The reality is that children with special needs face a multitude of co-occurring conditions related to their health, ranging from a compromised gut, toxic overload, and emotional and environmental stress, just to name a few. We At The LivingTree strive to get straight to the root cause naturally in order to bring balance back to your child’s system. This enables your child’s body to communicate and operate more optimally, allowing your child to live a happier, healthier life.
Jonathan was born perfectly and became jaundice after birth. In his first week, he lost more than a pound, more than a typical baby. For his first week of life he had to be on the bilirubin lights, which broke my heart b/c I could not snuggle all day. He had a bad suck AND my milk didn’t come in (now I know that when you have a c-section, your body doesn’t know it had the baby.) He had oral-motor therapy and once we worked through the issues, I did not know to look for anything (no professional told me to look for anything either.)
Jonathan developed slower than my friends’ babies the same age. My mom had told me I was a calm baby and if I wanted a toy but it wasn’t by me, I just played with something else. So, I didn’t think much of it. Jonathan did not meet the milestones and at 18 months was not walking. We did all traditional medical practices. I had no idea what was happening. We had OT, PT and a play therapist through Early Steps.
When Jonathan was 3, we were at speech, trying to get Jonathan to say the sound “p” and bribing him with a French fry (we ate McDonald’s back then (shock emoji.) He sat there and was trying, when my daughter Ella, exclaimed “puh, puh, puh” I cried. How was it possible for something to be so easy for one child and so difficult for the other? Another heartbreaking moment!
Back then, I thought we would get an answer of why he had autism. After workups, genetic tests and neurologic tests-we never got an answer. Also at age three, one of his MMR vaccines was not refrigerated properly, so he got another round of the same vaccine. I didn’t know what to look for. When I look back at pictures, I can see that although Jonathan was always delayed, his eye contact was different. It changed. I had no idea. He didn’t regress over night like some families I knew. But now I can see what happened. I did many things I regret, like allowing a vaccine while he was sick or getting the flu shot while pregnant. I was a rule follower and always did what was recommended. And, I didn’t ask questions or do any of my own research. For the record, I had a ton of heavy metals-9 mercury fillings and plenty of my own vaccines, like the extra ones I happily took to go on vacation to China. So the womb was not a balanced and toxin-free place to start….and these vaccines filled the pail and made it overflow-aka the toxic overload.
We struggled for years with various things like language, expression, escaping, running away… I have so many stories which you can read in my future book. 😊 What started my awakening….I had started changing our diet when Jonathan was three. The very first permanent change I made was peanut butter. I decided to buy one with only ingredients I could pronounce. I tried the gluten free, dairy free, soy free diet and thought it didn’t work. I was just looking at his poop as the indicator. I didn’t look at his behavior, eye contact or anything else. So after four months, I stopped. I also started using vinegar to clean instead of chlorine-based cleaners. My house smelled like a salad but it made sense to me to take out the harsh chemicals. When Jonathan was nine, he would chase me around the kitchen to bite me. The doctor wanted to put him on a medication BUTTT no one could promise it would work. When dealing with side effects, he wouldn’t be able to tell us how he felt. And we didn’t want his personality to be taken away. This was not an option for us. But we didn’t know anything alternative. Somehow, I was invited to two essential oil classes…and after having lunch with a nurse that uses essential oils, I felt equipped to try the essential oil. I was so nervous but had to try! He chased me, I maneuvered him to the chair, put the essential oil on his big toe and his whole body changed within two minutes. It was ah-mazing. This started our natural journey. I started replacing things with essential oils one by one. My style was replace one thing, master it and move onto the next. This was the best way to make sustainable changes. I joined the Young Living essential oil community and slowly learned about natural health. Fast forward to today…we are still on the healing journey. We live the roller coaster of life-with so many difficulties and so many wins. We use natural healing every day and would love to share with you what has worked for us!
Research has revealed a significant connection between our gut and brain. This connection, known as the gut-brain axis, influences our digestive system, mood, thoughts, behaviors, and even our ability to process and retain information.
When the gut is compromised, it affects all other systems in the body, leading to a weakened immune system, difficulties in focus and concentration, inadequate absorption of vitamins and nutrients, and, most importantly, our thoughts and mood. When we focus on improving gut health, you’ll see positive changes. These can include enhanced cognition, mental clarity, energy levels and immune function. As we support the gut by detoxing and restoring normal functions, we also examine your child’s diet by addressing foods that cause inflammation. Together, we will look at other diet options and nutrient-dense foods that will support repair and feed the body during this crucial process.
We know it may feel overwhelming to think about diet changes when your child likes the same chicken nuggets, macaroni and routine comfort food. Our role is to walk side by side with you to ensure we help you find simple swaps that both taste good and support the gut.
The truth is that heavy metal exposure is possible for everyone, including our beloved children. To start, heavy metals can be found in common places such as food storage containers, aluminum foil, metal utensils, air pollution (chemtrails), food, water exposure, deodorants, personal care products, and even in our recommended immunizations.
Due to exposure, heavy metals can massively impact our gastrointestinal and kidney function, brain cognition and function, nervous system, skin, vascular health, immune system and the list goes on. Ridding the body of these harmful toxins helps each system restore and repair itself so that it can function more optimally.
√ Stress, anxiety or emotions
√ Sugars, food dyes, gluten, etc.
√ Environmental exposure to cleaners, detergents, fragrances, etc.
We find it extremely important to feed the brain with the types of “brain food” and supplementation to support and balance emotions, find clarity and improve overall cognition.
We will test your child to determine the exact support and modalities he or she needs each step of the way. As we move through each step of the process, you will find that the level of support will vary depending on each child’s needs.
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Everyone’s journey is uniquely different. We embrace that each of your families is walking along a different path. Yet, as parents, we can all benefit from the support and guidance of others. Our philosophy is to meet you where you are along your journey and ensure both small and large moments of success along the way.
Our approach differs from the mainstream medical industry. We are committed to holding your hand every step of the way by empowering you to make small sustainable changes over time. Change is not always easy, but when the right changes are made, they have the opportunity to lead to amazing results.”
Looking for one-on-one support? We offer that, too! We’re happy to set up a Special Needs Consult to help you support your child. Every child is unique, and so is each situation, but there is no need to walk this journey alone when you can get some help along the way.
