We at the Fluoride Action Network were delighted to receive the story written so beautifully by Julie Simms and printed below. It really speaks for itself and needs little introduction from me. But it does prompt me to ask if there are other readers and supporters out there who have had similar experiences. One of the things we hope to do in 2016 is to capture some of these personal accounts on video. So please let us know whether you are willing to go public in this way.
An update on our fundraiser
Thanks to all of you who helped us yesterday to edge a little closer to our mini-goal of $75,000 by midnight Christmas Eve. We received $1,780 from 15 donors, including $600 from one of our super-angels for passing a total of 300 donors. This brings our current total to $71,142 from 311 supporters.
When we reach $75,000 (hopefully before Christmas Eve) we have a little “surprise” to spring on you which will make the daunting task of reaching $200,000 from 1000 donors bymidnight Dec 31 just a little easier! To help us on our way today one generous supporter has offered to double the first $1,500 donated.
(See donation details and FAN’s “12-days-of-Christmas” competition below)
Paul Connett, PhD
Coordinator of FAN’s 2015 Fundraising campaign
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My Personal Story About Fluoride and FAN
By Julie Simms
I’m writing today to share my gratitude to FAN, along with my story and how your organization changed my life. I’ll be making a donation again this year, but somehow that didn’t seem like enough. I owe your organization tremendous thanks for helping me to win the battle of my life, which was discovering the primary cause of my 30-year struggle with migraines: Fluoride.
At the age of 7, I had my first glass of fluoridated drinking water. At 14, I experienced my first migraine headache. And though I have no family history of any sort of headaches, I spent 30 years suffering with chronic migraines. They were less common at first, just a few each year. Gradually they increased in frequency but also in severity and length of time they would last. Then by 2002, and for the next 12 years, I had a moderate to severe headache every single day. Every. Single. Day.
I tried all remedies you could imagine. Medications, vitamins, enzymes, exercise, diet, acupuncture, meditation, more sleep, less sleep, and I would often drink a lot of water in hopes of relieving possible dehydration.
In early 2013, a friend suggested fluoridated drinking water could be causing my headaches. Initially, I was very skeptical. I was a supporter of fluoridation and had even voted for it when I lived in Newport Beach CA. I heard it was safe and effective in caring for our teeth. I never thought to ask: What is the fluoride doing to the rest of our body?
Truthfully, I believed I would find research to tell me just that. The United States had been fluoridating water supplies for 60+ years and I expected to find studies to prove its safety. I visited the CDC and found loads of studies about the use of fluoride to treat dental caries, but nothing about safety for the rest of the body. When I searched beyond the CDC, I found FAN. I found an article about the effects of fluoride on the brain. I watched a video with a dentist talking about the warning labels on toothpaste about swallowing and yet, I was drinking glasses and glasses of this stuff daily. I saw names of medical and dental professionals who did not support water fluoridation. In other words, I saw enough evidence to at least try to see what would happen if I eliminated fluoridated drinking water.
So in 2013, I tried a fluoride-free life in hopes it would help. I expected everything else to help. Nothing did. I did NOT expect eliminating fluoride to work. Yet within 3 days my daily headaches were much less painful. Within a few weeks they were completely gone. And after 30 years of chronic pain, I got my life back.
I now know the main trigger of these headaches was fluoridated water. I know this in part because when I lived in non-fluoridated communities, I had no headaches. It was mysterious to me that I didn’t get migraines in some places I lived, such as Chico California and Tottori Japan. Those cities don’t fluoridate. But in other cities, such as San Francisco and Palo Alto California, I had several headaches a month. And I also know this because I took part in a strict fluoride elimination diet, such as people use to identify allergens.
My doctor has further advised me not to bathe in fluoridated water, so I also started to filter that water.
But I worry how many other Americans are unknowingly suffering side effects of fluoridated water. I worry for infants, the immune compromised and those with sensitivities, like me.
Giving a substance to every member of society without consideration of their medical history, recommended dose, or sensitivity to medication and toxins is unethical and can have serious, widespread health effects.
Thank you FAN for offering information, local resources, and assistance to those looking for information. We should have been given that information by those who promised fluoride was safe, even for systemic use. I for one am ready for the day when my tap water will be free of fluoride.
Thank you, FAN!
Julie Simms
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Donation Details
Have you thought of entering our grand “12 days of Christmas” competition? Its very simple just make a donation of $20 or more and send us your guess of the total for donations and donors we will reach by our deadline (email: info@fluoridealert.org ). The closest to this total dollar amount will win (in the event of a tie the one closer to the total number of donors wins).
There are TWELVE prizes (one added each day like the carol, 12 days of Christmas). So far we have the following prizes
1) A presentation by Michael or Paul Connett in your community (FAN will pay air fare anywhere in North America and half anywhere else).
2) 10 copies of the prize-winning videotapeFluorideGate, donated by Dr. David Kennedy.
3) 1 deck of playing cards donated by FAN’s Science Director Chris Neurath. These cards have on their playing surface 52 reasons for ending fluoridation, with two jokers who disagree (the ADA and the CDC).
4) A copy of The Case Against Fluoride signed by co-author donated by Paul Connett, Senior Advisor to FAN.
5 – 12) FAN will continue to add to this list daily BUT we invite you to do the same with a fun or exciting gift of your own (don’t send it just email us a description of what you would like to donate to info@fluoridealert.org )
We urge you to get together with friends and families to coordinate your efforts. Only one guess per person is allowed. Meanwhile please consider a donation today to get us closer to our mini-goal of $75,000 by midnight Christmas eve.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Fluoride Action Network, a project of the American Environmental Health Studies Project, you can either:
- Donate online using our secure server. If you should experience difficulty in donating at our secure server, please call Network For Good at 1-888-284-7978 and press option 3 to make your donation over the phone.
- Or by check – please make checks payable to Fluoride Action Network and send to: FAN, c/o Connett, 104 Walnut Street, Binghamton NY 13905
See the many GIFTS available for your donation!
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