Emerging Worlds: Chronic Illness and Viral Infections

Brain Injured Children: Mary of the Light

(Explore Issue: Volume 10, Number 5)

Mary LeBaron in January. Mary's eyes remained rolled back most of the time and her body was rigid and twisted before nutrient therapy.

For each of us there is a moment when time stands still and our lives are changed forever. Such was the moment for Virginia LeBaron on August 9th when her nine-month-old daughter, Mary, choked on a walnut that was in the banana nut cake she was eating. Frantically, Virginia tried everything she could think of to dislodge the walnut from Mary's throat. She tried the Heimlich maneuver. She held the child upside down and slapped her on the back. She used her fingers to try to remove the walnut, and finally, to no avail, tried to breathe for her baby. Mary was blue and foam had begun to come out of her mouth. Medical care is poor in Baja California: 911 doesn't exist and ambulance service is nearly unheard of. Realizing that she had to have medical help, Virginia and her sister-in-law, Rachael had no choice but to drive to the nearest hospital 25 minutes away. And what a drive it was as Virginia careened around corners, knocked down fences and shouted instructions to Rachael to keep her baby alive. Yet any glimpses Virginia caught of Mary in the terror-filled journey revealed that she was lifeless.

As Virginia's car slammed into a parked car in the emergency entrance to the hospital, physicians who were leaving for the day ran over to the car to see if anyone had been injured. And then they saw the baby.

For two hours the doctors worked over Mary attempting to remove the lodged walnut. In their haste to remove the obstruction, they gouged into her throat with medical instruments causing damage to both the throat and the lungs. Even with such invasive procedures, only a portion of the nut was removed but it was enough to restore Mary's breathing with the use of a respirator.

At the physicians' recommendation mother and baby were transported by ambulance to another hospital farther north where an extensive neurological evaluation could be performed.

The bumpy ambulance ride turned into a nightmare when the oxygen tank ran empty, leaving Mary seventeen minutes without oxygen. The ambulance attendants attempted mouthto-mouth recitation as foam poured from the child's mouth. Mary went into cardiac arrest and then coma in her mother's arms.

Monitoring blood pressure temperature and pulse give important information about the mineral base in the child's body.

The physicians in the second hospital were so frustrated by the damage to Mary's throat and lungs that performing surgery was not only difficult but also life threatening. In addition, one lung had collapsed; both lungs contained blood and Mary's CAT scan revealed that her brain was severely swollen. For 48 hours Mary survived on only 30% of needed oxygen due to the blockage in her lungs. As the days passed, Virginia sat beside her baby remembering that only a short time ago Mary could walk and talk and laugh. Now she looked upon a child covered in bruises and hooked up to machines, a child that could not even breathe on her own. Between Virginia's tears the agonizing question loomed as to what decisions she should make in regards to her baby's living or dying.

After four days Mary's oxygen level reached 85% allowing surgery to free her airway by tracheotomy and to suction the blood from her lungs. Mary's parents refused the suggested gastrostomy. Despite a battle with pneumonia after the surgery, in a few weeks she was ready to be released from the hospital. A second CAT scan revealed extensive damage to Mary's brain. Her prognosis was hopeless.

Mary and her parents traveled to San Diego, California in hopes of obtaining further help for their baby. Like so many parents they were unwilling to give up on their child. Frantic for answers, fearing a reckless decision, but wanting to leave no stone unturned they searched for any lead in finding a therapy that might lead to improvement. Mary's health situation was severe: she had to be fed baby formula through a tube in her nose, saliva had to be suctioned from her trachea tube every 5-10 minutes, her eyes rolled upward most of the time and her body was so rigid it was arched backwards.

Having some nursing experience, Virginia learned quickly how to care for Mary herself but there was much to learn as she struggled with tubes and feeding syringes and suction machines. Although Mary's responses were subtle, Virginia instinctively knew what worked and didn't work in caring for her baby.

In October, Mary was hospitalized with an ear infection for five days in a Southern California hospital. The hospital staff repeatedly urged Mary's parents to institutionalize their baby. They insisted that her entire brain was damaged and she would be a "vegetable for the rest of her life." They refused to listen and took their baby home.

Perhaps the most important component of Mary's survival was her mother, who refused to give up. Virginia learned of the Doman-Delacato method of patterning (a rhythmic patterning movement of the body) that stimulates brain function. Neurological patterning specialist Gene Lewis flew in from Atlanta, Georgia to teach Mary's parents the essential movements to guide her body towards health. The prognosis, however, was poor. Mr. Lewis who has worked 25 years with thousands of children was gravely concerned. He had never seen a child so damaged. Just moving Mary's body was a monumental effort as five adults worked for two days to achieve only a tiny movement in her rigid body. Yet Mr. Lewis prescribed and taught Virginia enough in a few days to set up a patterning regime that was right for Mary.

Mary's sister Marilyn helps out by suctioning Mary's trachea tube.

Late in January, a colleague familiar with my work on premature infants and brain-injured children called my attention to a story that appeared in the local paper about Baby Mary. When Virginia contacted me in regard to my work I gave her an overview of how I worked with children though nutrient therapy and vibrational medicine. Virginia explained that she was very concerned over Mary's health and asked if I would come and see her child.

Upon arriving at the LeBaron home, I was escorted into a therapy room where five volunteers were patterning Mary and, of course, Virginia was overseeing her baby's progress. As I looked down I saw an incredibly tiny child that was fighting to live. Mary's body was rigid, her back and hips twisted, her skin pale, her tiny legs were like two thin straight sticks and she was severely underweight. Her face was in a grimace and even her teeth refused to erupt. It was as if Mary were locked in time, waiting for someone to help her through this nightmare. Without hesitation, I began.

The first course of action was to determine the state of the child's chemistry. I began by analyzing Mary's blood chemistry and her diet. Mary had been placed on a restricted vegetarian diet, which fell far short of fulfilling her unique nutritional needs. Her blood chemistry evaluation from Life Balances in Spokane, Washington revealed low nutrient density and high alkalinity. Mary was fed through a thin tube that was inserted down her throat, thus all her food had to be liquefied and strained. She was also a very allergic child and all new foods had to be introduced carefully. I developed four kinds of "formulas" for Mary.

Milk formula with milk, electrolytes,* egg, maple syrup.

Vegetable formula with organic vegetables, liver, black beans, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes.

Fruit formula with organic juice and liquid minerals.*

Protein formula with organic potatoes, turkey or chicken, almond butter, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and essential fatty acids.

Within two weeks Mary had gained two pounds and lost 85% of her rigidity according to her primary care doctor. We were ecstatic at her progress! As nutrients and new foods were gradually increased, Mary was able to sleep for hours rather than minutes. She did not need to be suctioned as frequently, her rashes cleared and her bowels normalized.

Slowly I began to add more stimulation to Mary's world. I began with the use of color therapy to stimulate her vision, the use of Aura Soma aromatherapy (from England) and the aroma of individual nutrients (from Life Balances, Inc.) to stimulate her sense of smell. I also incorporated the use of frequency/sound therapy (contributed by Nicole LeVoie from Sante Fe, NM) to stimulate her hearing, the use of various foods and nutrients to stimulate her sense of taste, and the use of textures to stimulate her sense of touch.

Carefully, I monitored her temperature, blood pressure, and pulse waiting for a shift in her chemistry. The information acquired from these values tells a great deal about the pH and electrolyte balance of the body. If the child's electrolytes are out of balance, as they were in Mary's case, then it is difficult for them to progress.

Mary herself drew the people she needed in her journey towards health as osteopaths, massage therapists, acupressure therapists, and psychologists volunteered their time to help her. Volunteers from many walks of life appeared throughout the day to support Mary and her family. Mary's brothers and sisters were at hand to help with a patterning session, turn on her suction machine, or to give her a hug.

Each week that passed brought physical growth and density (weight) to Mary's body. New physical feats were achieved almost daily as she began to lift her head, arms and legs, roll over, erupt teeth (four at once), relearn to swallow, turn towards her mother's voice, pull herself up and even snuggle into her Daddy's arms. We realized just how much Mary understood when she would cry whenever her mother explained how her brain injury occurred.

Mary began to respond to her patterning program as I discovered that the use of Dr. John Upledger's Craniosacral Therapy in conjunction with patterning helped Mary tremendously. I would at first explain to Mary everything that we were going to do and ask her to work with us. Beginning with following her caraniosacral rhythm, we would proceed into patterning, starting slowly and working up to a speed that was comfortable for her.

The use of Dr. Robert Beck's Brain Tuner helped balance the endorphins in the brain, and his Bio Energizer was used to help ease pain through electro-acupressure. Gentle massage with flower essence cream and Trager movements (developed by Dr. Milton Trager) before a patterning session was also part of Mary's total program. And always, Virginia was at hand to encourage, cheer and love Mary 24 hours a day.

In May, Mary was re-evaluated in Tampa, Florida by Gene Lewis. He was pleased and encouraged by the physical, mental and emotional changes in Mary. The tiny body that was almost impossible to move before was now guided easily into the new movements of her patterning program. Mary had gained 6 pounds, grown 2 inches, her back and hips had straightened, there was color in her cheeks, and she could sit alone for two minutes. As Mr. Lewis asked Mary to lift her head she granted him his request over and over again. Mary is with us now; she understands what we are saying to her, in fact, needs to understand the world she cannot touch. Virginia calmly explains and brings to Mary all that surrounds her.

All who come in contact with Mary ask, "Will Mary get well, will she be normal?" Mary, whose full name in Spanish means "Mary of the Light" holds the answers, we have only to find the keys. One can only answer that Mary is on her way.

*Life Balances, Inc. electrolyte concentrate and liquid supplements

*Mary was also given purified water, vinegar and purified water, and various supplements between and after feedings.