Michael's Story

Michael was almost two years old when he was first seen at Kentuckiana. His eyes were crossed, his feet were clubbed; he could not stand, walk, or talk. His mother stated, "The medical doctors say he will be a vegetable the rest of his life."

Michael had congenital spinal meningitis, which caused seizures and required medication (phenobarbitol et al.). He had been diagnosed as physically and mentally retarded. He also had multiple health and behavioral problems, further complicating an already complex case.

As Michael's mother was divorced and without child support for Michael and his brother and sister, Kentuckiana's out-patient clinic provided a gratis comprehensive evaluation for him, which revealed numerous functional disorders. The clinic care program provided extensive multidisciplinary services: chiropractic, optometric, podiatric, nutritional, and medical consultations. All the Center's services were provided free of charge throughout the course of his treatment, as is true with all of Kentuckiana's patients. Parents are asked to contribute what they can afford.

Michael was enrolled in the Center's special education program, while continuing with clinical care. With regular chiropractic adjustments, his seizures were reduced to the degree that his MD took him off the phenobarbitol. Soon afterwards, a psychological evaluation determined he was not mentally retarded. After five years in the program, Michael was able to attend public school in the physically handicapped program.

Today, Michael continues with weekly clinical care at the Center. He is now seizure-free and takes no medications. His trace mineral analysis shows that nutrient and toxic elements now fall within an acceptable range for his age and sex.

Michael has recently been tested for advanced placement in English and reading in the public school he attends. He no longer needs the physically handicapped classes, but studies in the mainstream classrooms.

Michael is a bright, personable 13-year-old, sparkling with enthusiasm. When you meet him, he will most likely talk incessantly about paleontology and dinosaurs, two of his passionate interests, and about his plans to go to college. Keep him talking long enough, and he'll tell you about his ballet classes, going fishing, and studying Spanish (he wants to go to Spain to study archeology).

Given more time and a piano, he may play for you his simplified version of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, as he did recently for Joan Partridge, DC, director of health services at Kentuckiana Children's Center.

This case so dramatically shows the efficacy of Kentuckiana's multidisciplinary treatment program that it was written up and accepted for presentation at the ICA's 2nd National Pediatric Symposium in 1992.

With assistance from several volunteer DCs, research professionals, and the Palmer College of Chiropractic library, the paper was put into an even more structured format and submitted and accepted into the research poster competition at the World Chiropractic Congress in London in May of 1993. The paper was co-authored by Coralle Van Egmond, DC, a volunteer research associate at the Center, and Lorraine Golden, DC, founder and executive administrator of Kentuckiana.

Though the effects of phenobarbitol use as an infant may be responsible for Michael being behind his age level in certain mental functions, and hints of the spinal meningitis show up in Michael's stiff gait, he is an aggressive, positive young man who looks forward to a productive adult life.

Michael's mother is now happily remarried, and very proud of her bright, ambitious son. She recalls with come chagrin the doctors who told her that her son would never amount to anything, and beams with pride when she describes his accomplishments and dreams.

Tina Anderson
Louisville, Kentucky