chronicle|access-date=March 29, 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329185011/https://www.kcchronicle.com/2017/06/22/ground-breaking-takes-place-in-st-charles-for-integrative-health-clinic/apcnmjh/|url-status=dead}}

Construction was stopped in 2017 and the construction contractor filed a lawsuit for non-payment of invoices amounting to $500,000. Generation Rescue denied it had any links to the construction of the clinic.{{Cite news|url=https://radaronline.com/videos/jenny-mccarthy-charity-generation-rescue-charity-lawsuit/|title=Jenny McCarthy's Charity Tied to Lawsuits Over Multi-Million Project|date=December 7, 2017|work=Radar Online|access-date=March 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329181401/https://radaronline.com/videos/jenny-mccarthy-charity-generation-rescue-charity-lawsuit/|archive-date=March 29, 2019}} However, Generation Rescue, Candace McDonald and Jenny McCarthy were named in the suit as respondents in discovery.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kcchronicle.com/lists/2017/09/22/a4c960bb275c471b9f4df8283567227d/index.xml?page=3|title=Generation Rescue project with ties to Jenny McCarthy subject of lawsuit|date=November 13, 2017|work=Kane County Chronicle|access-date=April 25, 2019}} The lawsuit was settled; while the terms of the settlement were confidential, title to the site of the proposed clinic was relinquished to the contractor, who had intended to redraw the building's floor plans and finish individual suites.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/05/06/unfinished-clinic-with-ties-to-jenny-mccarthys-autism-charity-transferred-to-contractor/afxqd1o/|title=Unfinished clinic with ties to Jenny McCarthy's autism charity transferred to contractor|date=May 8, 2018|work=Kane County Chronicle|access-date=April 25, 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329175219/https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/05/06/unfinished-clinic-with-ties-to-jenny-mccarthys-autism-charity-transferred-to-contractor/afxqd1o/|url-status=dead}} The property was subsequently developed as Fiore Salon Suites.{{Cite web|url=http://members.stcharleschamber.com/list/member/fiore-salon-suites-10136|title=Fiore Salon Suites|work=St. Charles Chamber of Commerce|access-date=April 25, 2019}}

Generation Rescue previously co-sponsored an annual conference in Chicago along with another controversial charity, Autism One. The choice of speakers at these conferences led critics to accuse both organizations of promoting unproven therapies, such as the Miracle Mineral Solution, as a purported cure for autism.On conferences:

• {{cite news |last= Salzberg |first= Steven |author-link= Steven Salzberg |date= 2012-05-27 |title= Nobel laureate joins anti-vaccination crowd at Autism One |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2012/05/27/nobel-laureate-joins-anti-vaccination-crowd-at-autism-one/ |work= Forbes |access-date= 2014-10-04 }}
• {{cite web |url= http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2011/06/autismone-throws-their-support-behind-the-geiers-in-autism-science-digest/ |title= AutismOne throws their support behind the Geiers in Autism Science Digest |publisher= leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk |date= 2011-06-16}}
• {{cite web |first= David |last= Gorski |author-link= David Gorski |url= http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/bleaching-away-what-ails-you/ |title= Bleaching away what ails you |publisher= ScienceBasedMedicine.org |date= 2012-05-28}}
• {{cite web |url= http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2012/05/mms-or-how-to-cure-autism-with-bleach-brought-to-you-by-autismone/ |title= MMS, or how to cure autism with bleach. Brought to you by AutismOne. |publisher= LeftBrainRightBrain.co.uk |date= 2012-05-29 }}

These conferences have also been criticized because Andrew Wakefield has spoken at them.{{cite web |url= http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/17/opinion/perry-jenny-mccarthy-autism/ |title= Jenny McCarthy and fear-based parenting |publisher= CNN |date= 2013-07-17 | access-date= 2014-09-29 |last= Perry |first= David M.}} They have also been criticized because many of the speakers presenting "so-called treatments" have a financial interest in them.{{sfn|Salzberg|2012}}

J.B. Handley said of Andrew Wakefield, originator of the claim that the MMR vaccine causes autism: "To our community, Andrew Wakefield is Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ rolled up into one. He's a symbol of how all of us feel."{{cite news |last= Dominus |first= Susan |date= 2011-04-20 |title= Crash and burn of an autism guru |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/magazine/mag-24Autism-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2& |newspaper= The New York Times }}{{cite web |last= McNamee |first= David |date= 2014-03-26 |title= Evidence supports it, so why are parents still reluctant to vaccinate their children? |url= http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/274619.php |work= Medical News Today |publisher= MediLexicon |access-date= 2014-10-03}} However, Wakefield's work has been characterized as "an elaborate fraud",On Wakefield's fraudulent study:

• {{cite journal |year= 2011 |doi= 10.1136/bmj.c7452 |pages= c7452 |volume= 342 |title= Wakefield's article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent |last1= Godlee |first1= F |last2= Smith |first2= J |last3= Marcovitch |first3= H |journal = BMJ |url= http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7452.full |pmid= 21209060|s2cid= 43640126 |url-access= subscription }}
• {{cite journal |title= How the case against the MMR vaccine was fixed |last= Deer |first= B |author-link= Brian Deer |journal= BMJ |year= 2011 |volume= 342 |page= c5347 |url= http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5347.full |doi= 10.1136/bmj.c5347 |pmid= 21209059|s2cid= 46683674 |url-access= subscription }}
• {{cite web |last= Hensley |first= Scott |url= https://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/06/132703314/study-linking-childhood-vaccine-and-autism-was-fraudulent |publisher= NPR |title= Study linking childhood vaccine and autism was fraudulent |date= 2011-01-06 |access-date= 2014-10-04}}
• {{cite news |publisher= CNN |title= Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' British journal finds |url= http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/05/autism.vaccines/index.html |date= 2011-01-06 |access-date= 2011-01-06| location= Atlanta}}

and parental fears over vaccines sparked by the controversy, and by continued advocacy of the disproven theory by groups such as Generation Rescue despite, have led, in turn, to decreased immunization rates and an increased incidence of whooping cough and measles, a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease.{{cite news |url= http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-vaccine2-2008may02,0,6944471.story |title= Rise in measles prompts concern |last= Lin |first= RG II |newspaper= Los Angeles Times |date= 2008-05-02 |access-date= 2008-11-04}}

Generation Rescue issued a statement that the "media circus" following the revelation of Wakefield's fraud and manipulation of data was "much ado about nothing". Salon responded to Generation Rescue's statement with:{{blockquote|But any organization using a celebrity to mislead parents with claims of "new" data that rely on decade-old vaccine formulas and schedules is more than disingenuous, it's flat-out dangerous.|Mary Elizabeth Williams{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/01/06/jenny_mccarthy_autism_debate/ |last= Williams |first= Mary Elizabeth |title= Jenny McCarthy's autism fight grows more misguided |work= Salon |date= 2011-01-06 |access-date= 2011-01-07}}}}

Much of Generation Rescue's case was based on publications that did not go through a proper peer review process.{{cite book |title= Vaccines for Biodefense and Emerging and Neglected Diseases |isbn= 978-0-08-091902-7 |first1= Alan D.T. |last1= Barrett |first2= Lawrence R. |last2= Stanberry |year= 2009 |page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=6Nu058ZNa1MC&lpg=PA264 264] |publisher= Academic Press }} Writing for Forbes, Emily Willingham characterized Generation Rescue as "an organization devoted to the debunked notion that vaccines cause autism and that autistic people can be 'recovered' from their autism by way of various unproven and sometimes dangerous interventions, including chelation."{{cite news |last= Willingham |first= Emily |author-link=Emily Willingham|date= 2012-10-22 |title= Jenny McCarthy is a newspaper columnist |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2012/10/22/jenny-mccarthy-is-a-newspaper-columnist/ |magazine= Forbes |access-date= 2014-10-03}}

• Outline of autism
• List of vaccine topics

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite episode |url= https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/vaccines/ |title= The Vaccine War |network= PBS |series= Frontline |date= 2010-04-27}}

{{Autism resources}}

{{Pervasive developmental disorders}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Autism-related organizations based in the United States

Category:Charities based in California

Category:Organizations established in 2005

Category:Anti-vaccination in the United States

Category:Autism pseudoscience

Category:2005 establishments in California