TMC PULSE

T M C » P U L S E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 15 When Rachel ran o, she could cover a lot of distance, fast, and she wouldn't respond to our shouts and pleas to return. Often she would wind up in dierent parts of our neighborhood. If we saw her take o, we dropped everything and chased her. Someone from the Hotez family running after Rachel was a common sight in our neighborhood, and often a caring neighbor would join in. … Her adventures often got us into dicult or even scary situations. Rachel's flights meant it was nearly impossible to take family vacations or have even modest outings as a family. Her autism demanded all hands on deck, including her siblings'. On this particular Saturday, Ann and the kids first went into the woods behind our house to hunt for Rachel, and then we piled in the car and drove to Rachel's usual spots, such as a local playground. Nothing. Back home, we started phoning neighbors. Had anyone seen her run by? No. Across the street lived a teenager named Kevin and his mother, Barbara. When I called their number, Rachel answered. "Rachel, what are you doing in Kevin's home?" I asked. "I'm looking in their refrigerator and at their photo album," she replied. "Rachel, get Kevin and put him on the phone." "Kevin's not here." "Well, then get me Barbara." "Barbara's not here either." There was excitement in her voice. "Nobody's home, just me." She had crawled through the pet entrance to enjoy an afternoon of Kevin and Barbara's hospitality by herself. Unable to reach Kevin or Barbara, we turned to Matt, who could still barely fit through the pet entrance. With an angry look, he went in and retrieved Rachel, telling us afterward to never again make a similar request! Reprinted from Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism © 2018 by Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. Published by Johns Hopkins University Press on Oct. 30, 2018. In the following excerpt from Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism, author Peter Hotez describes a day in Cheshire, Connecticut when 5-year-old Rachel, who loved the sensation of running, had disappeared from home. As always, Hotez, his wife, Ann, and Rachel's older siblings, Matt and Emy, stopped everything to search for her. l e p o w f o o t . c o m 4 0 + y e a r s o f e x p e r i e n c e B o a rd Ce r t i f i e d, A m e r i c a n B o a rd o f F o o t a n d A n k l e S u rg e r y 7 1 3 . 7 9 0 . 0 5 3 0 Texas Medical Center 7 1 3 . 9 5 1 . 5 0 0 0 Downtown Rapid Response Wound Care. Whether it's a severe wound to the lower extremities or a small sore or blister that just won't heal, Doctor Randal Lepow has the solution. He is Board Certified in Wound Care and knows the importance of fast intervention and treatment. He is available to consult with in-hospital patients or on an outpatient basis. Don't let a small wound turn into a big problem. Antibiotics alone usually aren't the answer. Contact our office today to arrange a consultation. EXCERPT

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