ISABELLA'S & GABRIELLA'S Family Testimony:
Isabella Gabriella
Isabella is our second baby. Our first daughter, Gabriella, had been an easy baby – good eater, good sleeper and a happy baby. We expected the same with Isabella.
Looking back through our journey of FPIES, I can now see God's loving hand and guidance through those dark days She was born via a C-section and she went into
foetal distress just after delivery and swallowed some meconium.
When Isabella was three weeks old, I realiized that something was not right as she had difficulty staying asleep, had lots of reflux, was generally fussy and always had a
sour milk smell. I took her to the paediatrician, who diagnosed her with gastro-oesophageal reflux. She was prescribed Nexiam. Initially, Nexiam did not seem to make a major
difference until I began to see a link between her reflux and me consuming dairy products. I stopped eating all dairy products and her symptoms improved significantly.
At four months, the paediatrician recommended that we commence solids, starting with rice porridge. We started her on rice porridge, but I noticed that she was not
tolerating this well. She broke out in a rash around her face, had terrible reflux, she also seemed to have stomach pains and her poo became slimy and with mucous.
I contacted the paediatrician, who recommended I try another brand of rice porridge and to try vegetables if she still did not do well with the gem squash.
I waited about a week before trying another brand of rice porridge, as I wanted her rash to settle a bit.
Three hours after consuming the porridge we had a very scary reaction.
Isabella woke up covered in vomit and kept on vomiting for another hour, she became limp and very lethargic.
Her little eyes looked sunken and she had terrible dark circles under her eyes. The following day she presented with profuse green mucous diarrhoea and lots of reflux.
As our Dr recommended, we waited a week and then tried gem squash, which produced a similar reaction.
Looking back, its as if starting solids opened up a Pandora's box, as after that her poo always contained mucous and she began to react to various foods in my diet through
my breast milk with reflux, fussiness and abnormal nappies. After I started an elimination diet the reflux really improved and she became a happy baby once again, although,
her poos still contained a large amount of mucous and she still cried from pain in her sleep.
We took her back to the paediatrician, who diagnosed her with FPIES and referred us to a paediatrician with a special interest in allergies.
We consulted with the specialist after waiting a month for the appointment. She could not give us any answers and said that most children outgrow FPIES.
She also quite forcefully told us that we can not be scared to trial foods with five day intervals between starting a new food.
I asked her if this meant having my daughter go into a "shock like" state when she reacts to food and were told that that is the only way to do it.
She also recommended that we stop breastfeeding and start Neocate as some blood was found in her nappy when she used a dip stick to test her poo.
We left this appointment feeling extremely terrified and hopeless, as my gut told me that by trialling food randomly, we would cause more damage to her gut
and that she would possibly react to all food we would try. She also reacted to corn in my diet and did not take to a bottle very well, so I felt terrified about
stopping breastfeeding and starting her on the Neocate as it is manufactured from genetically modified corn.
I am a paediatric occupational therapist and work with autism, learning disabilities, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
I noticed that after Isabella reacted to the solid foods she stopped babbling and eye contact was poor the day after ingesting the food, this really terrified me.
In the month that we waited for the appointment with the specialist, I did a large amount of research into FPIES and stumbled upon the GAPS protocol and
how many babies with FPIES had good results by following the protocol. This is where I feel God's hand guided us.
After our appointment with the specialist paediatrician, a gentle voice told me that we could not be reckless with Isabella and trial food as she was already reacting
to so many foods through my milk. I decided to email the doctor who did the GAPS diet for help....and she replied!
We started her on meat broths and little by little she seemed to be doing better, although I was still on an elimination diet (with five safe foods in my diet) and
breastfeeding her every two hours day and night. I was hopeful that we would soon be able to introduce other foods into her diet.
Isabella lived on meat broth and breastmilk from six months until 16 months. Every time we tried to introduce tiny amounts of vegetables,
she would react and we had to go back to meat broth only. Through this journey, God was continually with us.
When Isabella was eight months, I had to return to work as we would not cope on one salary....
God opened the doors for us and I was allowed to bring Isabella to work with me so that I could breastfeed her every two hours and continue to work.
God again opened the doors for us in that my husband had moved into the family business when Isabella was born affording him work hour flexibility,
this would turn out to be a blessing as when I returned to work, he could drop off Isabella's caregiver at my work to help look after her in between breastfeeds while I did therapy.
While on the GAPs diet I found a blog by another FPIES mom, Jocelyn, who had also followed the GAPS diet for her boy who also was severe.
I remember in September of 2016 I came upon her page where she had detailed how JESUS had healed her boy with the prayer of a pastor from India.
I remember thinking that was amazing as I did believe in healing, wishing that I could also get hold of pastor Greg but I left it, as I was in South Africa, and, they were in Canada.
One evening in March 2017 laying in bed next to Isabella, I was at my lowest point. (We were making no headway with Isabella, doctors could not help us,
she was not progressing on the GAPS diet, my breast milk was keeping her alive, she had diarrhea for six weeks, and, I just did not know what to do).
I was on my phone googling once again on FPIES and latest research, when I came across another testimony.
Another FPIES baby healed through JESUS with the prayers of Pastor Greg AND I stumbled on his website [www.dani.org.in]
(please note I was not specifically googling healing testimonies for FPIES but rather research articles and came across another testimony on the third page of google results!)
I knew I had to get hold of him...I knew that this was God leading me.
I managed to get in touch with Pastor Greg [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.] and when He replied to me...I just knew that Isabella was going to be healed!
What followed was an intense week of prayer and fasting in preparation for Pastor praying over my girl.
In that week leading up to the prayer during our intense spiritual preparation, Isabella stopped eating broths and only wanted breastmilk.
Ordinarily I would have been in fear, but I was at complete peace, knowing that God would heal her.
We Skyped with Pastor Greg on the Saturday night (Pastor was back in India), and, two hours of going through the scriptures and prayer over Isabella.
I remember at one point while Isabella was on my lap while we were Skyping with Pastor Greg that night, Isabella got hold of the GAPS book and began tearing it...
I looked down but did not worry as I knew that It was the end of broths and GAPS for her!
The next morning (Sunday) I got up and fed Isabella!!! Fed her normal food, food that she could not ever have eaten. Food that I could never have eaten either,
and, she was FINE!!! THANK YOU LORD JESUS! THANK YOU LORD JESUS! THANK YOU LORD JESUS! Two days later, she had the most beautiful poo..formed and normal!
The most special thing is that she was healed a few days before Easter, Jesus's completed work on the cross healed my Isabella, what a beautiful truth!
It has been 2 years since her healing (she was healed on 1 April 2017). What years they have been. Isabella is eating everything and anything and is growing and is happy.
What a beautiful journey of faith, where Jesus has taught me to TRUST HIM and has held my hand every step of the way.
JESUS is ALIVE and our SAVIOUR! JESUS is FOR US! JESUS is LOVE! JESUS our FRIEND!
And we have the BEAUTIFUL BIBLE to GUIDE US. What Beautiful truths!
GABRIELLA'S Testimony:
Our first daughter, Gabriella, had a peanut allergy which manifested with a swollen tongue, eyes and rash. Every time she was exposed to just a tiny bit of peanut butter,
the reaction became so much worse!
The same evening that Isabella was prayed over, Pastor G also prayed over Gabriella!
We didn't test peanut butter for a long time but a year later, while on a long distance flight, Gabriella ate a chocolate containing peanuts and she was absolutely fine! J
ust recently she was given a Snickers bar to eat and had NO reactions at all!
As a matter of fact, when Pastor G came to visit in 2019, he gifted our children the famous Cracker Jack caramel popcorn & peanut snacks, and, they thoroughly enjoyed them-- without any reactions!
Thank You Lord Jesus Christ!