Recovery Stories
Read inspiring Recovery Stories from individuals who have transformed their health through integrative and holistic approaches. Learn how others have overcome various health challenges and find hope and motivation for your own wellness journey. Recovery is possible!
Archie's Story
Archie is a young boy who was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, when he was just three and a half years old. Despite initially presenting differently than a typical autistic child, Archie’s mother knew that something was not right, and the diagnosis was a huge relief for their family. However, navigating the road ahead was difficult, as there was little information or support available.
Thankfully, a chance encounter with Pete Evans led Archie’s mother to the Mind Foundation, where they found the help and support they needed to address Archie’s symptoms and improve his quality of life. The journey has been challenging, but the family is grateful for the support they received, and they are optimistic about Archie’s future.
Families worldwide are benefiting from biomedical and integrative intervention. In the case of autism, thousands of children have all but lost their diagnosis.
While there is currently no absolute “cure” for all individuals with Autism, thousands of children worldwide are recovering and going into mainstream schools with the help of Biomedical Intervention. Best outcomes lie in a well-trained Biomedical practitioner and committed parents/carers who must make some big dietary and lifestyle changes.
Below are interviews and write-ups on how biomedicine has helped Australian families treat various disorders
Autism
Autism: Natural Healing By Nichola (with Marj). The first edition of this article appeared in WellBeing magazine earlier this year. You can find out more about Nichola and Tom at their blog www.aliveandwell.co
The other day, my husband Sam took our 8-year-old son, Tom, out for some one-on-one time. It’s fundamental to the way he connects with all of our children individually.With our two other sons, they’ll generally head out of the house to the cricket nets or footy oval for some practice, or to a local café for a bite to eat. But Tom had always had his one-on-one time in his playroom at home, because he’s autistic and it’s where he feels safe. For a while there he didn’t even venture out into his own backyard.So you can imagine our delight at the following conversation:
”When am I going to have one-on-one time with you, Dad?”
“We have one-on-one time in your playroom all the time!”
“No, when are we going to have one-on-one time OUTSIIIIDE the house, like you have with my brothers?”
“Whenever you’re ready! What would you like to do?”
“I’d like to go to the oval and kick the football with you.”
Wow. He actually wanted to go out. Little moment, big deal. Ticker-tape-parade stuff. We were jumping up and down with excitement at this new chapter in our incredible son’s life.
Tom was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 5. Soon after, he battled whooping cough and a bout of the flu, and his health and development regressed severely. It was like he had checked out of life. Folded into himself. The world had simply become a terrifying place for him.
It was a confusing time. We were desperate for answers for our beautiful, gentle, capable boy who seemed to be slipping away from us more and more each day. But when a doctor suggested we put him on anxiety medication, I knew that wasn’t an option I wanted to take – and I was surprised that the offer was made so readily, so lightly. I couldn’t see how it would help him. I wanted to know why he was so anxious.
The first piece of the healing puzzle.
One day, as I searched the shelves of our local bookstore yet again, I came across a book called ‘What You Can Do Right Now for Your Child with Autism’ by Jonathan Levy, a former teacher at the Autism Treatment Center of America (ATCA).
1. Social skills development
The ATCA runs a unique treatment program called the Son-Rise Program, which advocates a loving, accepting approach to helping children with autism. Jonathan’s book was like a quick ‘start-up’ guide, and when we applied some of the techniques, we saw an immediate change in our son. It seemed to bring out the best in him – and us.
We travelled to the ATCA to learn how to run our own play-based social skills program at home. Son-Rise helped us create a nurturing environment packed with things that were interesting to Tom, that used his own motivations to develop his skills. It also helped us recognise when he was open to interaction and learning and – just as importantly – when he needed to be in control, or in his own ‘world’. By being respectful of where he’s at, we know when to encourage his growth in our world, and when to join him in his world. Both places have vital roles to play in his life.
2. Natural, integrative medicine
A fellow Australian at our ATCA training led us to her son’s extraordinary holistic doctor, Dr Robyn Cosford in Sydney, who started providing answers to Tom’s physical decline at our very first appointment thanks in part to some biological test results that showed the extent of the damage. He was literally breaking down internally.
With a wholefoods-based diet, herbal medicine, supplements and total avoidance of processed non-foods, refined sugars, flavours, colours and enhancers (basically, anything with numbers on the back of the pack), Dr Cosford guided the restoration of Tom’s physical health. Slowly but surely, his confidence grew. He started to smile and laugh again. He went into our backyard to play cricket, bounce on the trampoline, ride his bike. He resisted less, and interacted more. He regained some skills he’d lost, and developed new ones. He looked like a strong, fit, rosy-cheeked little boy.
I give thanks for those rosy cheeks every night. They are so precious to me.
3. Neuro-developmental exercises
Another Son-Rise mum led us to the HANDLE Institute, which gave us some simple, fun neuro-developmental exercises that encouraged Tom’s brain to be plastic, integrate information and learn critical new skills. By laying down new neurological pathways, some of the dusty country roads in Tom’s brain have become speedways – and his crippling sensory challenges have all but disappeared as a result.
Together, these three interventions have helped Tom to grow and thrive naturally. Indeed, they make up the ‘three-legged stool’ of his development, because none would have worked as well without the support of the others. And I know that whether or not he ‘recovers’ is irrelevant, because the word itself misses the point for me. Autism is part of what makes him the person he is, and even though I want to ensure he develops as much as he possibly can, I would never want him to ‘recover’ from being him.
Of course, every child – including children with autism – is different, and different children respond to different things.
What I can say for sure is that our experience with Tom – and the healing professionals we’ve worked with – has taught us many things, from the importance of living in the present and celebrating life’s little moments, to the body’s ability to heal itself and the power of ‘food as medicine’. It has shown us that Tom is our teacher, the one who encourages us to be the most unconditionally loving, generous and grateful people we can be.
As a bonus, it has also helped my whole family overcome a range of niggling health issues – including my youngest son’s asthma and my own lifelong struggle with eczema. And I’ve been inspired to build on my scientific background and undertake RMIT’s Masters of Wellness so I can help others find answers too.
For me, that’s the meaning of ‘the gift of autism’, and hopefully I’ll pay it back in spades in time.
Find out more at Nichola’s blog: www.aliveandwell.co
Autism: Natural Healing By Nichola (with Marj). The first edition of this article appeared in WellBeing magazine earlier this year. You can find out more about Nichola and Tom at their blog www.aliveandwell.co
The other day, my husband Sam took our 8-year-old son, Tom, out for some one-on-one time. It’s fundamental to the way he connects with all of our children individually.With our two other sons, they’ll generally head out of the house to the cricket nets or footy oval for some practice, or to a local café for a bite to eat. But Tom had always had his one-on-one time in his playroom at home, because he’s autistic and it’s where he feels safe. For a while there he didn’t even venture out into his own backyard.So you can imagine our delight at the following conversation:
”When am I going to have one-on-one time with you, Dad?”
“We have one-on-one time in your playroom all the time!”
“No, when are we going to have one-on-one time OUTSIIIIDE the house, like you have with my brothers?”
“Whenever you’re ready! What would you like to do?”
“I’d like to go to the oval and kick the football with you.”
Wow. He actually wanted to go out. Little moment, big deal. Ticker-tape-parade stuff. We were jumping up and down with excitement at this new chapter in our incredible son’s life.
Tom was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 5. Soon after, he battled whooping cough and a bout of the flu, and his health and development regressed severely. It was like he had checked out of life. Folded into himself. The world had simply become a terrifying place for him.
It was a confusing time. We were desperate for answers for our beautiful, gentle, capable boy who seemed to be slipping away from us more and more each day. But when a doctor suggested we put him on anxiety medication, I knew that wasn’t an option I wanted to take – and I was surprised that the offer was made so readily, so lightly. I couldn’t see how it would help him. I wanted to know why he was so anxious.
The first piece of the healing puzzle.
One day, as I searched the shelves of our local bookstore yet again, I came across a book called ‘What You Can Do Right Now for Your Child with Autism’ by Jonathan Levy, a former teacher at the Autism Treatment Center of America (ATCA).
1. Social skills development
The ATCA runs a unique treatment program called the Son-Rise Program, which advocates a loving, accepting approach to helping children with autism. Jonathan’s book was like a quick ‘start-up’ guide, and when we applied some of the techniques, we saw an immediate change in our son. It seemed to bring out the best in him – and us.
We travelled to the ATCA to learn how to run our own play-based social skills program at home. Son-Rise helped us create a nurturing environment packed with things that were interesting to Tom, that used his own motivations to develop his skills. It also helped us recognise when he was open to interaction and learning and – just as importantly – when he needed to be in control, or in his own ‘world’. By being respectful of where he’s at, we know when to encourage his growth in our world, and when to join him in his world. Both places have vital roles to play in his life.
2. Natural, integrative medicine
A fellow Australian at our ATCA training led us to her son’s extraordinary holistic doctor, Dr Robyn Cosford in Sydney, who started providing answers to Tom’s physical decline at our very first appointment thanks in part to some biological test results that showed the extent of the damage. He was literally breaking down internally.
With a wholefoods-based diet, herbal medicine, supplements and total avoidance of processed non-foods, refined sugars, flavours, colours and enhancers (basically, anything with numbers on the back of the pack), Dr Cosford guided the restoration of Tom’s physical health. Slowly but surely, his confidence grew. He started to smile and laugh again. He went into our backyard to play cricket, bounce on the trampoline, ride his bike. He resisted less, and interacted more. He regained some skills he’d lost, and developed new ones. He looked like a strong, fit, rosy-cheeked little boy.
I give thanks for those rosy cheeks every night. They are so precious to me.
3. Neuro-developmental exercises
Another Son-Rise mum led us to the HANDLE Institute, which gave us some simple, fun neuro-developmental exercises that encouraged Tom’s brain to be plastic, integrate information and learn critical new skills. By laying down new neurological pathways, some of the dusty country roads in Tom’s brain have become speedways – and his crippling sensory challenges have all but disappeared as a result.
Together, these three interventions have helped Tom to grow and thrive naturally. Indeed, they make up the ‘three-legged stool’ of his development, because none would have worked as well without the support of the others. And I know that whether or not he ‘recovers’ is irrelevant, because the word itself misses the point for me. Autism is part of what makes him the person he is, and even though I want to ensure he develops as much as he possibly can, I would never want him to ‘recover’ from being him.
Of course, every child – including children with autism – is different, and different children respond to different things.
What I can say for sure is that our experience with Tom – and the healing professionals we’ve worked with – has taught us many things, from the importance of living in the present and celebrating life’s little moments, to the body’s ability to heal itself and the power of ‘food as medicine’. It has shown us that Tom is our teacher, the one who encourages us to be the most unconditionally loving, generous and grateful people we can be.
As a bonus, it has also helped my whole family overcome a range of niggling health issues – including my youngest son’s asthma and my own lifelong struggle with eczema. And I’ve been inspired to build on my scientific background and undertake RMIT’s Masters of Wellness so I can help others find answers too.
For me, that’s the meaning of ‘the gift of autism’, and hopefully I’ll pay it back in spades in time.
Find out more at Nichola’s blog: www.aliveandwell.co
Recovery Story
Rhonda
My story is very similar to so many other mums out there. My beautiful son was progressing “normally”, running at 8mths just like his two lively and adventurous big brothers. He constantly followed his doting big sister, eagerly joining her in cheeky, imaginative play whilst chatting away. The only difference with him was that he was constantly unwell as a baby; his immune system did not mature.
A move from the family home in Townsville to Sydney, saw our son’s behaviour deteriorate. He started becoming stressed. At 20 months we started to lose him. It was like the lights had started to switch off; lack of eye contact, bowel movement every 7-10 days if lucky and he became a very picky eater. He would only eat bread, cheese, yoghurt, nuggets, chips, biscuits and ice-cream. He had a very weak immune system, constantly sick with asthma, ear infections, and chest infections. He lost ALL speech and could not communicate at all. He lost his fine motor skills. He suffered silent seizures. He would scream and hit his head when anyone tried to speak to him. He had a high pain threshold. He was non-responsive to his name and very sensitive to touch. No one could touch him. He had a total fear of crowds and noise. He walked on his toes and rocked. He had very irregular sleep patterns. He looked ill; extremely pale, black circles under his eyes and had a bloated tummy. It was a total nightmare – I had lost my baby boy.
And worst of all, it seemed like we were all alone and that no one understood. Our whole family started to fall apart! Our first port of call was the local GP, who, along with a long list of other subsequent doctors and specialists quickly dismissed our son’s strange behaviour as temporary. No one seemed to give much credence to his symptoms – one doctor even prescribed me anti-depressants, suggesting I was becoming obsessed with his ‘misdiagnosis’. It took almost 9 months to get a diagnosis of Autism.
Here is a big tip- don’t doubt the Mum!
I was not one to get into a debate about whether there is a cure for Autism. I simply wanted my son to become well again. I wanted to see his personality reappear. I wanted my baby boy to come back to me. I can honestly say, thanks to one particular conversation in my daughter’s school playground, our lives changed for the better. We were introduced to the Mindd Foundation and we now adopt an Integrative approach:
- A diet which promotes wellness by removing offending foods such as Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn and focuses on nutrient-rich animal fats and protein.
- A Mindd-trained Biomedical Paediatrician who specialises in Autism & ADD. He measured my son’s blood and prescribed nutrient therapy (zinc, magnesium, B6, fish oil and more) according to his individual needs. This supported his body to recover, to improving his Metabolism, his Immune system, his Neurological system and his Digestive system and Developmental milestones.
- A Homeopath who helped to build the immune system.
Over a short period of time, the clarity returned. The fog had lifted. He was able to learn again. This was the light at the end of the tunnel. It enabled us to actively and effectively start the standard well-known form of Intensive Early Intervention (Speech, OT). Through more research, I found another wonderful Not for Profit Organisation, AEIOU, who offered a full-time program with a permanent Speech & Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, qualified teachers & facilitators. The only downfall was that it was only in Queensland. So the kids and I reluctantly left my husband in Sydney to return to Townsville to commence full time intensive Early Intervention with AEIOU.
Once I felt we had the right team of support (i.e. practitioners and therapists with knowledge and experience), I realised I no longer had to fight to be heard. Most importantly, I felt understood. It enabled me to relax a little. This then opened the doors for me to get into the community… a new world for me – the disability sector. It was a way for me to engage with others living it day in and day out, a way for me to learn even more and hopefully make a difference for others. I felt that we were so fortunate, we were getting fantastic results. Did anyone else know that recovery was even possible? I wanted to share this wonderful discovery.
My little man completed his time at AEIOU, 2 years in total. At the end of 2010, the kids and I gleefully joined my husband again and we are currently enjoying the beautiful weather Mackay has to offer. Our son is now 6 years of age and full time at Prep. We are constantly amazed and so proud of his achievements (and of course our endurance and perseverance). What a total turn around, he now eats a wonderful variety of foods, he can now hold a conversation and is constantly asking questions, even arguing (ahhh), He is reading and writing, loves going to the footy, is actively involved in sport, plays the piano (cause he’s going to be a “Rock Star”). He is coping better with social concepts, and most importantly (to me) he expresses his feelings very freely. He is a happy little boy. He tells me he loves me… all the hard work is so worth it! All the classics symptoms of Autism have almost disappeared. We still continue with Speech as we had almost 2 years without communication, although he’s not far behind his peers now.
We have not looked back. Our family, especially his siblings, have endured so much throughout this journey. We now have time to be a family again, one filled with love, laughter and good health. Family support is crucial, finding other parents to listen, provide support and guide you to find what is best for your family is just as vital. Mindd Foundation helps provide this important network.
Rhonda is a health coach based in McKay QLD who specialises in supporting families dealing with Autism, ADHD and neuro-developmental disorders.
Email: rhonda.muller@bigpond.com
Rhonda
My story is very similar to so many other mums out there. My beautiful son was progressing “normally”, running at 8mths just like his two lively and adventurous big brothers. He constantly followed his doting big sister, eagerly joining her in cheeky, imaginative play whilst chatting away. The only difference with him was that he was constantly unwell as a baby; his immune system did not mature.
A move from the family home in Townsville to Sydney, saw our son’s behaviour deteriorate. He started becoming stressed. At 20 months we started to lose him. It was like the lights had started to switch off; lack of eye contact, bowel movement every 7-10 days if lucky and he became a very picky eater. He would only eat bread, cheese, yoghurt, nuggets, chips, biscuits and ice-cream. He had a very weak immune system, constantly sick with asthma, ear infections, and chest infections. He lost ALL speech and could not communicate at all. He lost his fine motor skills. He suffered silent seizures. He would scream and hit his head when anyone tried to speak to him. He had a high pain threshold. He was non-responsive to his name and very sensitive to touch. No one could touch him. He had a total fear of crowds and noise. He walked on his toes and rocked. He had very irregular sleep patterns. He looked ill; extremely pale, black circles under his eyes and had a bloated tummy. It was a total nightmare – I had lost my baby boy.
And worst of all, it seemed like we were all alone and that no one understood. Our whole family started to fall apart! Our first port of call was the local GP, who, along with a long list of other subsequent doctors and specialists quickly dismissed our son’s strange behaviour as temporary. No one seemed to give much credence to his symptoms – one doctor even prescribed me anti-depressants, suggesting I was becoming obsessed with his ‘misdiagnosis’. It took almost 9 months to get a diagnosis of Autism.
Here is a big tip- don’t doubt the Mum!
I was not one to get into a debate about whether there is a cure for Autism. I simply wanted my son to become well again. I wanted to see his personality reappear. I wanted my baby boy to come back to me. I can honestly say, thanks to one particular conversation in my daughter’s school playground, our lives changed for the better. We were introduced to the Mindd Foundation and we now adopt an Integrative approach:
- A diet which promotes wellness by removing offending foods such as Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn and focuses on nutrient-rich animal fats and protein.
- A Mindd-trained Biomedical Paediatrician who specialises in Autism & ADD. He measured my son’s blood and prescribed nutrient therapy (zinc, magnesium, B6, fish oil and more) according to his individual needs. This supported his body to recover, to improving his Metabolism, his Immune system, his Neurological system and his Digestive system and Developmental milestones.
- A Homeopath who helped to build the immune system.
Over a short period of time, the clarity returned. The fog had lifted. He was able to learn again. This was the light at the end of the tunnel. It enabled us to actively and effectively start the standard well-known form of Intensive Early Intervention (Speech, OT). Through more research, I found another wonderful Not for Profit Organisation, AEIOU, who offered a full-time program with a permanent Speech & Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, qualified teachers & facilitators. The only downfall was that it was only in Queensland. So the kids and I reluctantly left my husband in Sydney to return to Townsville to commence full time intensive Early Intervention with AEIOU.
Once I felt we had the right team of support (i.e. practitioners and therapists with knowledge and experience), I realised I no longer had to fight to be heard. Most importantly, I felt understood. It enabled me to relax a little. This then opened the doors for me to get into the community… a new world for me – the disability sector. It was a way for me to engage with others living it day in and day out, a way for me to learn even more and hopefully make a difference for others. I felt that we were so fortunate, we were getting fantastic results. Did anyone else know that recovery was even possible? I wanted to share this wonderful discovery.
My little man completed his time at AEIOU, 2 years in total. At the end of 2010, the kids and I gleefully joined my husband again and we are currently enjoying the beautiful weather Mackay has to offer. Our son is now 6 years of age and full time at Prep. We are constantly amazed and so proud of his achievements (and of course our endurance and perseverance). What a total turn around, he now eats a wonderful variety of foods, he can now hold a conversation and is constantly asking questions, even arguing (ahhh), He is reading and writing, loves going to the footy, is actively involved in sport, plays the piano (cause he’s going to be a “Rock Star”). He is coping better with social concepts, and most importantly (to me) he expresses his feelings very freely. He is a happy little boy. He tells me he loves me… all the hard work is so worth it! All the classics symptoms of Autism have almost disappeared. We still continue with Speech as we had almost 2 years without communication, although he’s not far behind his peers now.
We have not looked back. Our family, especially his siblings, have endured so much throughout this journey. We now have time to be a family again, one filled with love, laughter and good health. Family support is crucial, finding other parents to listen, provide support and guide you to find what is best for your family is just as vital. Mindd Foundation helps provide this important network.
Rhonda is a health coach based in McKay QLD who specialises in supporting families dealing with Autism, ADHD and neuro-developmental disorders.
Email: rhonda.muller@bigpond.com
Mum, Kris, tells of the remarkable journey she has shared with her 9yr old son, Tim, who was diagnosed with Autism in 2004 at age 2 – and his amazing recovery through nutritional and integrative treatments.
1. When did you suspect there was a problem with Tim? What behaviours was he presenting? How old was he?
Kris: He was about 2.5 years old and his kindergarten teacher asked me if we’d ever had his hearing tested, as he was not responding to anyone. (We had a 2-year-old girl and were loathe to ever compare him to the milestones she had made). She also said we should mention to the pediatrician that he was not pointing or waving. We didn’t know this was significant. I didn’t think he could be autistic because he could speak, although he didn’t talk to us, but repeated lines from movies over and over again. He had tantrums all the time, but we thought that it was just the terrible two’s. He had diarrhea all the time but the doctor told us it was toddler diarrhea and quite normal.
2. Who diagnosed Tim? How old was he?
Kris: Our pediatrician diagnosed him shortly after the kindergarten teacher had raised her concerns.
3. What did the conventional community offer in terms of treatment?
I was sent home from the diagnosis with the number of a speech therapist, the number for the special kindergarten program and an autism support group brochure.
4. Did you follow their protocol?
Kris: We started with the speech therapist right away as well as the special Education Kindergarten.
5. Did it help at all?
Kris: Yes the Speech therapist was very good and we got some good pointers for how to work with him. We started using makaton and PECS and he began communicating a little. The special Education kindergarten was more like a nice safe place to leave him being babysat for a few hours a week, but they did work on having him sit and be part of a group. The support group was a nightmare and I left in tears after the first meeting, so much negativity and “woe is me” and everybody was trying to outdo every one else by their tales of despair.
6. When did you find out about the nutritional/integrative treatments?
Kris: About 6 months after he started at special kindergarten another mum just mentioned off hand to me about the gluten and casein free diet. She gave me the names of some books and a local chemist who was researching this. I immersed myself in all the books, spoke to the chemist and trawled the Internet and it all made sense!
7. How have they helped?
Kris: Oh my goodness, I can’t even quantify. He went from a boy who ran around the house all night (we had to put a gate on his room so we could go to bed, as he wouldn’t sleep), he screamed and cried all the time, he was in nappies doing 9 or more runny poos every day. Within a week he was sleeping through the night, the diarrhea had improved dramatically and he started looking at us and saying a few things. We have just gone from strength to strength – first improvements with diet only, then more improvements when we discovered a biomedical doctor and added in supplements, more improvements when we added in homeopathy and naturopathy and osteopathy.
8. It is such a minefield for parents to navigate. What would you recommend to parents who find themselves in the same situation as you when Tim was first diagnosed?
Kris: It is an absolute minefield and that is such a hard question to answer because biomedical treatments are not presented as an option by your pediatrician or doctor or Autism Association. Don’t just accept that you need to go home and enrol them in a special school. Jump on the Internet and see what people are doing. We need some real change like what the Mindd Foundation are creating, to make it possible for parents to have this presented to them as an option. Until then it’s hit and miss as to who discovers these treatments and that is so unfortunate.
9. Out of all the treatments, what has helped the most?
Kris: That would be two things – diet and zinc/B6 supplementation from the biomedical side and ABA on the behavioural side.
10. Has it been frustrating because the conventional paradigm/medical community doesn’t acknowledge alternative treatments? Do you think this is changing?
Kris: It’s unbelievably frustrating! Tim has done so well and my pediatrician said to me a few years ago that if he continues to do so well he will have grown out of his diagnosis. Hello? I wish it had been as simple and inexpensive as growing out of it. Every time I visit a mainstream doctor I have to justify what I’m doing and I’m told that it’s dangerous and unscientific. My son eats the most wholesome food out of anyone we know. He is never sick, (he did have to go to the doctor last year because he had a wart on his foot), he’s happy and thriving – that isn’t dangerous to me. And he is all the scientific proof I need that this stuff works! I like to think attitudes are changing because there are more practitioners offering the biomedical treatments, but it’s still a massive minority.
11. Did you receive any help from the government for any of Tim’s treatments?
Kris: I get the $100/ fortnight carer allowance. Tim was a few months over the cutoff age when the government implemented their autism packages and we got zero. We were lucky we had a home we could keep re-mortgaging to pay for his treatments.
12. What are some of the main hurdles do you think when parents go on the more integrative/nutritional path? Financial assistance? The difficulties of removing gluten/dairy when they are so prevalent in our diets?
Kris: Yes and yes. Medicare does not cover the testing & supplementation and special foods. It’s really, really expensive and it bothers me greatly that some kids cannot be helped because their parents cannot afford it. At the same time, it’s extremely difficult to maintain a special diet. It means you spend lots of time in the kitchen, you spend lots of time and money on ingredients, you have to plan your outings and meals very carefully, you have to watch over them like hawks to make sure they don’t eat something they shouldn’t – there will be many places you go where there is not a single thing that does not contain gluten, casein and a million additives. To me, however the effort & expense is worth more than having an out of control, sick & uncommunicative child, but for some people it’s just too much, financially and emotionally. The other hurdle is the constant justification to the rest of the world about what you’re doing for your child. Most people think you’re a hippy or crazy to be doing this stuff because the norm is to medicate them and send them to special school. It’s amazing to see the reactions of people who have known Tim before and after and see what diet & supplements have done for him – they become converts. That’s what we need, because they may just help one more child by knowing what is possible and spreading the word.
Mum, Kris, tells of the remarkable journey she has shared with her 9yr old son, Tim, who was diagnosed with Autism in 2004 at age 2 – and his amazing recovery through nutritional and integrative treatments.
1. When did you suspect there was a problem with Tim? What behaviours was he presenting? How old was he?
Kris: He was about 2.5 years old and his kindergarten teacher asked me if we’d ever had his hearing tested, as he was not responding to anyone. (We had a 2-year-old girl and were loathe to ever compare him to the milestones she had made). She also said we should mention to the pediatrician that he was not pointing or waving. We didn’t know this was significant. I didn’t think he could be autistic because he could speak, although he didn’t talk to us, but repeated lines from movies over and over again. He had tantrums all the time, but we thought that it was just the terrible two’s. He had diarrhea all the time but the doctor told us it was toddler diarrhea and quite normal.
2. Who diagnosed Tim? How old was he?
Kris: Our pediatrician diagnosed him shortly after the kindergarten teacher had raised her concerns.
3. What did the conventional community offer in terms of treatment?
I was sent home from the diagnosis with the number of a speech therapist, the number for the special kindergarten program and an autism support group brochure.
4. Did you follow their protocol?
Kris: We started with the speech therapist right away as well as the special Education Kindergarten.
5. Did it help at all?
Kris: Yes the Speech therapist was very good and we got some good pointers for how to work with him. We started using makaton and PECS and he began communicating a little. The special Education kindergarten was more like a nice safe place to leave him being babysat for a few hours a week, but they did work on having him sit and be part of a group. The support group was a nightmare and I left in tears after the first meeting, so much negativity and “woe is me” and everybody was trying to outdo every one else by their tales of despair.
6. When did you find out about the nutritional/integrative treatments?
Kris: About 6 months after he started at special kindergarten another mum just mentioned off hand to me about the gluten and casein free diet. She gave me the names of some books and a local chemist who was researching this. I immersed myself in all the books, spoke to the chemist and trawled the Internet and it all made sense!
7. How have they helped?
Kris: Oh my goodness, I can’t even quantify. He went from a boy who ran around the house all night (we had to put a gate on his room so we could go to bed, as he wouldn’t sleep), he screamed and cried all the time, he was in nappies doing 9 or more runny poos every day. Within a week he was sleeping through the night, the diarrhea had improved dramatically and he started looking at us and saying a few things. We have just gone from strength to strength – first improvements with diet only, then more improvements when we discovered a biomedical doctor and added in supplements, more improvements when we added in homeopathy and naturopathy and osteopathy.
8. It is such a minefield for parents to navigate. What would you recommend to parents who find themselves in the same situation as you when Tim was first diagnosed?
Kris: It is an absolute minefield and that is such a hard question to answer because biomedical treatments are not presented as an option by your pediatrician or doctor or Autism Association. Don’t just accept that you need to go home and enrol them in a special school. Jump on the Internet and see what people are doing. We need some real change like what the Mindd Foundation are creating, to make it possible for parents to have this presented to them as an option. Until then it’s hit and miss as to who discovers these treatments and that is so unfortunate.
9. Out of all the treatments, what has helped the most?
Kris: That would be two things – diet and zinc/B6 supplementation from the biomedical side and ABA on the behavioural side.
10. Has it been frustrating because the conventional paradigm/medical community doesn’t acknowledge alternative treatments? Do you think this is changing?
Kris: It’s unbelievably frustrating! Tim has done so well and my pediatrician said to me a few years ago that if he continues to do so well he will have grown out of his diagnosis. Hello? I wish it had been as simple and inexpensive as growing out of it. Every time I visit a mainstream doctor I have to justify what I’m doing and I’m told that it’s dangerous and unscientific. My son eats the most wholesome food out of anyone we know. He is never sick, (he did have to go to the doctor last year because he had a wart on his foot), he’s happy and thriving – that isn’t dangerous to me. And he is all the scientific proof I need that this stuff works! I like to think attitudes are changing because there are more practitioners offering the biomedical treatments, but it’s still a massive minority.
11. Did you receive any help from the government for any of Tim’s treatments?
Kris: I get the $100/ fortnight carer allowance. Tim was a few months over the cutoff age when the government implemented their autism packages and we got zero. We were lucky we had a home we could keep re-mortgaging to pay for his treatments.
12. What are some of the main hurdles do you think when parents go on the more integrative/nutritional path? Financial assistance? The difficulties of removing gluten/dairy when they are so prevalent in our diets?
Kris: Yes and yes. Medicare does not cover the testing & supplementation and special foods. It’s really, really expensive and it bothers me greatly that some kids cannot be helped because their parents cannot afford it. At the same time, it’s extremely difficult to maintain a special diet. It means you spend lots of time in the kitchen, you spend lots of time and money on ingredients, you have to plan your outings and meals very carefully, you have to watch over them like hawks to make sure they don’t eat something they shouldn’t – there will be many places you go where there is not a single thing that does not contain gluten, casein and a million additives. To me, however the effort & expense is worth more than having an out of control, sick & uncommunicative child, but for some people it’s just too much, financially and emotionally. The other hurdle is the constant justification to the rest of the world about what you’re doing for your child. Most people think you’re a hippy or crazy to be doing this stuff because the norm is to medicate them and send them to special school. It’s amazing to see the reactions of people who have known Tim before and after and see what diet & supplements have done for him – they become converts. That’s what we need, because they may just help one more child by knowing what is possible and spreading the word.
Autism Recovery, leaky gut, fecal compaction
Kerri, Mum, Sydney Australia
David is really moving along. Neroli, his reading tutor, tested his comprehension as “good” as far as 5th class. She’ll test 6th class soon. His reading continues to catch up quickly. Writing lags behind, of course. But this was a kid who wasn’t reading until the end of 5th class. He loves the freedom of year 7 High School. Enjoys sport (!!!!) – tennis etc. Doing OK in his subjects(!!!!!!!!!!)…..gone from “developing” (bottom category in report card in Primary school) to “good” (middle) and even a couple of “high”!!!!! His auditory tests are OK (at last), his proprioception is OK. We’re trying yet another Kinesiologist who seems excellent. She recommends retrying visual processing therapy (Irlen and behavioural optometry) now that his other modalities are so much better. Dr Dyson tested his gut and it’s (FINALLY) OK…….more Movicol and faecal overload to go though. We think he’s very close to finish and Dr Dyson has reduced visit frequency. Petra (attached to Dr Dyson’s practice) is likewise happy with his sensory integration after her years of testing and setting exercises. David speaks of the time when he “used to feel sick all the time and had that brain fog” and likes to advise his friend (whose official diagnosis is ADHD but is on Ritalin only) how to be “cool” eg leave shirt hanging out, tie partly undone etc. David is surprised Dan doesn’t “get it” about how his “in your face” behaviour annoys the other kids. David said he seems oblivious of all the (non verbal) signs others give him-which David can see (now). In short-he’s a new boy. Still not your average socially -but close and I now say “he used to be autistic”. His father says he’s “got his son back”. Took nearly 4 years because we started late at age 9 ,but worth every bit of the $ thousands! Thanks for your part in helping us with his recovery!. We keep telling people about Mindd Foundation and biological therapies. Some parents “get it”, others don’t (so sad-and such a waste). BIG hugs to you for all your hard work!love
kerrie
Autism Recovery, leaky gut, fecal compaction
Kerri, Mum, Sydney Australia
David is really moving along. Neroli, his reading tutor, tested his comprehension as “good” as far as 5th class. She’ll test 6th class soon. His reading continues to catch up quickly. Writing lags behind, of course. But this was a kid who wasn’t reading until the end of 5th class. He loves the freedom of year 7 High School. Enjoys sport (!!!!) – tennis etc. Doing OK in his subjects(!!!!!!!!!!)…..gone from “developing” (bottom category in report card in Primary school) to “good” (middle) and even a couple of “high”!!!!! His auditory tests are OK (at last), his proprioception is OK. We’re trying yet another Kinesiologist who seems excellent. She recommends retrying visual processing therapy (Irlen and behavioural optometry) now that his other modalities are so much better. Dr Dyson tested his gut and it’s (FINALLY) OK…….more Movicol and faecal overload to go though. We think he’s very close to finish and Dr Dyson has reduced visit frequency. Petra (attached to Dr Dyson’s practice) is likewise happy with his sensory integration after her years of testing and setting exercises. David speaks of the time when he “used to feel sick all the time and had that brain fog” and likes to advise his friend (whose official diagnosis is ADHD but is on Ritalin only) how to be “cool” eg leave shirt hanging out, tie partly undone etc. David is surprised Dan doesn’t “get it” about how his “in your face” behaviour annoys the other kids. David said he seems oblivious of all the (non verbal) signs others give him-which David can see (now). In short-he’s a new boy. Still not your average socially -but close and I now say “he used to be autistic”. His father says he’s “got his son back”. Took nearly 4 years because we started late at age 9 ,but worth every bit of the $ thousands! Thanks for your part in helping us with his recovery!. We keep telling people about Mindd Foundation and biological therapies. Some parents “get it”, others don’t (so sad-and such a waste). BIG hugs to you for all your hard work!love
kerrie
ADHD
ADHD, asthma, eczema, ear infections, digestive dysfunction
Kiki, Mum, Sydney, Australia
Both our children had various issues that GPs were unwilling to address, other than by way of prescribing medication to deal with symptoms. My daughter (7) had chronic abdominal pains, ADHD behaviours, bouts of eczema and increasingly often broke out in more and more serious skin rashes and hives (fist size!). My son (6) had chronic ear infections, asthma and always had dark circles under his eyes.A friend pointed me in the direction of MINDD and mentioned one of the practitioners. Since then our lives have changed dramatically. Attending the MINDD seminars has given us a solid block of education. Not only were we educated on the biomedical approach, we were also made aware of a whole range of complimentary therapies. This has helped immensely because we can now better understand the treatment and communicate with our doctor about it at a much higher level.The children have changed dramatically. My daughter’s tummy aches have disappeared, along with her ADHD, skin rashes and hives. My son is no longer struggling with his hearing, asthma is gone and he looks great, no dark circles. After treating the children for about 4 months, my husband and I decided to apply the same approach to our selves and have since (in about 6 months)already resolved a number of chronic issues, such as rheumatic pains, psoriasis, IBS, severe night sweats and lack of energy. My mother (69) has since also started treatment and is feeling much better.The journey of integrative biomedical medicine is not necessarily easy: diet and exercises can be hard work and frustrating at times. However, the MINDD foundation provides plenty of education, suggested reading (both therapies and cookbooks) and even cooking classes.The most important benefit is that there is a solution out there that provides HEALING, not just suppressing symptoms, in the most natural way possible with as few drugs as possible, whilst in the hands of well-trained medical doctors. This is medicine as it should be practiced!
ADHD, asthma, eczema, ear infections, digestive dysfunction
Kiki, Mum, Sydney, Australia
Both our children had various issues that GPs were unwilling to address, other than by way of prescribing medication to deal with symptoms. My daughter (7) had chronic abdominal pains, ADHD behaviours, bouts of eczema and increasingly often broke out in more and more serious skin rashes and hives (fist size!). My son (6) had chronic ear infections, asthma and always had dark circles under his eyes.A friend pointed me in the direction of MINDD and mentioned one of the practitioners. Since then our lives have changed dramatically. Attending the MINDD seminars has given us a solid block of education. Not only were we educated on the biomedical approach, we were also made aware of a whole range of complimentary therapies. This has helped immensely because we can now better understand the treatment and communicate with our doctor about it at a much higher level.The children have changed dramatically. My daughter’s tummy aches have disappeared, along with her ADHD, skin rashes and hives. My son is no longer struggling with his hearing, asthma is gone and he looks great, no dark circles. After treating the children for about 4 months, my husband and I decided to apply the same approach to our selves and have since (in about 6 months)already resolved a number of chronic issues, such as rheumatic pains, psoriasis, IBS, severe night sweats and lack of energy. My mother (69) has since also started treatment and is feeling much better.The journey of integrative biomedical medicine is not necessarily easy: diet and exercises can be hard work and frustrating at times. However, the MINDD foundation provides plenty of education, suggested reading (both therapies and cookbooks) and even cooking classes.The most important benefit is that there is a solution out there that provides HEALING, not just suppressing symptoms, in the most natural way possible with as few drugs as possible, whilst in the hands of well-trained medical doctors. This is medicine as it should be practiced!
Allergies
Allergy Elimination
Isabel, patient & mum, Sydney Australia
Thank you very much for referring me to Matthew Bourke, I must say it is worth the drive from Bondi to Mona Vale!!!!! From the welcoming staff at reception to actually sitting in a room and having a foot bath, I have to say that I will recommend highly to any one with any kind of allergies or emotional issues or any underlying medical conditions to see Matthew. After my first visit, which was an N.A.E.T. and a Detox foot bath, I saw the difference, even the day after my colleagues from work asked me if I had new batteries in me; I felt such an amazing energy and felt really good, the headaches I usually get every morning were not there, they way I approach life and every little situation that it comes my way is so different.I am also taking Charlotte to see him and I have also seeing the changes in her, right now she is seeing the Allergist and it is amazing how this all works….so Thank You so very much for asking me to sit on his talk at the Mindd Foundation lectures at the Allergy Expo, it was probably the best hour I have ever spent listening to a person….I am so grateful and feel very lucky that I have had such an amazing opportunity. I hope the word gets out and if there is anything I can help you with, please let me know, as I myself see how it works!!! Kind Regards,
Isabel Brinkworth-Martinez
Allergy Elimination
Isabel, patient & mum, Sydney Australia
Thank you very much for referring me to Matthew Bourke, I must say it is worth the drive from Bondi to Mona Vale!!!!! From the welcoming staff at reception to actually sitting in a room and having a foot bath, I have to say that I will recommend highly to any one with any kind of allergies or emotional issues or any underlying medical conditions to see Matthew. After my first visit, which was an N.A.E.T. and a Detox foot bath, I saw the difference, even the day after my colleagues from work asked me if I had new batteries in me; I felt such an amazing energy and felt really good, the headaches I usually get every morning were not there, they way I approach life and every little situation that it comes my way is so different.I am also taking Charlotte to see him and I have also seeing the changes in her, right now she is seeing the Allergist and it is amazing how this all works….so Thank You so very much for asking me to sit on his talk at the Mindd Foundation lectures at the Allergy Expo, it was probably the best hour I have ever spent listening to a person….I am so grateful and feel very lucky that I have had such an amazing opportunity. I hope the word gets out and if there is anything I can help you with, please let me know, as I myself see how it works!!! Kind Regards,
Isabel Brinkworth-Martinez
Aspergers
Aspergers, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ear infections, migraines
Gabrielle, aged 23 in 2010, New Zealand.
My name is Gabrielle and I have Autism and am 23 years and live in Napier, New Zealand. I know that there is a MINDD Foundation Conference coming up soon because my naturopath Gina Wilson told me about it.I will be 24 in November. I have had numerous diagnosis over my life. I had chronic ear infections as a kid. They originally thought I was deaf but hearing tests ruled that out. And I had other immune problems as well. I had speech and language therapy from the ages of 3 1/2 to about 8 1/2. At age 10 I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia and Dyslexia.At age 12 I was diagnosed with Asperger’s over in Australia at the ISADD. But my mum did not want to believe it at the time because a relative only tested me to try and keep me in Australia saying my mum was a bad mum. So I don’t blame my mum for not wanting to believe. At age 16 I was diagnosed with Asperger’s and borderline Global Intellectual Impairment. My high school thought that I wouldn’t be able to even go to university. I also overheard at one stage in my life that I should have been put into a group home as they thought I would not be able to cope. But I believe that the diagnosis should of been High Functioning Autism as I showed many signs of Autism as a baby. There are pictures of me as a baby being totally spaced out and staring out to space. I talked and walked late. I did not crawl at all. I also chewed on my hands constantly all the time when I was a baby, even showed that sign when I was maybe not even 6 months old. Half the time I was in a world of my own. I believe the speech and language therapy moved be along the spectrum.Halfway through 2008 I attended a seminar on Biomedical Interventions to treat Autistic Spectrum Disorders and other varying disorders out there. The Biomedical seminar was very beneficial to me and I got a lot out of it then I would off from other specialists that I have dealt with in the past. After the seminar Natasha Delgarno introduced me to Gina Wilson, and I set up an appointment with her.The first thing Gina told me to do was to go on the Gluten Free and Casein Free diet, and also to stay off Aspartame and Flavour Enhancers. She also got me to have a blood test done to see what supplements I would need. Gina took the information to Dr Lelia Mason so she could read the information and advise Gina on what I should take. (Although I didn’t see the Dr Lelia Mason as she works with children I want to thank her anyway for her help.) I was on the GFCF diet for about a month before I started the supplements. Just that alone made a real difference in my life. In that first month my racing thoughts started to go down, as well as eliminating the eczema, chronic migraines, and the other immunity problems I had. The blood test revealed that I was extremely low in vitamin D, low in zinc, and other important nutrients. So Gina got me started on B Complex Forte, Cod Liver Oil, Zinc oral drops, and a Probiotic to help with the gut. Going onto the GFCF diet and taking supplements to help myself and the ASD behaviours, has improved my IQ, I am no longer considered intellectually impaired and I fall in the average range now. Also before I started the biomedical intervention I had chronic migraines every single day I could not think clearly, I was in selective mutism half the time because of chronic anxiety I could not communicate to my family whether I was hot/cold well anything along the lines of feelings, but now since I have been on the diet my migraines have vertically gone, I’m starting to think more clearly, the anxiety is starting to go down. and best of all I can actually start to look people in the EYES, I may not be able to read the eyes yet, but I have never been able to look in a persons eyes before, and now I’m noticing that I can look in peoples eyes with out freaking out as I say I was doing before I started biomedical intervention.Although there have been times where people have not supported me in choosing the biomedical over conventional ways I never want to go off the GFCF diet ever again. I know the consequences if I do choose to eat the foods that I’m not allowed to have, and I have a personal choice to not make myself sick any more.There is still a long road ahead of myself; I’m willing and committed to taking this journey to healing myself. Who else will join me on my walk to healing myself? I commend you all for your hard work, patience, tolerance, and understanding to make it a better world for those of us that experience ASD on a regular basis.
Aspergers, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ear infections, migraines
Gabrielle, aged 23 in 2010, New Zealand.
My name is Gabrielle and I have Autism and am 23 years and live in Napier, New Zealand. I know that there is a MINDD Foundation Conference coming up soon because my naturopath Gina Wilson told me about it.I will be 24 in November. I have had numerous diagnosis over my life. I had chronic ear infections as a kid. They originally thought I was deaf but hearing tests ruled that out. And I had other immune problems as well. I had speech and language therapy from the ages of 3 1/2 to about 8 1/2. At age 10 I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia and Dyslexia.At age 12 I was diagnosed with Asperger’s over in Australia at the ISADD. But my mum did not want to believe it at the time because a relative only tested me to try and keep me in Australia saying my mum was a bad mum. So I don’t blame my mum for not wanting to believe. At age 16 I was diagnosed with Asperger’s and borderline Global Intellectual Impairment. My high school thought that I wouldn’t be able to even go to university. I also overheard at one stage in my life that I should have been put into a group home as they thought I would not be able to cope. But I believe that the diagnosis should of been High Functioning Autism as I showed many signs of Autism as a baby. There are pictures of me as a baby being totally spaced out and staring out to space. I talked and walked late. I did not crawl at all. I also chewed on my hands constantly all the time when I was a baby, even showed that sign when I was maybe not even 6 months old. Half the time I was in a world of my own. I believe the speech and language therapy moved be along the spectrum.Halfway through 2008 I attended a seminar on Biomedical Interventions to treat Autistic Spectrum Disorders and other varying disorders out there. The Biomedical seminar was very beneficial to me and I got a lot out of it then I would off from other specialists that I have dealt with in the past. After the seminar Natasha Delgarno introduced me to Gina Wilson, and I set up an appointment with her.The first thing Gina told me to do was to go on the Gluten Free and Casein Free diet, and also to stay off Aspartame and Flavour Enhancers. She also got me to have a blood test done to see what supplements I would need. Gina took the information to Dr Lelia Mason so she could read the information and advise Gina on what I should take. (Although I didn’t see the Dr Lelia Mason as she works with children I want to thank her anyway for her help.) I was on the GFCF diet for about a month before I started the supplements. Just that alone made a real difference in my life. In that first month my racing thoughts started to go down, as well as eliminating the eczema, chronic migraines, and the other immunity problems I had. The blood test revealed that I was extremely low in vitamin D, low in zinc, and other important nutrients. So Gina got me started on B Complex Forte, Cod Liver Oil, Zinc oral drops, and a Probiotic to help with the gut. Going onto the GFCF diet and taking supplements to help myself and the ASD behaviours, has improved my IQ, I am no longer considered intellectually impaired and I fall in the average range now. Also before I started the biomedical intervention I had chronic migraines every single day I could not think clearly, I was in selective mutism half the time because of chronic anxiety I could not communicate to my family whether I was hot/cold well anything along the lines of feelings, but now since I have been on the diet my migraines have vertically gone, I’m starting to think more clearly, the anxiety is starting to go down. and best of all I can actually start to look people in the EYES, I may not be able to read the eyes yet, but I have never been able to look in a persons eyes before, and now I’m noticing that I can look in peoples eyes with out freaking out as I say I was doing before I started biomedical intervention.Although there have been times where people have not supported me in choosing the biomedical over conventional ways I never want to go off the GFCF diet ever again. I know the consequences if I do choose to eat the foods that I’m not allowed to have, and I have a personal choice to not make myself sick any more.There is still a long road ahead of myself; I’m willing and committed to taking this journey to healing myself. Who else will join me on my walk to healing myself? I commend you all for your hard work, patience, tolerance, and understanding to make it a better world for those of us that experience ASD on a regular basis.
Digestive Disorders
Healing … via the “Biomedical Pathway”
Click to print Our son was dreamy, very left handed, social, strong, with a tendency towards independence and defiance. By the time he got to school teachers were asking for assessments. OT helped his fine motor skills and general co-ordination. He had good energy but also days where he just lay around sleeping, usually with a fever, and he threw up more often than my other kids ever had. Half way through a prep K class we were (repeatedly) called in to the school. He showed no respect for authority, was disturbing the other kids and was displaying signs of anti-social behavior. After he threw a complete tantrum outside the toy shop one day I asked what he had eaten and he told me his teacher had given them all RED Jelly at school, because they were learning about the colour red. I immediately knew there was a connection between his behavior and the red food colour in the jelly. Researching I found the FAILSAFE group and did the elimination diet and he settled a little. I needed to know more because I realized Failsafe was not really dealing with the underlying cause and was struggling to justify extreme dietary changes to family and friends even though his behavior was improving. IGG and IGE tests found antibodies to 17 foods. This led us to explore Leaky Gut Syndrome and remove GLUTEN/CASEIN. If the gut is leaking the undigested proteins (glutamorphein/casomorphein) interact with Opiod centre of brain responsible for sensory perception/memory function. Commenced probiotics to replenish gut with good gut flora plus digestive enzymes.The lights went on! My son became alert and awake – started asking questions became curious about the world. Sacro-Cranial Therapy and Homeopathy helped. At the MINDD conference realized there was a whole biomedical world I had not yet explored. I went online and began searching … A Biomed Doctor tested zinc levels and prescribed zinc B6 essential vitamins and Omega oils plus detoxing with Epson Salt Baths and Footsies (placed on sole of foot they withdraw impurities) also Liver Life drops for liver regeneration and protectionI removed all possible toxins from our home, and started to buy organic produce. and cooked more traditional foods, including broths, chicken soups and whole foods and recently removed corn/soy to allow his gut to fully heal. Every day I hold him in my heart and bless him and let him know that he is safe loved and supported. In all likelihood it will be a two year process to bring him back into balance, and then a lifetime of learning and managing his wellbeing. The gift to our family is that we have all started on a healing journey exploring our innate ability to intuitively and intelligently self monitor/self heal and are more aware of the connection between our damaged planet and our depleted bodies and what we put into our system and how it makes us think, feel and act. Diet and Biomedical Protocols have changed the health of my family and rescued my son for which I am eternally grateful ….. Rebecca
Healing … via the “Biomedical Pathway”
Click to print Our son was dreamy, very left handed, social, strong, with a tendency towards independence and defiance. By the time he got to school teachers were asking for assessments. OT helped his fine motor skills and general co-ordination. He had good energy but also days where he just lay around sleeping, usually with a fever, and he threw up more often than my other kids ever had. Half way through a prep K class we were (repeatedly) called in to the school. He showed no respect for authority, was disturbing the other kids and was displaying signs of anti-social behavior. After he threw a complete tantrum outside the toy shop one day I asked what he had eaten and he told me his teacher had given them all RED Jelly at school, because they were learning about the colour red. I immediately knew there was a connection between his behavior and the red food colour in the jelly. Researching I found the FAILSAFE group and did the elimination diet and he settled a little. I needed to know more because I realized Failsafe was not really dealing with the underlying cause and was struggling to justify extreme dietary changes to family and friends even though his behavior was improving. IGG and IGE tests found antibodies to 17 foods. This led us to explore Leaky Gut Syndrome and remove GLUTEN/CASEIN. If the gut is leaking the undigested proteins (glutamorphein/casomorphein) interact with Opiod centre of brain responsible for sensory perception/memory function. Commenced probiotics to replenish gut with good gut flora plus digestive enzymes.The lights went on! My son became alert and awake – started asking questions became curious about the world. Sacro-Cranial Therapy and Homeopathy helped. At the MINDD conference realized there was a whole biomedical world I had not yet explored. I went online and began searching … A Biomed Doctor tested zinc levels and prescribed zinc B6 essential vitamins and Omega oils plus detoxing with Epson Salt Baths and Footsies (placed on sole of foot they withdraw impurities) also Liver Life drops for liver regeneration and protectionI removed all possible toxins from our home, and started to buy organic produce. and cooked more traditional foods, including broths, chicken soups and whole foods and recently removed corn/soy to allow his gut to fully heal. Every day I hold him in my heart and bless him and let him know that he is safe loved and supported. In all likelihood it will be a two year process to bring him back into balance, and then a lifetime of learning and managing his wellbeing. The gift to our family is that we have all started on a healing journey exploring our innate ability to intuitively and intelligently self monitor/self heal and are more aware of the connection between our damaged planet and our depleted bodies and what we put into our system and how it makes us think, feel and act. Diet and Biomedical Protocols have changed the health of my family and rescued my son for which I am eternally grateful ….. Rebecca
