Help Children with Autism in Ghana

Mimi has autism. Two years ago, at the age of 7-1/2, Mimi had a long list of medical issues commonly found in children with autism. She was completely nonverbal and unable to focus. She experienced frequent outbursts and tantrums, and could only sleep a little at night and took very few daytime naps. She suffered from bedwetting and bowel discomfort.

Finding treatment was difficult, because Mimi lives in Ghana, a country where autism awareness is limited and medical resources for it are scarce. Mimi is lucky that her parents were determined to get her the help she needed. Even so, none of the standard or non-standard therapies they tried had been able to help.

Instead of enjoying life, like a normal seven-year-old, Mimi and her mother, Martha, were simply struggling to make it through each day.

Then, in April 2014, Mimi and Martha were referred to the Vreeland Clinic in White River Junction, Vermont.

I’m Dr. Court Vreeland, a nationally recognized speaker, author, and expert in functional medicine and functional neurology. At our small clinic in White River Junction, we treat people with various health conditions that have not responded to traditional care. People like Mimi.

White River Junction is half a world away from Ghana, but – like any parent – Martha was desperate to get the help she knew her child needed. Despite the distance and cost, she made the decision to take Mimi on that incredible journey, flying from Ghana’s capital, Accra, to New York City, then making their way to Vermont. If you know anything about autism, you know even a trip to the grocery store can be a daunting task – now imagine traveling 12 hours by plane to get to the United States! But Mimi endured, and we began care immediately.

In the time since I've seen this lovely child, Mimi has bloomed (see the details below). And since her successful first visit, I’ve seen a number of children who’ve also made the journey here, but
it has become more and more difficult for them to make it.

Unfortunately, most families in Ghana do not have the ability to come to the United States. However, a Ghana-based advocacy group called Autism Action Ghana has just invited me to come to Ghana this coming Spring to treat up to 50 children, most of whom have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Action Ghana has offered to pay for me and my clinical assistant, Kate, to come to Ghana, and to help subsidize the cost for the parents to bring their children to see me.

This gesture of support from Autism Action Ghana is very humbling, but I’d like to offer more. With the help and donations from my friends, colleagues, and patients – and from the generous donors on GoFundMe, I’m proposing to completely cover the cost of our trip, and offer our care to the children of Ghana for free! 

Please help us by donating whatever you can. Dr. Vreeland and Kate will be departing on April 22nd, 2016 and hope to have secured all the funds before they leave. We are excited by the prospect of helping children with autism in Ghana and their families.

A little bit more about us:

The Vreeland Clinic provides the most advanced and comprehensive health care available without the use of drugs or surgery. To help our patients achieve optimal health, we use a systems-oriented approach that engages them to take an active role in their healing. Because patients are not an isolated set of symptoms, we take time to listen. Through this process we examine each patient’s unique history, and look at how the interactions of their genetics, environment, nutrition, diet, and other lifestyle factors influence health.

Rather than simply treating symptoms, we seek the root causes of conditions or discomfort. To restore the body to its natural balance and regain the vitality everyone desires, we use a multifaceted approach that may include exercise, nutrition, supplementation, neurologic rehabilitation, or other lifestyle modifications.

Each child in Ghana will receive
• A personal interview to obtain a detailed history
• A comprehensive neurologic exam and workup
• A comprehensive nutritional workup
• A comprehensive diet analysis and plan
• Recommendations for dietary supplements

More about Mimi’s Treatment –

Mimi had her initial visit on April 26th, 2014. She was at first suspicious and very cautious as I began my exam. Martha also had many concerns, but like most parents, she just wanted Mimi to be comfortable, happy, and able to reach her maximum potential.

Through our exam, we determined that specific areas of Mimi’s brain and central nervous system were not integrating information properly. We recommended a set of four neurologic exercises to begin to retrain the brain. These exercises were to be performed at home under Martha’s direction. Stool testing discovered very low bacterial levels, fungal overgrowth, and fat maldigestion and malabsorption. These were corrected with dietary changes and supplementation with probiotics and digestive enzymes.

We continued to make necessary adjustments to Mimi’s program over the next 18 months. Via Skype, I met regularly with Martha to receive updates and counsel her on these changes. As of our last visit, this was Martha’s report to us:

“Mimi is doing very well. She can write her name and spell some words. I didn’t believe it myself! I had to see a video from school to believe it! She now has a regular bedtime and sleep is great. Now I can leave her at home without worrying about who is taking care of her. I am thrilled!”

These are the kinds of changes we can make for up to 50 other children in Ghana – and maybe more in future trips. Please help us help them. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering a donation.