An Unfortunate Coincidence

In her poignant account, Julie Obradovic discusses her heart-rending struggle with her daughter’s autism and her subsequent quest for answers. She reveals the feelings of depression and helplessness brought on by the diagnosis and her initial inability to find help. Unwilling to give up, however, Obradovic began fighting, finding a treatment for her daughter and going on to campaign on behalf of others. An Unfortunate Coincidence is the result of this fight. The account takes its readers through the political, historical, and scientific developments behind the greatest medical controversy of our time, including:

The findings of the vaccine injury compensation program
Investigations of CDC fraud and the subsequent congressional hearings and findings
The identical symptoms of autism and mercury poisoning
Eyewitness reports of families and educators
The author’s struggle to present her point of view and the backlash intended to silence it

Ultimately, An Unfortunate Coincidence will ask the readers to take a closer look at the evidence uncovered by ten years of research and decide just how many coincidence claims they are willing to accept.

Julie Obradovic is a teacher, a writer, and an advocate. She has spent almost twenty years in education and more than ten years advocating for families and children affected by autism. Her work has been featured in the Autism File magazine, GRAND magazine, the Age of Autism blog, and a number of other publications. She previously worked as an assistant to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on the Go Mercury-Free project. Obradovic and her husband reside in Chicago, Illinois, where they cohost the annual Rescue Our Angels fundraiser for Generation Rescue.

“An Unfortunate Coincidence perfectly illustrates . . . how a generation of our children was lost to toxins. With thought-provoking honesty, Julie’s memoir brings you to the edge of your emotions as you journey to understand how this could happen to a nation of children and what needs to be done now.” —Jenny McCarthy, author, radio host, and philanthropist

"A heartbreaking, brave, and inspiring memoir, this book shows how the perfect storm of toxins can take away our children, plunging them into a world we call autism. Julie Obradovic’s An Unfortunate Coincidence exposes how our children with autism and their families have become the casualties in a misguided and overzealous war against infectious disease. In sharing her story, Obradovic has given the world a gift. I cried while reading it, tears of sadness for all who suffer and for the children who will be needlessly damaged in the future, and tears of happiness that this book may be the game changer we so desperately need." —Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, co-author of The Vaccine-Friendly Plan: Dr. Paul's Safe and Effective Approach to Immunity and Health-from Pregnancy Through Your Child's Teen Years

“A heart-stopping, exquisitely well-written memoir. An Unfortunate Coincidence should be required reading for every doctor and parent in America. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about autism, this book will teach you something new. I couldn’t put it down.”—Jennifer Margulis, PhD, science journalist and author of Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family

“Raises questions about some possible causes of autism. . . [and] calls out some prominent doctors for their ties to pharmaceutical companies.” —Booklist