Our Story

About four years ago my son was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, ADHD and an adjustment disorder, among other things. The testing took almost three years, because appointments were so hard to get, and our paediatrician really had to fight to get us an early one.

Honestly, I had felt that something was different ever since he was four. When we went to a mother-and-child swimming class, for example, he would jump straight into the water without any fear, not even wearing armbands. We never managed to learn to ride a bike, because he had balance problems and was very impatient. So I always had to keep going like a machine.

When I held his disability card – over 70 percent – in my hands, I didn't know how to feel. I looked for parent groups and initiatives so I could talk with other parents, but sadly I didn't find any. My son was very negative most of the time, and I needed extra energy just to motivate him, because something unpleasant happened every single day. He didn't seem to feel pain, he couldn't judge any danger, and he wanted attention every second. Yes, it was exhausting. But I'm proud of myself, because I worked so hard never to give up and to always be there for him.

Friends advised me to place him in a residential facility so I could have some time for myself. My mother's instinct would not even allow that thought. I was his only anchor, and it would have put my son in a very bad place psychologically.

I had worked in similar places where children are taken into care, and I knew exactly how they were treated there. For years I tried almost every herbal product the pharmacy had, for myself and for my son, but I never found what I was looking for. That, too, was a sign for me: there had to be another way.

I'm trying to keep this short, I promise 😁

Years of searching

Going out was almost impossible, because my son only felt safe at home. Even when people made hurtful remarks, I didn't give up; I always tried to do things with him and to go on holiday. Of course it always had to be the same hotel so he would feel safe, and even then, just leaving the hotel room was very hard for us.

I had no one to share it all with, so for years I talked to the walls and to God. I prayed constantly and asked for a way out. From first grade on, the doctors were convinced he absolutely had to take medication to get his concentration problems and impatience under control. I just couldn't make peace with the idea of giving my child medication so that he would work the way the school wanted. He was very bright; his grades were good without him even studying. School simply bored him.

But the pressure never stopped. We went through a lot of very unpleasant incidents at school, and he had to change schools three times in primary school alone. It was very sad for my son emotionally, but he has a very strong character.

One teacher even reported us to the youth welfare office, claiming the child's wellbeing was at risk, because she was convinced my son didn't need school support and that his report was wrong.

I tried almost every kind of therapy with him. None of them was really right for us, so to speak, with one exception: a special animal-assisted occupational therapy he had loved going to for three years. There he rode horses, took archery lessons, looked after rabbits and could work happily on things that matched his own interests.

I honestly think the number of doctor's appointments we've had would get us into the Guinness Book of Records. I also saw private doctors to get other opinions.

Most recently, last New Year, I went to two well-known professors of child psychiatry in Istanbul. They, too, were convinced he absolutely had to take medication. They told me his brain works very differently, that medication could make many things easier for him, and that I also had to think of myself. They added that the situation was very exhausting and definitely had nothing to do with the way I had raised him.

I cried a lot during those conversations. I remember saying that all I wished for was a single day – just one day – of having fun with my child.

You know what? Today I only cry from happiness, not because worries are overwhelming me or because I can't see a way out. It really was an exhausting time. I couldn't sleep, I had no strength left, but I had to work, and I had no one to support me.

Then I looked into the medications the professors had recommended in Turkey and found out the same ones are used here in Germany. Since I no longer knew what was right and what was wrong, I decided to give it a try. On the advice of our child and adolescent psychiatrist, we started the first medication at the lowest dose. After a week I stopped. He had already had sleep problems for years, and I always had to hold him and cuddle him so he could close his eyes. In the afternoons a strange energy would build up inside him, and seeing him look subdued all day didn't sit right with me.

Then we tried another medication. He woke up restless at night and would suddenly get up wanting to go somewhere. Again I gave up; I felt this wasn't the right path for us. My mother's instinct kept telling me there had to be another way – the thought was literally ringing in my head.

There is so much more to tell, but, God willing, that will go into my book, because I've decided to put my life into a book.

The evening everything changed

One night a good friend sent me three Instagram profiles and asked me to take a look. At the time, on the advice of a doctor I knew, I was about to do a microbiome test to have my son's gut checked. Insurance didn't cover it, so we would have paid for it ourselves; I was planning to send the sample off the next morning.

That night I watched a mother's posts about autism. Then I spoke with a mother of two autistic children and asked a doctor whether the test was really necessary. He told me I could use that money to try these products first.

Without really knowing what kind of products they were, I ordered straight away. All I knew was that they were plant-based, and that gave me confidence.

Our order arrived three days later, on 18 March 2022. From that evening on, a new chapter began in our home.

I will never forget that evening. My son called from his room: “Mum, can I give you a hug?” You have to understand: that had never been possible before. I couldn't tickle him or hug him.

I was taking a little break on the sofa, because I still had to keep working on my translations. He came over, lay on my chest, hugged me, kissed my cheek and said, “Mum, I love you so much.” Of course I answered, “I love you too, sweetheart,” but I didn't know what to make of it. Then he went off to sleep. Thanks to a sleep aid our doctor had recommended, he could finally fall asleep, which had been a huge relief for us, because whenever I lay down with him to get him to sleep, I would nod off before he did and never get my work done.

In the morning he got up, went to the bathroom and called out to me: “Mum, let's go for a walk today – no car, let's just walk.” I went to him and laughed: “Sweetheart, are you kidding me?” “No,” he said, “I really want to run.”

I thought I was seeing things. For years we couldn't even use our lovely balcony, and going outside without problems was impossible.

I told him we could go tomorrow, that I still had a few things to do around the house and that I felt worn out. He offered to help me and, dancing all the while, cleaned the whole bathroom by himself. It was so unbelievable that I even filmed it.

The next day I started using ROOT products myself, too. For me, the real miracle is that every one of us was created by our Creator and that each of us is unique.

Our first tears of joy by the Rhine

After breakfast we went out and walked down to the river. In the past I had to watch my son every second so that nothing bad would happen. He would run straight at people, lose control of his emotions in crowds and couldn't foresee danger. That day, my son – who had never liked walking – was almost running ahead of me. He had his sunglasses on and called back to me: “Mum, I'm taking my glasses off. Everything looks reddish and I can't see the beautiful nature.” ❤

For the first time we walked along the Rhine in such harmony. We played with the stones, laughed a lot and simply enjoyed ourselves. It was there that I cried tears of joy for the first time.

I noticed a change in myself, too: I had more energy, I felt good, and my mind was no longer constantly occupied with the same worries.

For so much to change for us in such a short time felt like a miracle to me once again. Every day brought something new, and for a long time I couldn't talk about it; first I had to get over the shock.

A new chapter

During the Easter holidays we flew away on holiday, and it was the first holiday we truly enjoyed. This time we could even go to a new hotel! There wasn't a single problem, neither at the hotel nor during the activities – it was unbelievably lovely. We could spend time together and enjoy it, just as I had always dreamed.

More than ever before, we had finally started to enjoy our life.

Recently I've been working away from home, and my son has been able to stay home alone for four hours without any problems. When you consider that before, I couldn't even pop downstairs to take out the rubbish or have a shower in peace, this was something extraordinary for me.

Today we enjoy a harmonious, respectful and loving relationship in every moment.

With all my heart, I wish each of you the same and even more.

If I can make more people happy, I'll be even happier, because our faith teaches us to share everything we have.

With love,
Ezra