For me, I have been given a passion for natural health and there is definitely a Providential story behind it. It all started when I was pregnant with my younger daughter who is now almost 6 years old, which I can’t believe! I was led into doing lots of research and making an informed decision on going against something that is such a recommended protocol from Pediatricians. I just had this mother-instinct feeling in me that she wasn’t going to be as healthy, for some unknown reason. I knew that I wanted to protect her natural, God-given immune system.
Our daughter was born a healthy girl and all seemed well. But, a new journey began when I took her in for her 9-month well-baby visit to check her growth and have routine CBC’s done. The assistant pricked her finger, filled the little vial with drops of her blood and took it to get checked. The doctor came in and told me that some levels were showing very low. She explained what the Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is, what the levels should be and what hers were showing, giving her a diagnosis of Neutropenia. I was so confused at this diagnosis because our family is very healthy and I thought I was doing all I could for her health. I had no reasoning of where this could have come from. I just had to trust that the rest of her immune system was strong to help her through this. At the same time, I was humbled because this reminded me that even when we take things in our own hands and think everything is going to be great, adversities can still happen. That we cannot become prideful and we need to understand that God is the One in control and He has a divine purpose for any trial we go through.
This all happened on a Friday and that following Monday a fever with counts under 100 warranted an immediate visit to our local Children’s Hospital for admission to have IV antibiotics given. With this being such a rare blood condition, they also drew several vials of blood to rule out other blood diseases, including Leukemia & HIV. Strangely, I felt a sense of God’s peace and was able to remain calm through it all. I just knew that she was going to be okay and what is worrying going to do if I trusted that she’s in God’s hands. The doctors even commented several times at how calm I was. I pray that was a witness to them of God’s comfort and peace because my calmness was definitely all coming from Him. I would have been a nervous wreck otherwise! Her labs came back fine and the only thing they diagnosed her with was ‘Neutropenia with fever’. All these tests and IV antibiotics kept us in for four days but she was such a happy and smiley patient that always placed a smile on all the medical staff faces. She remained to be such a trooper through a few more hospital visits, a surgery to remove an abscess from a Pseudomonas infection in her leg, MANY finger pricks, me having to give her Neupogen injections for about 5 months and even a bone marrow biopsy to confirm this to just be Auto-Immune Neutropenia and nothing else.
I have continued to research and learn much more about natural health. This has become my passion because I eagerly want to help others. Every time I hear of someone suffering from an illness, it just breaks my heart and I can’t help myself but to research to find out what natural remedies that could help. It’s been a blessing to be able to connect with and help other mom’s with neutropenic children. They have a sense of hope after knowing what they can do to help their little one’s. Our daughter has gone over 2 years now without a single fever or illness. She has not suffered from a lot of symptoms that other neutropenic children deal with and has been incredibly healthy despite her neutropenia. The immune system that God created for her has not been altered or damaged by chemicals and has proven itself to work very strongly on its own and with critical nutrients her body needs to be healthy. God knows my heart in helping others with their health and my desire to have something to offer. Through this whole journey, He has led me to share products that are doing just that through a company called eXfuze as their heart and passion is to give back and help underprivileged children around the world through VivaKids.
Our ultimate health not only comes from these products and seeking treatment from a Practitioner who treats the body as a whole but it’s vital to include prayer, a growing relationship & devotion to the Lord, healthy diet, exercise, chiropractic care, probiotics and Vitamin D3 are all on top of my list. I pray that I continue to remain humble and know that it is the Lord who is ultimately in control. I am thankful for the knowledge He has given me on how we can naturally take care of these bodies He has given us. Know that He can use any trial that you go through for good. We all have a Providential story and may we continue to depend on Him and use it for His glory!
Stephanie is a follower of Christ, a wife of 13 years to her best friend, mother and home-educator to 2 girls ages 5 & 8. Her passions are health and homeschooling. She is blessed to have the responsibility of raising up these children that God has entrusted to her and having the knowledge of naturally taking care of our bodies that God has created for His glory!” You can find Stephanie blogging about health and homeschooling at Healthy Homeschool 101 and you may follow her on Facebook.
