It was just after Easter 32 years ago when I commenced my reflexology training, so many thousands of patients have been to my practice since then and we all hear happy and sad news during our reflexology treatment sessions. Indeed it is a real privilege to be involved in the lives of so many people.

There is however one very special case that stands out in my memory that really ‘geared’ me on to believe so trustingly in this quite amazing non invasive therapy.

I had only been qualified for about three years but had built up a very busy practice at a time when reflexology was unknown in this country, in fact it really was regarded as ‘witchcraft’. What changes I have seen over this period!. I was introduced to Simon through a friend of mine. The circumstances of his illness was indeed tragic.

SIMON was just 13 months old and beginning to stand, he was a fit happy baby until one day he developed a severe cough and a temperature. His mother who already had three other young children became worried at his ‘wheezy laboured breathing’ and listlessness so decided to take him to the doctor who diagnosed a chest infection, gave him a course of antibiotics and back home they all went.

Later that evening his breathing worsened and the little boy seemed very feverish, so his mother made an emergency call and an ambulance arrived. On the way to the hospital Simon stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated. On arriving at the hospital he was rushed to the Intensive care Department where he was intubated.

Simon had complications associated with whooping cough, which had not been diagnosed – a very rare condition had occurred, his trachea had become so inflamed and swollen that it had closed, stopping air entering his lungs. Unfortunately the severity of the condition had not been noticed by his doctor.

He was gravely ill in a coma and known to have suffered a degree of brain damage due to the lack of oxygen to his brain. His parents, John and Sue sat with him day after day, week after week, taking it in turns to wait, pray and watch for any sign of life returning to Simon. He was in the Intensive Care Department for six weeks, and eventually was able to breathe on his own, but his entire body was in a spastic condition.

The prognosis was grim. These children usually suffer acute chest, or kidney infections and only survive a short while. John and Sue wanted their son home. They were desperate to spend whatever time he had left with him, and this is where I was introduced to them via a good friend. Could you, would you-do you think reflexology could possibly help Simon- is it worth a try, or do you think his condition is hopeless?

So many questions, so many hopes, a straw to hang on to. Simon was brought to see me, just a stiff little body with very little response to touch, sadly the lack of blood supply to his brain had taken his sight and Simon was blind. I decided that I would offer treatment to this little boy for a year, provided they came every week without fail, and I would make no charge. I wanted to discover for myself if reflexology could benefit this little boy in any way with long term treatment and I knew that money was very short in this family and that in no way could they afford to pay for the regular reflexology that he would need to have.

Treatment sessions commenced. I still have his huge pile of records listing each and every treatment-each and every sign of ‘something’- the cards are quite faded but I will always keep them.

I worked all over his tiny feet and then up and down the spinal/nervous route from base of the spine to his brain, lots of pressure to his big toe and then I massaged his entire body with oil, particularly his spine and nape of his neck.

After eight sessions there was no change, until one morning his mother telephone me to say that Simon had some slight movement in his arms and hands. What a celebration what an encouragement for us all! The joy on their faces when they arrived for Simon’s next treatment was just indescribable.

I then decided that reflexology needed to be done daily and instructed his parents on how to work just on the area of the spine to the brain. I want you to work on this area 20 or even 30 times a day, ten times in the morning, repeat at lunch time and then again when he goes to bed. I also encouraged them to massage his spine and nape of neck after his bath, before he was put to bed. So we all continued as a ‘united front’ reflexology three times a day with his parents and once a week from me.

After four months Simon was able to sit unaided and could hold toys and had good dexterity with his fingers. His appointment with the hospital was then due and all the staff including the Consultant were amazed at this ‘near miracle’. Simon’s parents explained about the united effort we were all putting in by giving Simon reflexology treatments daily, and although the Consultant had never heard of this treatment, he did have the grace to suggest we all continue and added that this quite amazing improvement to his condition was certainly unexpected.

After nine months of constant treatment he was able to stand, holding on to furniture, he had the most amazing acute hearing, as is usual in those who have lost their sight.

On his second birthday he took his first steps, I continued reflexology treatments for a further six months and then gave Simon a monthly treatment and massage.

Thankfully he was not affected mentally and at the age of 5 was able to go to a School for he blind. Simon walked with difficulty, but had very fluent speech, a great sense of humour and called me his ‘toe lady’.

The family moved out of the area for better job opportunities but Simon came back to visit me when he was 15. He walked up the path with a rather ‘gangling gait, but totally unaided apart from his guide dog – Tina – and bought me a very special vase, a little log shaped vase with a tiny fawn on the front, filled with daffodils. The vase is very chipped and faded and the fawn has lost one of its ears, but I still use it particularly every year when the daffodils are in season and always will, and what about Simon.

Simon developed some very superb musical skills and played the guitar quite beautifully. Apart from his laboured walking and lack of sight, he is a fine young man, and a great joy to his friends and family.

Was it the reflexology that brought about such a remarkable ‘improvement’ or would he have been one of those exceptional cases who would have recovered any way-we shall never know-but as far as I am concerned the experience was a great one, and I was delighted to be a part of it.