A mum-of-four is at war with her ex-husband after claims that she gave her sons bleach to 'cure their autism'.
Laurel Austin from Lenaxa, Missouri, said she started using Miracle Mineral Solution (otherwise known as MMS) in a bid to help her son Jeremy, now 28, as well as his brother, who has a less severe form of autism.
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According to The Sun, MMS is a mixture of industrial bleach containing sodium chlorinate and citrus acid diluted in water. It is something that experts have warned is 'corrosive and toxic' as well as being unproven in the treatment of autism.
Laurel's ex-husband Brad claims that she is 'abusing' their children by giving them this liquid.
Explaining her decision to try the controversial treatment, Laurel told Fox4KC: "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.
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"That's tortuous, and he deserves relief from that."
She took the decision to give MMS a go in June 2018 and stopped a year after. She then claimed there was a dramatic improvement to her sons' health and well-being.
She even claimed that MMC stopped Jeremy from having seizures, adding: "We've had amazing health improvements, amazing behaviour improvements. This has changed everything... My children have had improved health.
"If I was poisoning them with bleach, wouldn't their health be getting worse instead of better."
The boys' father Brad reported Laurel to the police, but action was dropped after blood tests results failed to bring up any signs of toxicity.
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Brad explained: "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."
When asked, Brad believes that the condition - which all four of the couple's children live with - was caused by genetics. Laurel, on the other hand, thinks her children's autism was caused by vaccines.
Last year, British GP Jeff Foster told The Sun that MMS does not treat autism, saying: "Autism is a neuro-developmental condition which is not amenable to any form of tablet treatment.
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"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."
Featured Image Credit: FOX4KC