A Bad Reaction : A Memoir
A Bad ReactionAuthor(s): Sarah BridgesA mother’s story of raising an autistic son, navigating the vaccine court, and confronting the widespread denial of a link between vaccines and autism.At four months old, Porter Bridges went in for his well-baby checkup and received an array of vaccines. That night he spiked a 105-degree fever and had a two-hour grand mal seizure. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors struggled to stabilize him while his family paced the halls waiting to hear if he was conscious. Though no one could know it at the time, Porter’s hospitalization marked the start of a terrifying and tragic decline in his health and the health of his family. And while the effects of Porter’s reaction would take years to fully develop, the cause was never in doubtPorter’s hospital record reads, Brain injury from pertussis vaccine.”Cognitive dissonance is the psychology term for that queasy feeling we get when things just don’t line up. Here are the facts: Porter is a healthy in