Persistent Parents Find Answers
One of life’s greatest joys is raising
children, providing them what we didn’t have, and seeing them
exceed our own accomplishments. But these days many are finding
that this isn’t possible, for their children have the odds stacked
against them.
Daniel was such a child. He was
perfect when he was born sixteen years ago. His mother recalls
that he was completely normal at birth, but before they left the
hospital, Daniel received vaccinations. Thus began the nightmare.
As a newborn, Daniel began to scream
all the time, not the persistent cry of a needy infant but the
scream of a terrified, injured soul. He wouldn’t sleep. He could
only console himself by rocking constantly. He hated being held.
It was as if the touch of another was actually painful.
As he aged, Daniel did not develop
like other children. His speech was delayed. His motor skills were
greatly behind those of his peers. He couldn’t focus or pay
attention. Once he was mobile, he was constantly in motion, never
sitting still. Even first grade needed to be repeated, because the
teacher didn’t think he grasped even simple first grade skills.
His mother took it upon herself to home school, since the school
could not provide Daniel the specialized education he so
desperately needed. At the time his IQ tested at 65, very low, but
the tester said he could not focus long enough to even complete
the testing, and so it was likely erroneous.
His mother sought out the advice of
pediatricians, who tried out all the latest designer psychotropic
medicines, but with little to no benefit. They said he had
“Pervasive Developmental Disorder.” They doubted there could be
much improvement in his condition. It was at this point that she
sought out alternative care. She took Daniel to a homeopathic
practitioner who provided supplements, which helped somewhat. But
many symptoms remained. By eleven years old, he began to see
faces in shadows and by fifteen he began to hear voices. He became
incontinent and frequently didn’t know where he was. He didn’t
gain weight and appeared to be a mere waif.
He saw Sherry Bell at Life Management
Center, and using Electrodermal Screening, she developed a
nutritional program for him. This diminished many of his symptoms
and he was referred to me. I saw Daniel in late spring 2006. Using
advanced laboratory techniques, he was found to have many heavy
metals accumulated in his body, including mercury, arsenic,
cadmium and lead. His digestive tract was overgrown with disease
causing bacteria and yeast. He had imbalances in vitamins,
minerals and essential amino acids. He had many food allergies.
His brain neurotransmitters were decreased and out of balance. I
began work on him in earnest through the summer, removing the
heavy metals through chelation therapy, repaired his digestive
tract, balanced his vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and
essential fatty acids, removing the food allergens from his diet,
and balancing his brain chemistry.
His mother noticed a gradual but
consistent improvement. He regained bladder control, became aware
of who and where he was, and became friendly with the other
patients at the clinic. He has gained weight and improved his
energy level. His sense of humor returned, and he began to play
sports. Today, he’s in school and doing well. He even enjoys the
simple things in life like talking on the telephone to his
friends. And today when he walks into the clinic for his
treatments on his own, dressed neatly in his tie and vest school
uniform, and greeting everyone he meets, it’s difficult to imagine
the long road he has traveled.
If Daniel’s case were an isolated
instance, it might make for an interesting story for Reader’s
Digest “My Most Unforgettable Character”. Unfortunately, as many
parents already know, this is all too common. Autism, Attention
Deficit Disorder, and ADHD are almost epidemic in the United
States. At a recent medical conference I attended, the presenter
noted that this is the first time in American history where many
of our children are not as intelligent as their parents. The
government has instituted “No Child Left Behind” to try to
compensate for this. Individual Educational Programs are so common
the school districts have their own departments for managing these
programs. Local teachers have told me they have never seen so many
learning challenged children in their entire teaching careers.
While the cause of these problems
remains controversial, there are many common factors in all these
children. Routinely found are the accumulation of toxic heavy
metals, interferences in brain chemistry, unfavorable or disease
causing microorganisms in the digestive tract, food allergies, and
imbalances or deficiencies of essential nutrients.
The remedy also remains controversial,
but the approach, which has consistently given better results, is
to correct all the underlying abnormalities found and rebalance
the body’s biochemistry. Once the child’s physiology is corrected
and the source of injury is removed, retraining of the brain’s
neurological pathways, as pioneered by Curtis Cripe PhD, of the
Crossroads Institute, can help return the child to a more normal
development.
Daniel’s case is a tribute to the
tireless dedication and efforts of his parents, who have left no
rock unturned to find a remedy for their son’s condition. It
demonstrates that, on occasion, it is necessary to set aside all
preconceived notions of healthcare, and seek another path.
Shem Altman MD is a board certified
Pathologist and is a former Statewide Medical Director for
SmithKline Clinical Laboratories. Dr Altman now practices
Integrative Medicine at Life Management Center in Brandon. For
further information please call 813-653-2610 or visit
www.lifemc.us
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