There is a remarkable story I’d like to share about
one of my experiences as a chiropractor. I’m not
seeking personal credit, nor do I believe this is a
miracle above other miracles. It’s simply a
demonstration of what is supposed to happen
when neural interference is removed and
connectivity is restored. This is a story about
healing, and a reminder that miracles should be
the natural state.
On June 4, I received a call from Ellen, the
midwife who assisted me during both of my home
births. She was calling from the house of another
client, whom I had referred to her. The mother,
Shakira, had birthed a son, Abdullah, 36 hours
prior. According to Ellen, Abdullah had a very
slow and irregular heart rate of about 76 beats
per minute—well below the normal newborn
range of 120 to 140 bpm. He was also yellow,
which raised added concern, given that jaundice
typically doesn’t set in so quickly after birth. He
had nursed a few times, but was otherwise listless
and unresponsive.
Ellen told me that during the birth, she had seen
Abdullah’s head clear in one direction and his
shoulders clear more than 90 degrees in the
other. She had not held the head or restricted the
baby’s movement in any way. During the
postpartum visit, she felt intuitively that
something was wrong, and that it was the odd
presentation and potential neck trauma causing
the problem. She asked if I could come to the
home immediately, and I agreed.
When I arrived, I checked the baby’s spine and
cranium. My exam indicated that his occiput and
atlas (the lower cranial bone in front of the upper
neck vertebrae) were significantly out of
alignment. I adjusted the baby and let him lie
there for about 15 minutes, periodically checking
his heart rate. I then checked him again.
The occiput was holding, so I slightly adjusted the
atlas one more time, having found no other
cranial or spinal misalignments. We waited
another 15 minutes. Suddenly, some red
splotching began to appear over his previously
yellow body. As we listened to his heart rate, we
witnessed the activation of his body’s innate
intelligence to re-regulate itself. Within minutes,
his red splotching turned into an even, pink skin
tone in front of our eyes. The yellow hue was
gone! His rooting instinct kicked in and he nursed
with a strong and healthy latch for ten minutes. I
checked him once more to ensure the
adjustments were holding. At this point, his
reflexes seemed to come alive; he was alert and
active. By the end of the hour, his heart rate had
completely normalized to 120 to 130 bpm.
Interestingly, his testicles had also descended
within that hour. That may have been a
coincidence, but it seems noteworthy given all the
other healthy indicators we witnessed as a result
of the adjustments.
Ellen and I left together. Once we were alone, she
told me she believed Abdullah’s adjustment saved
his life. In her experience, his failure to thrive had
made him a likely candidate for SIDS. It was
staggering to process the magnitude of what had
happened. Being a part of Abdullah’s remarkable
transformation has been one of the blessings and
wonders of my life. And yet, what we had
witnessed was no miracle; it was simply a
reminder of how flawlessly the body responds
when all its circuits are connected.
Abdullah continued to thrive and engage in all
normal newborn activities. When I examined him
during a follow-up visit, his heart rate remained in
normal range, as did his skin tone and reflexes.
In retrospect, I realize none of this could have
taken place had my midwife not recognized the
need for chiropractic adjustments in the first
place. How many other babies would benefit from
having practitioners who understood the
importance of chiropractic care?
—Dr. Kathy, Chiropractor
