I’ve been asked so many times to write this but I just didn’t. I don’t know if it’s because it requires being so vulnerable or just a time factor. But I know we all need to tell our stories. So as I sit in an airport with my laptop, here it is. This is MY story. Well, my son’s story more. It’s not something anyone can logically argue with in an attempt to cling to their rigid thinking. My son’s story deserves to be heard and I know many out there will be able to relate to it.
Gabe is my fourth child, my third son. He is 13 years old at the time of writing this. When he was 15 months, things really started to change. But there were clues leading up to that that I ignored.
Gabe was born at 35 weeks. I had high risk pregnancies and preterm birth with all of my pregnancies (well the ones that we utilized conventional allopathic prenatal “care”). He spent some time in the NICU but I faithfully ensured he only got breastmilk, despite some pushback from the NICU nurses.
I had done my research on breastfeeding and knew it was so much better for him. Unfortunately, I hadn’t done my research on vaccines. My first three were fully-vaccinated up to that point and I never realized the health problems they were having were likely a result of those vaccines, but they were “minor” so it just got accepted as normal childhood problems.
Gabe was what our society would consider a healthy baby, with frequent upper respiratory issues, diarrhea sometimes, and frequent colds. But otherwise “fine.”
We followed the vaccine schedule and did what our pediatrician said.
I remember when he was six months old, he started saying a couple words. I was so impressed!
At age 1, he started having some moments of scary respiratory issues, and he also developed diarrhea anytime he would wear conventional diapers. (We realized the chlorine in diapers was offsetting his already-damaged flora.)
At 14 months, he weaned himself. He refused to nurse any longer, and I was content that I had made it that far giving him my milk.
But then at his 15-month shots, it was as though he no longer had that extra level of protection from my breastmilk. Because that’s when things changed. He no longer was using his words and stopped learning new ones. I also noticed he slept so deep that I could move him a million times as he slept and it wouldn’t phase him. I thought that was a good thing. But in hindsight, it was like a light went out in his brain. He was in his own world now.
And all of a sudden, he is dangerously allergic to peanuts. Like hives, throat closing allergy. What in the world?! (We also later found out he also was dangerously allergic to cashews and pistachios. And if he was in a house with many cats, he would have a severe allergic reaction to that as well.)
Maybe it was because we didn’t have social media then, but I never made the connection and hadn’t known anyone else who had either. A married couple came to pick up something we were selling online and I must have mentioned our experience to her, because she recommended I consider vaccine effects and recommended some books to me.
I got one of those books from the library and as I read through it, my whole world fell apart. I had to come to terms with the fact that I had done this to my child. That’s a hard pill to swallow. And this was when I still had no idea the lifelong effects that had happened and would only reveal themselves more as he got older.
As I turned the pages of the books I read, I saw all the other health things my older kids dealt with and saw the connection. My daughter’s eczema since birth and worse with every well-child “check up? My oldest son’s frequent ear infections after his '“well-child” check ups?
What had I done?
We can say that they may have had those issues regardless, but none of my unvaccinated children do or ever have.
And now, I am happy to say that my Gabe has come so far with the things we have done, but my husband and I have accepted that Gabe will likely need to live with us his entire life. We’ve done all the detoxing, healing, therapy, etc. We will never stop those things but there is a point where we realize some damage may never be reversed also.
We don’t label him with a “diagnosis.” Most people that meet him don’t immediately know that he has the neurological issues he has, but some can tell.
I’ll detail the many things we’ve done to recover so much of his mental health. I’m not making any medical claims or saying this as a protocol for others. This is just what we’ve done. My naturopathy training helped, but there’s nothing more powerful than a desperate mama researching how to help her child!
Over a period of ten years, here’s what we did to help our son:
Dietary Changes
This was the first step we took on our journey. I remember the day so many years ago that we last had McDonalds. There were many steps we took and I know they’re hard, especially when you’re on a tight budget (ours was as tight as tight could be sometimes!). But we did it gradually and as I learned. Here are the things we eliminated over the years:
Gluten
Soy
Artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners
Refined sugars
No sodas, fast food, etc. Yes it was hard. Yes it was 100% worth it. My child deserved a better shot at life. It was either going to be harder for him if I didn’t make changes or harder for me if I did. I took the “hard” on me.
For awhile, we eliminated many more things but have been able to incorporate those things back in, such as raw dairy, some organic and properly-prepared grains, etc. Some of the things we incorporated into our diet included:
Fermented foods/drinks
Good fats for brain health and other things (He gets good fats daily from MCT oil and Mindwise as well.)
Organic fruits & vegetables
Grass-fed/organic meats and pastured eggs (some we raise ourselves)
Heavy Metal Testing & Detoxification
One of the most impactful things I did for my son was detox heavy metals and optimize mineral levels. We used this home lab test to see specifically where his levels were at and went from there. To detox heavy metals, the main things we used were:
As is common in children with leaky gut and slow growth, my son also had low levels of zinc so we optimized it with this gut-healing zinc.
We optimized his other minerals with this highly absorbable liquid mineral supplement. (It does taste pretty rough; we had to get creative but he’s not too picky about tastes thankfully so it wasn’t too hard.)
Other Supplements
In addition to the things listed, some of the main supplements we used and/or continue to use include:
A high-quality probiotic. We started with this hypoallergenic Gut Restore, and now he takes either of these every day: MightyPro or Children’s Chewable.
Digestive enzymes: This was so crucial for helping break down foods properly to prevent them from causing inflammation that would delay gut healing and to help his gut absorb the nutrients in his food and supplements. He has been taking these for years with each meal.
Cod Liver Oil. We went through many brands/types of cod liver oil over the years and while we don’t use the same ones we used in the beginning, it was an important part of his journey. Now he takes Jigsaw Health’s Cod Liver Oil softgels daily. The Vitamin A and Vitamin D in cod liver oil was and is so important. (Regular fish oil does not contain naturally-occurring Vitamins A & D.)
Vitamin C powder for continuous cellular support, detoxification, and healing. (I have had him on a few grams per day for years, much more in times of sickness which has only been about once a year usually.)
Super B (B complex with organic food-based folate) for replenishing his B vitamins, especially since stress causes a significant loss in B vitamins and my son’s tendencies lean towards being stressed/frustrated.
Most recently, I have also added in Olive Essentials after doing some research on hydroxytyrosol and his health situation.
There are many other supplements we’ve done and/or continue to do sporadically as well when needed.
Aromatherapy
Using therapeutic-grade essential oils to help support oxygenation to his brain, calm his mind (his main issue has always been having OCD-reactions to things), and release stored emotions in the brain has been an incredible part of Gabe’s journey. One of the oils he has benefited from most is Release, a blend that helps him let go of frustration and anger (along with prayer and love). We apply it over the liver (the seat of anger in holistic medicine) and we diffuse it as well. Brain Power and Clarity oil blends have also been very helpful and continue to be a part of our regular routine.
We also use Lemon Vitality and other Citrus Vitality oils often internally (in his Vitamin C water) based on research showing these to be very helpful in promoting and maintaining a strong intestinal wall and everyday liver detoxification.
Sleep Support
My Gabie had a hard time with sleep for a number of years. He would worry that he wouldn’t wake up to go to the bathroom so he’d stay up for hours going to the bathroom every 30 minutes. This and other worrying thoughts made it hard for him to fall and stay asleep, so we did the following to support his sleep and increase his body’s production of melatonin:
Reduced exposure to lights at bedtime (Explained that every time he got up to go to the bathroom with the light on, it was potentially resetting his sleep cycle and making it harder for him to fall asleep.)
Assured him of how God made his body to be able to sleep for 8 hours or more without needing to go to the bathroom or need other things
Promoted gut-healing (Melatonin is produced primarily in the gut when it’s healthy.)
Did a two-week course of melatonin with SleepEssence softgels and/or ImmuPro chewable tablets (1/2 tablet when he was under 60 pounds). Research shows melatonin can help jumpstart what the gut needs to make its own melatonin and that’s exactly what it did for Gabe.
RutaVala oil rolled on at bedtime. This blend contains valerian root, rue, and lavender oils. This continues to be very helpful.
Where We Are Today
That’s most of what our journey included. I know I’ll probably think of more things that I’ll be sure to note back in here.
Gabe has recently accidentally had peanuts, pistachios, and cashews and no longer reacts to them (although we still play it safe). He doesn’t react to cats or dogs and has continued to grow, gain weight, and excel at his schoolwork. Our main continuing struggle is his OCD but we have been able to implement many strategies from our therapist.
And the best news is that just recently, Gabe randomly came up to my husband and I one night, deeply sorrowful over his behavior sometimes and asked about following the Lord. That night, we prayed with him as he committed his life and heart to the Lord and has since had the Holy Spirit to guide him as he continues to learn healthier social behaviors.
Thank you for reading Gabe’s story and for being a part of this journey as I share what I have learned along the way over the last ten years on HFFG.
Blessings to you,