A horrifying case of child abuse..."natural" parenting

Raisin

Thu, Nov 05 2015, 9:51 am

here is the article:

It’s been a year. Mid-October 2014 was a game changer for three tiny immune systems.

My oldest, Madilyn at this time was 6.5 years old. This child has the greatest need for nature that I have ever witnessed. She’s outside as much as the day will allow her to be, barefoot, and tree-climbing, in her cutest outfit combination and covered in dirt.

Lucien, my second, the rose between two thorns, at this time was 3.5 years old. He operates best in a one-on-one atmosphere. He is the best hugger and sweetest cuddler that I know. He certainly loves to be with someone who is loving on him and he is easy to love.

Emilia, my youngest, at this time was 9 months old. Millie, as we affectionately call her, was just beginning to gain her personality and figure out who she is as a little person. She was just starting to eat food and gain some independence through crawling around chasing her siblings.

Needless to say, our family has a unique living situation. Our children are home-schooled. I have the flexibility to schedule clients around our lifestyle. We have variety of childcare options that are like-minded and open to all things natural. This story is not something the average household could sustain… both parents working 40+hrs a week, sending children to public school and/or daycare would be a completely different scenario.

With that in mind let’s rewind to one short year ago to what could be considered the most traumatic period of my life. Each child’s attitude and expression towards daily life was excessively dramatized as we endured a VERY lengthy immune building process.

It all started when my six year old, Madilyn, developed a cough. No big deal. Nothing that I would ever find concerning. Nothing that a few natural health remedies and some serious cuddling couldn’t wipe out in a few days. I mean shoot, we had been doing things naturally for almost six years with nothing but success each and every time.

14 DAYS
Madilyn’s cough had progressively gotten worse. I decided I was not doing enough. The regimen I had her on was not nearly what it could have been. So I intensified it.

Homeopathics; Aconite followed by Spongia and herbal tinctures Autumn Olive Berry, Black Walnut, Vitamin C, Minerals Zinc and Magnesium, and several herbal blends, along with loads of eucalyptus oil given or applied several times daily. And of course the obvious, chiropractic care, probiotics and optimum nutrition.
21 DAYS
My 3 year old son, Lucien, began coughing. Yes…it happened to be the same exact cough that Madilyn had started with nearly three weeks ago. At this point, Madilyn’s cough was beginning to scare me. She would wake in the middle of the night, multiple times a night, coughing so hard that she would puke over the side of her loft bed. Her normally rosy cheeks would drain pale until she was able to gasp for air. It was at this point that I realized this was no ORDINARY cold. I was in need of a second opinion… some non-parental help.

I scheduled an appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor. I left the appointment feeling confident that once again I had this all under control. I jumped on Amazon, placed an order, and headed to our local health food store to get the natural remedies I didn’t have on hand.

I added many things to Madilyn and Lucien’s programs including: Olive Leaf Extract, Elderberry Syrup, Pau D’arco Extract, Light Therapy and Reflexology. We also stuffed large blankets under the head of their beds, so that they were sleeping on a 45 degree incline. This allows the lungs to clear and breath to come easier.
35 DAYS
Lucien’s cough followed the exact same pattern as his older sister. After any small amount of running, playing, or gymnastics movement, Lucien would break into intense coughing until he either puked or hacked up a glob of mucus. I was actually shocked each week that we didn’t get kicked out or sent home in the middle of his gymnastics coughing, yakking and hacking fits. {NOTE: He was no longer contagious at this time and the running caused him to expel mucus from his lungs. THIS WAS GOOD FOR HIM!}

During the night, Lucien would cough until he barfed up mucus, proceeded by crying and screaming fits. He was genuinely terrified each and every time he woke from sleep without breath. At this point in time my husband, and I were now waking every 30-90 minutes through the night to clean up after or console one of two coughing, puking, screaming children. Let’s be honest, most of this time period I simply fell asleep cuddling them in their beds, waiting for the next coughing fit. This on top of a co-sleeping, nursling who expected me to be near her at all times. She often woke up to the sounds of her siblings coughing, puking, screaming, and crying that was happening every night…continuously. And we knew it was just a matter of time before Millie developed this same “thing.” One thing was certain, the situation was going to get worse.

We were now going into the holiday season. It was Thanksgiving weekend. Needless to say, we stayed home.

60 DAYS
Madilyn had been coughing for 60+ days. We hadn’t slept longer than 2 hours in months. UGGGGGH. Sleep, it’s for the select few parents who probably drug their kids or lock them in their rooms. That is not us. We read and cuddle to sleep every night. OH, how I just wanted to sleep for six hours straight for just one night, it would have been miraculous. The term “walking dead” described the new me. It was during this time, the first week in December that my husband sat me down, looked me in the eyes and said, “I trust you, but I am scared that one of our kids is going to die. You know it is just a matter of time before Millie develops whatever it is that Madilyn and Lucien have. It’s going to be bad, Heather. I think we need to go to the hospital. What are you thinking?”

Part of me felt blind-sided and hurt, unsupported and ready to blow…that was the exhausted me. I took a deep breath and looked away, thinking before I spoke. I knew he had always been and still is the logical one. I react emotionally, instinctively, often times before my mind has fully connected with my words. My truth just seems to spill easily from my mouth, a lot of times without the sweetness of being sugar-coated… just bluntness, pure honesty. However, I have learned that my truth does not belong to all of humanity. Each person is entitled to their beliefs and logic or training.

Logical me responded with, “I still feel confident that we are about to turn a corner here anytime now. I would like to schedule an appointment with our Family Doctor and see what I’m missing. This has got to be an illness that needs to be remedied in layers because it has been quick to mutate. I am certainly not interested in an antibiotic, x-rays, a series of steroidal breathing treatments, or a vaccine which is all the hospital is going to recommend for us. I do believe their immune systems were built to handle this. I just need to find out what I am working with. Madilyn, is obviously getting better, you certainly cannot deny it. I know the other two can and will work through this, it is just a super slow process due to the lack of experience, or on the job training, done by their immune systems. Our Kids . . . They just haven’t been a whole lotta sick in their lives, babe! This is their time to gain immune stimulation, experience and true antibody production.”

MY HUSBAND HAD ALREADY DETERMINED THAT OUR KIDDOS HAD “CAUGHT” THE 100 DAY COUGH…THE WHOOP…PERTUSSIS OR WHOOPING COUGH. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. AGAIN, HE WAS RIGHT AND I… I WAS IN DENIAL.

There were outbreaks of Pertussis left and right across the west side of the state of Michigan, solely stemming from vaccinated populations. School systems were sending home unvaccinated kiddos until their parents chose to vaccinate them or obtain a waiver signed from their doctor. This was happening throughout several communities.

Wait what? Yes, the vaccinated population was responsible for spreading the bacterial infection known as Pertussis.

I called the next day and scheduled an appointment with our family doctor for 10 days later, the week before x-mas. That was the soonest I could get in.

NOTE: This was the point in time when I was under the impression that I could not be my family’s doctor. I hadn’t considered taking each child and creating a program that was the most conducive to their individual healing. Today, I truly believe differently. Lesson learned. I believe that no one is better equipped to be the family doctor than Mama or Grand-mamma, given the right training.

NOTE #2: Was I doing this to prove a point? What do my kids gain from true immunity? Why was I sooooooo opposed to putting them on antibiotics? This in itself is an entire new blog post, but let me just give you some links to why antibiotics should be limited and not passed out like candy:

>>>Meet Your Microbes, Jonathan Eisen
>>>NIH Human Microbiome Project
>>>Antibiotics Ruined My Gut. Here’s The Diet That’s Finally Helping Me Heal
>>>How Our Microbes Make Us Who We Are, Rob Knight
>>>The Importance of the Human Gut Microbiome, Kate Raines

Ok…so hopefully if you found yourself saying, “What is she thinking?” … You’ve taken the time to watch or read some of the above listed links.

It was really a good thing that we had our appointment scheduled because about three days before, Emilia started the cough. Here we go, all three of them hacking around the clock. Hacking so much that our ears hurt from the noise. By the time the appointment happened, Madilyn was not coughing much at all considering the past experience and was only waking two to three times to cough. In fact, she was doing really, really well… comparatively speaking. During the day she coughed several times an hour but no longer at the intensity or depth that she had. It was really just a dry cough that lingered.

Our family doctor spent about 30 minutes with each child and created a rigorous and intensified natural health program.

We continued many of the things I was doing and added many essential oils: Ravensara, Frankincense, German Chamomile, Herbal Lobelia, Several Probiotics, and Enemas… Turns out the best way to clear out the lungs is through the rectum…
Her additions meant that I was literally doling out supplements, applying essential oils, or giving enemas to one of my kids every three to four hours around the clock. I cancelled everything on my calendar for almost four weeks (the week prior to x-mas, x-mas week, New Year’s Week, and the first week in January) focusing only on the well-being of the kids.

By mid-January, Madilyn was doing great. Lucien was turning the corner, for the better. He was now only coughing moderately throughout the day and waking only a couple times a night. But Emilia’s breathing had now reached the scary point. She was now coughing until she puked, making her normally rosy cheeks drain to pale. This was followed by crying, which would cause the process to repeat itself until often times she would just fall asleep due to pure exhaustion.

It took a good 120-150 days from the start of the coughing for each of them to eliminate the bronchial damage and lung weakness caused by the bacterial infection, Pertussis. We spent hundreds of dollars on natural health products and consultations with various Naturopathic Professionals. It was a living HELL. Every day. It had an intense effect on my marriage and relationship with my husband. It caused me to question everything I knew about Natural Health.

We made it through using only natural remedies. My children developed REAL and TRUE immunity from being exposed to this bacteria and fighting it off naturally. It has been my biggest challenge to date as a mother.

I encourage you to take the time to listen to this immunologist and hear her talk on the importance of Active immunity vs. Passive immunity.

I realize some of you might be thinking…“Holy wow, you are crazy or Heather – you’ve gone too far!”

I completely understand. I wondered that myself at times. I questioned my ability to parent. There were times I thought my husband was going to tell me times up, we are going in! Your thoughts and feelings are valid. Each set of parents must decide what is best for their kiddos. NO ONE ELSE can decide.

I just want you to ask yourself… How did people make it through for thousands of years? How did they get through the Spanish Influenza, the Black Plague, fevers and other ailments?

People, your ancestors have used natural remedies since the dawn of time to heal all things. Pharmaceutical creations have only been around for about 150 years. Most prescriptions have spent somewhere around 10 years from start to finish, including testing phases, before being allowed on the market to be used in experimentation on your family. We have no idea what the long term effects are going to be for all of these quick fix medications on our kids.

Clinical-Trial-Chart

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM NATURAL MAMAS, LIKE YOU.

What is pertussis? What signs should I be looking for?
Pertussis, a respiratory illness commonly known as whooping cough, is caused by a type of bacteria. Symptoms of pertussis usually develop within seven to ten days after being exposed, but sometimes not for as long as six weeks. Pertussis can cause severe coughing spells, vomiting, and disturbed sleep. Although you are often exhausted after a coughing fit, you usually appear fairly well in-between. Coughing fits generally become more common and severe as the illness continues and can occur more often at night. The coughing may last for 10 weeks or more.

How is it contracted? And how long is it contagious?
People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Infected people are most contagious up to about 2 weeks after the cough begins. Antibiotics may shorten the amount of time someone is contagious.

What are your top Natural Remedies to have on hand – just in case?
My favorite antibacterial options to fight this respiratory infection include:

Homeopathic Pertussis Nosode, Spongia Tosta, or Drosera
Elderberry Syrup
Vitamin C (4,000mg-7,000mg)
Cell Salt #4 Ferrum Phos
Zinc & Selenium
N-acetyl cysteine
Protease
Probiotics
Ravensara Essential Oil & Eucalyptus Radiata Essential Oil
Enemas
What to expect from your Medical Professional when you head in for Respiratory concerns?
Most likely your medical professional will do one or more of the following:

Take x-rays of your lungs (unnecessary radiation)
Do a swab and culture for pertussis testing
Prescribe steroidal based breathing treatments >>> Long-term damage to all aspects of the lungs, http://www.rxlist.com/albutero.....r.htm
Prescribe antibiotics >>> Complete disruption of homeostasis of the body – https://www.ted.com/talks/jona.....robes)
Vaccinate >>> http://vaccine-injury.info/microbiome.cfm
Many doctors will simply prescribe an antibiotic without any real detective work. They are often most concerned with worst case scenario, which in this instance would be pneumonia. Yes, an antibiotic will kill the bacteria but it will not heal the damages that have been done to the airways from the bacteria. If your immune system is healthy your body will easily eliminate the bacterial infection. The whoop will continue until your respiratory tract heals because damage to your respiratory system has already been done. This can last 100 days or more, getting more intense with activity.

Did your children ever have any other symptoms than a cough, like a runny nose or fever?
Yes the other symptoms were exceptionally minimal. Madilyn had cold like symptoms for the first 10 days, including runny nose and congestion. Then between days 10-14, she had a fever for about 12 hours. After that she simply had a cough. Lucien followed this exactly except he continued to have a runny nose for about 45 days. With Emilia everything was much slower. She had cold like symptoms for 10-14 days. Followed by an on again-off again fever for about 2 weeks, days 14-28. After this she did have a runny nose and cough.

How long did you keep each child strictly home during this process?
Each child was kept home for two week time periods, three different times during this process. This occurred about day 10-day 21 as these were the time when symptoms were the worst. The thought that I could have had my three young children home for 6 months straight and never go anywhere with them during this time period is simply unrealistic. And the truth of the matter is – the coughing wasn’t continuous, it was at most 20x an hour and in the minimal days it was once or twice every hour – with no other symptoms. Clearly this was not a reason to keep them home.

If you could turn back the clock would you do anything differently?
Honestly, had I known from day one that it was Pertussis, I would have simply started hammering the remedies that I know work best to eliminate bacteria and stimulate the immune system. I would have made an appointment immediately with my Naturopathic Doctor and introduced all of her suggested remedies as well. I am very happy that I held strong, trusted and had faith in Naturopathy. I am thrilled that antibiotics were never “needed” and that all three kiddos were able to build true immunity to Pertussis.

NOTE: I do believe that this is not a bacteria to ignore. Whether you choose to go the medical route or choose to seek Naturopathy, please make sure that you have a team of support to walk with you in the experience, as it can be overwhelming and scary.

I would not be the person I am today without the constant love, support and understanding of my parents and husband. They have given me all the tools that I have needed to grow into the mother that Madilyn, Lucien, and Emilia need me to be. Thank you for loving me unconditionally.

May Balance & Harmony Be Yours,

Heather

PS. I highly recommend loving on your kiddos immunity NOW. Along with Stephanie and Tonya, we created a simple guide that can help keep your family from getting sick. Click here to download your copy and start implementing today – you’ll be glad you did.