Brain Spec Imaging For Liam @ Amen Clinic

Hi, My name is Jennifer Wishum and I am going to share my story with you about my son.

This process has not been easy for me because I get uncomfortable asking for help, but as a single mom of two boys (6 & 10), this amount is not something I can do alone. This fundraiser can help my Liam in such a tremendous way and I ask that all who know us keep an open mind while reading. We have had a long and exhausting process of trying to figure out the source of Liam's behavior for over half of his life, and we deserve answers. This isn't a "BAD" child. It hurts to witness society's lack of knowledge around mental health and resorting to thinking a child only needs consequences and punishment for poor behavior. You can trust that as a mother, I have tried it all, seen it all, and am still searching for more understanding. I am lost. My son is lost, and he is an amazing boy.

Active, loves art, sports, and helping bake and cook. Loves music and to sing aloud. He loves Jesus and God and wants to gain more knowledge regarding his faith. He is social and brilliant. Sometimes too smart for his own good, and that has lead to even more issues. He craves attention and also loves to cuddle. He can compliment someone in the sweetest of ways and be so generous in his actions. However, these things are starting to fade. I no longer see my happy little boy. Laughter isn't sincere anymore. He doesn't frequently smile and the teeny tiniest thing can set him off like you've never seen. It's like there is a misfire in his brain waves.

So herein lies where I need your help. That was just a little insight into his story, and below I will share the process of what this money will go towards exactly.

Liam is 10 years old. When he was 4 going on 5, I had noticed significant changes in behavior. He would have severe tantrums over clothing. He would scream uncontrollably, cry for over an hour, and had severe emotional ups and downs. He began kicking and throwing things, chanting things over and over, and these behaviors began to grow over time. Family trips with loved ones became stressful and unpleasant for all parties--I had felt something was wrong. I could see the changes in his face. The look in his eyes. Over the years it became dealing with "Jekyll and Hyde". The Incredible Hulk was so far out of control he could not be tamed. My son just wasn't right.

Liam was put on medication by 1st grade. Too young to fully be diagnosed. By 2nd grade, the phone calls from the school had been consistent. 3rd grade was the same but Liam was getting bigger and more difficult. I am constantly having to leave my job due to the school calling. Afterschool programs and daycares couldn't handle him. He has literally been removed from every single childcare facility I've had him in the past several years. All of his school staff and teachers have been OUTSTANDING. However, his actions and behaviors started becoming way more verbal, defiant, aggressive and the school wasn't equipped for a child like him. He has been placed at a school for behavioral and emotional children, who are more equipped to handle the things he was doing so he wouldn't keep getting sent home and suspended from his other schools. He struggled very badly behaviorally his 4th grade year (last year), and now we have just started 5th grade. We have only had about 8 school days so far, and Liam has been in trouble every single day. The bus driver struggles with him as well. We had a day worth of suspension already and a day of out of school suspension. After years of grueling with these patterns and cycles with my son, my mother's instinct is saying something more is off. This seems like it is not just a behavioral situation.

Liam has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar Disorder 1 and Autism level 2. He had people throw OCD, ODD as well as Tourettes at him, due to the development of facial and muscular tics that come and go and change. He is so self conscious of them and it breaks my heart. I do not believe they are caused by Tourettes but rather induced by his medications, causing Dystonia. I'm not sure why all of these doctors have blindly been throwing darts in the form of pills at my son, hoping that something sticks. He has been on every stimulant, mood stabilizer, antipsychotic, anti depressants and more. I've been weaning him from the 8 pills they have had him on most recently because I know this approach is not healthy. Liam needs something further, and this appointment in Atlanta will be another step closer to us figuring out how to help him. We need to figure out what is going on his his brain, and how to approach things from a way better suited to his overall well-being and development as a growing boy.

We have been through multiple therapists, art therapy, psychologist, psychiatrists, practitioners, and I've done genomind and gene sight testing. List beyond list of meds. Blood work. Essential oils. Mentors and teams of counselors. I've had him hang around other people trying to help, and he is also being currently set up with an ABA behavioral therapist. Yet he continues to get worse. I'm still receiving non stop calls about him while I'm working, which is impacting our livelihood. Taking time off work to make all these appointments that isn't helping either, but I am a desperate mom seeking answers for my baby. So this is me not giving up. Doing what it takes for my son.

Since 2016, Liam has been through a series of emotional traumas that have only added fuel to this fire. He witnessed the divorce between his father and I, rocky situations, his grandparents passing. Sitting through hurricane Micheal and all its devastation that left us uprooted. Moving from our place to a condo for a year due to damages. He was baker acted 2 times shortly after. My boyfriend of two years suddenly passed away, and then he had 2 more baker acts. Moved from his school into another. The list goes on.

We understand life happens to us all, I just know as a parent that these things in a short window can increase the ongoing issues and development process of a child.

Now that I've shared our background and Liams story, this is what we would like to use this fund for. I am not including ANY travel expenses (hotels, gas,etc) in this. This is only for the Amen Clinic process. I've read a lot of testimonials, looked up videos from the founder himself Daniel Amen and his videos on a healthy brain, spec imaging and hearing his stories have been so amazing. I've done my research, and this could be Liam's Saving Grace.

5,000 would go towards the 2-3 day appointment at Atlanta GA's Amen Clinic along with follow ups.

500.00 would go towards the deposit to book his appointment.

After the first 500.00 is spent, the rest goes towards the Full Evaluation including:

Clinical History (medical and mental health history)

Total Brain Online Assessment ( an objective web based emotional and cognitive neuro diagnostic testing service)

SPEC SCANS (single-photon emission computed tomography imaging as a tool to diagnose and treat. Scans allow a 3D look into the brain. IV will be used to inject dye so they can see different areas of the brain.)(Scans will be done in a concentrating state and done again in a resting state)

Final Evaluation (going over results and scans with specialist. Full treatment plan will be gone over)

4 Different Follow Up Appointments

Supplements and Medications that will not be treated by his Florida Insuance. (Amen Clinic has things on site to be purchased for treatment )

The Amen Clinic doesn't take insurance. Which is why I am here before you all now. I appreciate all of the love and support, and I don't expect anyone to donate. We are so grateful for any help this may bring us, and we sincerely thank you for giving our story a read, and for being here with us through this journey. This has affected not only Liam, but his little brother and everyone else along the way. I hope and pray that one day when we rise above, I can help others to find the light out of all the darkness. I would love to share my stories with parents, and bring support to those who are also going through this. I know I am not alone. Mental health, trauma, developmental process... these aren't easy and they are overlooked. God has a plan for us all, big or small. We are survivors. So I thank you all again for any support you may pass our way. I know he will be forever grateful and he knows about every process dealing with him, as well as this go fund me. Liam is excited to be a part of this, and we are excited to have you all here with us. If you could be please share this amongst others it would mean so much. Love to all and I promise to keep everyone posted along his journey.

Hugs,

The Wishum Family