Nicole was now five years old. I met another mother who had a child with similar symptoms and the solution she was given was to put her on medication. Despite my desire to help my daughter, something inside my mother’s gut said no, there had to be a better solution. I had been given the business card of a naturopath who specialised in helping children. Her waiting list was long but I was at breaking point so I booked a consultation. After meeting with her, we immediately made the changes she recommended, including removing gluten from my daughter’s diet.
We swapped to organic products where we could and started reducing the chemical products that we had been using in our home.
Amazingly, within two weeks of making these changes Nicole’s anger episodes stopped. We continued through the treatment plan that focused on supporting her body’s natural healing function, and restoring nutrients that she was deficient in and strengthening her thyroid function. Bit by bit our little girl returned to us. Looking back, the best word I could use to describe the change would be miraculous.
Over the next year we continued to make changes, trying to isolate those things that might cause a relapse. Once in a while we would experience flare-ups where we would see glimpses of her behaviour in those dark days and the accompanying fear of returning to them would provide the motivation to sort things out. Making the required changes is never easy. In our case it required a goal – to see my daughter freed from her sickness and perseverance to stay the course. It sounds like a cliché, but you just have to take it one day at a time, putting one foot in front of the other and pushing on. There were days when I wondered whether the changes were having any affect at all, but I stuck to it.
Looking back, the change was so phenomenal – my daughter was now a beautiful, content girl who had no issue wearing clothes!
My heart goes out to those parents of children that may be dealing with a child with these sorts of issues. These are not naughty children; their bodies need help. After experiencing this first hand, I wanted to help others so I went on and studied a diploma in Nutritional Science, so I could learn more about natural health and how to support our bodies from a natural perspective. I now see clients in my clinic and do home visits focusing on identifying issues and natural healing.
I also started a company called Wild & Free, producing products made from natural and organic ingredients. Although the company is relatively new, the feedback from clients about my natural products has been fantastic, with a large number using my soaps and balms on their babies and children. I’m so excited to be able to offer products that heal, free from harmful chemicals that would burden the body.
The truth is we are so bombarded with chemicals and pesticides in our food and through other products that we are killing off the microbiome in our bodies that keeps us healthy!
If we look after them, they will look after us. More and more research is showing us how they are essential to keeping us healthy.
My studies also helped to identify that my daughter had something called PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Disorders Associated with Strep) which is an infection-induced autoimmune condition that disrupts a patient’s normal neurologic functioning. http://pandasnetwork.org/medical-information/ She also had Hypothyroid and was deficient in nutrients. There was so much inflammation and her body couldn’t cope.
Being a kid with allergies, she naturally and genetically has more stress on her body than other healthy children. I like to explain it as a cup half full of water. Kids’ allergies and other things going on means their cup is ¾ full. Add in other stressors: sickness, antibiotic reactions, poor diet, pesticides and chemical absorption etc and their cup overflows. The body reacts with things like anxiety, allergies, poor immunity, poor gut health, behavioural issues and other issues.
The solution is to reduce the load on their bodies, start introducing organic and spray-free ‘real’ foods, ditch the chemical home cleaning and personal hygiene products, get fresh air in the house.
Reduce screen-time and encourage them to rest and/or play outside. Focus on improving their gut health through better food and probiotics.
4 years ago, we made the move to live rural and it was the best thing we ever did. I feel that hunger and longing for nature is appeased and my kids have embraced the rural life and the outdoors. It’s so peaceful and tranquil and, as a family, we are working towards being sustainable, organic and chemical-free where we can. I have just finished a course in Herbalism and I am passionate about continuing my studies in this area. I think the future of natural health is a bright one as the science catches up and the benefits of natural healing are recognised.
“Health isn’t valued until sickness comes”. This has been incredibly true for me through my own experiences and is what drives my practice today. Let’s not wait until sickness comes as it can be a very long and emotional road to healing. Let’s nourish our bodies and our look after the earth so they will continue to nourish and heal us.
Desiree Lee: Dipl. Nutrition (Naturopath College of NZ); Reg. with the Clinical Nutrition Association. Founder of Wild & Free NZ. www.wildandfree.co.nz
