|
Even
as a toddler, Mitchell Gandhi was different. He did not make eye
contact. He threw tantrums and ran endlessly around the house. He
seemed to develop slowly. According to his mother, Eila Gandhi,
"his language seemed to be delayed. We thought he’s going
to be a late bloomer. However, the language did not develop."
Mitchell’s parents suspected that he had hearing problems.
Yet several visits to family doctors confirmed that Mitchell had
autism and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
There is no medical treatment for Mitchell’s autism. He is,
however, prescribed Ritalin for his hyperactivity. Ritalin is a
common drug prescribed for children with ADD. Ritalin calms Mitchell’s
aggressive behaviour, but not without other effects. His brother
Reno explains, "when Mitch was on Ritalin he always seemed
really subdued . . . just like it wasn’t him. It was taking
away from his personality." Eila was concerned about the drug’s
effects on her son. She states, "I’d rather have him running
around the house and healthy than drugged out."
The Gandhis took Mitchell off of Ritalin, but his hyperactive behaviour
returned. The family decided to explore other options to constantly
medicating Mitchell. They visited homeopath Raymond Edge. The first
visit was disastrous. Mike, Mitchell’s father remembers, "Mitchell
had Raymond’s office upside down. He had thrown napkins all
over the floor. He was pulling books off the shelf. Despite the
chaotic situation, Raymond listened carefully to a description of
Mitchell’s behaviour, symptoms, and family history. Based on
this assessment, Raymond prescribed a homeopathic remedy called
tuberculinin. Tuberculinin is an extremely diluted remedy prepared
from tissue material of a tuberculated lung. Like all homeopathic
remedies, it is prescribed based on a thorough investigation of
the personality and background of the patient.
The homeopathic remedy
produced noticeable changes in Mitchell’s behaviour, without
the side effects of Ritalin. Mitchell’s school reports indicated
that he was more focused and calmer. Mike remembers, "he started
to make a little bit more eye contact. He was noticing things a
little more." The homeopathic remedy is part of a holistic
treatment including diet and some traditional drugs. Raymond Edge
explains, "the long term goal was to find something that could
act curatively to improve [Mitchell’s] quality of life. It
may be a long road yet for him, it is not a quick fix." Mitchell’s
family understands that while they may never be able to combat autism,
they can reduce its negative effects. They learn to savour the small
and important moments in life. Eila says, "I have my Mitchell
back. He smiled at me. Such a beautiful smile."
|
"I have my Mitchell back
.
. . he smiled at me."
– Eila Gandhi
The
homeopathic remedy produced noticeable changes in Mitchell’s
behaviour, without the side effects of Ritalin.
|
