A treatment that has helped many children improve and recover from epilepsy
It is heartbreaking and terrifying to have your child diagnosed with epilepsy. You may have been told by your neurologist that there is no cure for epilepsy and that drugs and surgery are the way to treat it. If you want to take a look at a different kind of treatment for your child that is safe, legal and has no side effects, read on.
Some kids improve and even recover from epilepsy, by using a special diet called the ‘ketogenic’ diet. If you are doubtful, or have been told it’s too hard, or that there is no scientific evidence for it, take a look at the telemovie ‘First Do No Harm’ starring Meryl Streep before you proceed with your chosen treatment. It tells the story of how a young boy developed epilepsy, deteriorated, had multiple drugs and brain surgery, went on the ketogenic diet and then fully recovered. The movie maker, Jim Abrahams also had a son Charlie, with severe epilepsy, who had multiple drugs and surgery, which didn’t help reduce Charlie’s multiple, daily seizures. After starting ketogenic diet, Charlie’s seizures stopped a few days later. Jim set up The Charlie Foundation website; a not-for-profit that works to bring awareness of the ketogenic diet to families who need it. The Foundation is about to host its 8th international symposium that attracts hundreds of doctors from around the world who want to offer the ketogenic diet to their patients. Jim eloquently tells Charlie’s story in ‘Good News for People with Bad News’.
When Charlie went on the diet, the John’s Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland, was the only hospital in the USA and the world with a dietician who was trained in using the ketogenic diet. Now, over 200 hospitals around the world have departments with trained dieticians in creating individual dietary plans for children going onto the ketogenic diet.
Another ketogenic diet website is UK based Matthew’s Friends, with branches in Canada, New Zealand and The Netherlands. Founder Emma Williams, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours for her years of work on epilepsy, bringing knowledge of the ketogenic diet to grateful people. Both websites are great resources.
Some doctors say that the diet is way too difficult for families to manage, so they don’t tell parents about it, but parents say that the rigours of the diet are nothing compared to dealing with multiple seizures every day. Fortunately, with so many online resources, it is much easier for parents to find out more about this time-tested and beneficial therapy.
Research on the ketogenic diet dates back to the 1920’s. It’s been scientifically verified, reported on in medical journals and has helped thousands of children around the world.