At 6-years-old, this little guy suffered an unfortunate dog bite but a mastiff, traumatic. Onset of more severe Autism, PTSD symptoms, though the child was previously high functioning, with mom’s social-emotional equipping support.

When we first spoke, his 43 pounds body had moved into periods of mania, physical aggression, attempted cutting himself, onset OCD, tried to run away and many cyclical thoughts about death and dying. He had been on antibiotics for pneumonia right before the bite and more antibiotics during the dog bite hospital visit for stitches. At the start of care, he had allergies, eye pain, strong resistance to school attendance. In the distant past, Mom reported a mosquito bite that caused his ears to swell and was treated with antibiotics. In the season that followed, he exhibited tics and would squint eyes, repeatedly.

The family had recently found mold in their home, as well, beginning remediation steps. He came into care with testing completed by previous providers, showing depressed white blood cells, low hemoglobin, vitamin D and elevated platelet count, suggesting an overactive and imbalanced immune system.

Test, Don’t Guess!

An overactive immune system local to the GI. This test shows gluten reactivity…

…An imbalanced immune system.

Stool testing showed relative gut health in terms of pathogens, despite constipation and past history of blood in stool. Also, an overactive immune system, attempting to respond to a larger infectious issues by over-responding to everyday foods, including gluten, cow’s milk and misc dairy products, eggs, hemp, cashews, chestnuts, various beans - all proteins. When an immune system is responding to protein-rich foods, this is a clue that our immune issue is a pathogen, that may produce proteins or use surface proteins.

His diet was established as Gluten Free and Dairy Free and his family worked to feed him well, engage applicable therapies and support him widely with various social-emotional tools. The tools they were offered in traditional care were psych meds. And therapy.

…Borrelia or Lyme presence Bartonella and Toxoplasmosa.

Our testing showed a pathogen load that mapped, in alignment with his symptoms: Borrelia the Lyme bacteria, Bartonella, Toxoplasmosa parasite, heavy fungal presence, suggesting heavy mold presence in the child’s environment.

As the months progressed through the care process, including mild diet changes, pathogen-specific immune therapy and a hefty mold remediation of his home, this little guy dropped his symptoms, one at a time. During care, his pneumonia resurfaced, as past illnesses often come through in the reverse of when originally experienced - a good sign of healing. We addressed his infection load and the imbalanced immune system through pathogen-specific immune therapy process, teaching his body that the infections he carried needed to be fought by the immune system, not permitted to stay and confuse immune attacks between brain tissue and pathogen.

…blood quality and immune response, disregulated.

We drained and supported mold and mycotoxin detoxification, and saw his fungal markers drop to normal on repeat testing. His symptoms largely resolved, before the family was able to complete an extensive mold remediation, improvement continued after, too.

…Organic Acid Testing before..

…and at the end of remediation.

He moved on to begin pretend play for the first time, getting dressed on his own, happily attending schools and camps which previously terrified him, sleeps in his own bed, requesting and eating better breakfasts, aggression eliminated, rage episodes gone, self-harm and suicidal ideation resolved.

So was it a kiddo who needed to go on psych meds at 7 years old, to remain for likely years? Or was it a kid whose immune system was confused during a key developmental season, which needed support resolving the infections it carried and the high toxic-load from the mold it was exposed to?

Knowing the role immune health plays in brain health is one of the key first steps we can collectively take to make strides against the mental health crisis our kids are facing.