After battling a rare form of childhood cancer (neuroblastoma), as well as having to undergo numerous surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, 9-year-old Kalel Santiago of Puerto Rico was left with a diagnosis of non-verbal autism.
Kalel’s parents tried out various kinds of therapies to help their child, including a surf-therapy. When other alternative therapies failed, they were introduced to a new treatment: CBD-rich hemp oil. Hemp oil is a rich cannabidiol compound that has shown to help ease autism and epilepsy symptoms.
A CBD oil sample was brought home and Kalel was given doses twice a day, orally. Two days later, he began speaking vowels while in school. Abiel Gomez Santiago, Kalel’s father, recounted that hearing his son’s voice for the first time was an amazing experience: “You can’t imagine the emotion we had, hearing Kalel’s voice for the first time. It was amazing.”
Additionally, he stated that “‘[t]he teacher recorded him and sent it to my wife and me and we said well, the only different thing we have been doing is using the CBD.’”
Kalel soon added consonants and began connecting sounds shortly after. His first sentence was “Amo mi mama,” (translated as: “I love my mom.”)
Joy to any parent’s ear.
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