February 2, 2012

DANIELLE HERB

Help Us Put Out Her Fire

ADD – Danielle was diagnosed at a very young age with ADD. In her early childhood she lived in South Florida and would swim in the family pool. It was later found that the chlorine in the pool was toxic to her system and caused her to “bounce off the walls”. She also judged because could not sit still and do one thing or read in a book for an hour. She did not want to sit still nor at times could she. It was not until she relocated with her mother to North Florida that all her underlying allergy symptoms became full blown asthma. The doctors wanted her mother to give her medicines and allergy shots but they chose a more holistic path.

Love Affair With Horses Began – At around age 5, Danielle was introduced to horses. She found her passion and was like a kid in a candy store. She lived, and breathed them.The horses were very good for her because when she was around them, she became focused and calm. They allowed Danielle to learn how to calm her own energy down which became a valuable lesson and because the horses are sentient animals they helped her feel new things about herself and her environment. She studied and listened to them.

Home-Schooling – Danielle’s own natural intrinsic thirst for learning was fostered by designing her schooling to revolve around horses. She learned math while budgeting for the farm and her horses care. She studied veterinarian skills and administered all her animals shots, medicines and wound care. She helped perform surgeries with vet’s and worked with them as a key and respected partner even though she was only 12 – 17 years old. She endlessly researched herbs and holistic remedies to keep them healthy and able to preform at their optimum ability.

Won Tiger Wood’s Grant – From Fear To Freedom – At 13 years old Danielle wanted to help people overcome their fear of horses. She started working with anyone she could find who either feared being around horses or riding one. That is how she developed her program From Fear To Freedom. Her mom found a grant that was sponsored by Tiger Wood and Target Stores.

Danielle’s life has revolved around her love and passion for horses. She rode from sun up until sun down, only taking breaks to take a dip in the river, chit chat with her riding partners or sleep, every once in a while in her early teen years. She enjoyed living a simple life in a rural small community in North Florida. She and her closest friend spent many days traveling the trails and dreaming of their future riding careers with horses.

Danielle showed extreme focus and dedication towards furthering her knowledge of horses and her riding ability. The sentient beings are everything to her. She began working for a neighboring farm caring for young race horses and preparing them for racing so she could earn money to attend a week long 4-H horse camp. She also was asked to apprentice under a jumping riding instructor and moved away from home to train full time at 13. At age 14 she was personally mentored as a working student by one of the world’s top Dressage rider. The Start Something Grant was influenced byTiger’s father.The book written by Earl Wood “Start Something” teaches entrepreneurship and importance of giving back to the community. Tiger was raised by the principles in the book and wanted to share them to make a difference in other children. Danielle entered her program, From Fear To Freedom. She worked with 20 people ranging in age from 5 – 75 and helped move them beyond their fears. She organized a group trail ride and lunch along the Suwannee River for all the participants to enjoy their new found freedom. It was a unforgettable day enjoyed by all. She was awarded their highest award. $5000 and used that money to purchase a round pen and other equipment to further her work teaching and helping others.

Teacher – At age 13 she and her mother Marianne, a life coach, start a school to help other children who might have benefit from learning in a non traditional way.They opened a small private school in 2006 with a small group of children that came each day to experience school in a whole new way. The school did not have walls and was held outdoors. The curriculum was life, nature and the lessons presented themselves each day for the children. Marianne, Danielle, the horses and each child equally participated in the experience. Danielle developed games using the horses that assisted the children in gaining higher self esteem and they began to see life in new ways.

Entrepreneurship – She had high hopes of competing in the equestrian trials at the Olympics until she felt her life going down another trail., entrepreneurism. The children in their school were having wonderful success and new changes due to her work, that she and her mother decided there must be other children this program could help all around the world. She also felt that horses needed help as well and partnering them children with to heal both would be a win win.

DropYour Reins – Danielle and Marianne co-founded an experiential learning program in an environment that invites open communication, personal reflection, and progressive alternatives for ADD/ADHD and Autistic diagnosed children as well as for those who support them. They traveled giving clinics at farms and riding barns that hosted them sharing their program with new and different audiences. The program quickly when from a small town program to being known internationally due to the many radio interviews they gave and articles that were written about their work. Danielle was asked to speak about her program at Rotary, other entrepreneur summits and schools. She was interviewed by Physicians and Psychologists and asked to lead programs for them to incorporate horses into their practices. She held summer programs and camps.

Danielle was very driven and had a goal to help 1 million people with her programs until…….

The Nightmare Began – One day while riding, after a huge storm and the pastures where covered in a foot of water, Danielle was riding a young horse that was relatively inexperienced. He stepped down into a hole and got very spooked. He was scared and the more he bucked and spun in the water the more frightened he became and they both were a wet slippery accident waiting to happen and it did. Danielle eventually came off and the horse started pounding his

hooves down on top of her. She was not too severely injured from what the outside appearances revealed but lurking inside was the beginning of her nightmare.

She was taken by ambulance a week later to a hospital because of a pain so severe in her right lower abdomen that was relentless and would not go away. She spent 10 days and under went many tests and left with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. We thought the doctors had lost their minds but now realize they were not far off in their original thinking. She continued for many months trying to ride through the pain and maintain her high spirited attitude but the pain continued to wear on her.

The Unknown – In 2010 Danielle spent over 60 days in hospitals and another 100 in doctors and physical therapy offices being treated for her symptoms. Danielle has been abused by the system that was supposed to be there to help her heal and protect her. She has been handcuffed and left to scream in the most extreme pain known to man for 7 days while the doctors were thinking it was her mother that was the problem. She was kept in a hospital and threaten by the child protection services physician that if she did not stop screaming in pain they would throw her in a psych ward. She has had to deal with more in her 18 years than most will ever have to endure in their old age.

Diagnosis – Since being diagnosed with RSD/CRPS in June, 2010 and as her issues continue to present themselves she has since been diagnosed with POTS-Postural OrthostaticTachycardia Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Gastroparesis and Mitochondria Disease

Daily Life – Danielle is extremely restricted and limited in her ability to ride and care for her horses. She is unable to run her once highly sought after programs and clinics.  She struggles everyday to keep walking, to stay out of a wheelchair, keep from getting injured when she passing out, to keep food down due to frequent throwing up, sometimes just getting a fork to her mouth, reading because of the visual changes she experiences and the constant gnawing of the relentless chronic pain everyday that feels like she has been dowsed with gasoline and lit on fire.

Treatment – She is being treated for these very serious conditions at the University of Florida and because her condition is so rare the other specialists are spread out across the East Coast from Rhode Island to South Florida.  She is in need of treatments of Ketamine Infusions that only a handful of Dr’s in the U.S. perform. Some of her care is overseen by a Pain Specialist in Rhode Island and some of the other complex issues are managed by a biochemical geneticist specializing in mitochondrial disease.

Her Family Suffers – Her step-father whom is a deputy sheriff was accused of physical or mental abuse and at one point authorities were looking at her mother for Munchausen Syndrome. They spend all of the family resources on transportation and gas, repairs to the 1996 van they had to purchase to transport her to her appointments because vibrations in their main truck caused Danielle’s pain to increase because her nervous systems gets activated, supplements, heat patches, equipment, flights or gasoline to out of town doctors, office visit charges for physicians that are out of network and not covered. Her step-father remains home caring for the horses and family pets so Marianne can be on the road getting Danielle to her appointments. It has caused him to be alone and not see much of his only daughter’s growing up.

Leila, Danielle’s nine year old sister spent 2 years traveling with her mother and sister. She has had to sleep in many ER’s and hospital rooms. Last winter she spent 3 months living in Rhode Island Ronald Mc Donald house after they were trapped up there with her sister in the hospital during Christmas. She was unable to attend school and now the focus is on getting some help to ensure Leila can remain in the school she has entered now.

Marianne had to stop the family business she spent 2 years working on with Danielle for 2 years and devote all of her attention and focus to Danielle’s care. She can not seek work outside of the home because Danielle requires full time care. Marianne, while loving her daughter needs some help so that she can get some time away to replenish. Her health is suffering due to the intense 24/7 stress of Danielle’s condition. She is under constant stress on how she is going to provide food for her family and transportation to get Danielle to her next appointment.

The Future – There is no known cure that the medical profession can offer at this time. Like other Neurological Diseases like MS, ALS, and Mitochondria, there is managing of her symptoms and trying to keep her being able to have some quality of life.We remain hopeful that she will be cured and keep our faith while getting her the best care both holistically and traditionally we can find and afford.

RARE DISEASE DOWNSIDE – Many of the treatments that might make a difference are still not approved by the medical association and her family has to come up with the funding. One treatment that is showing promise is Ketamine infusions.The treatment protocol is approved but most insurance companies won’t pay for it. Her genetics specialist has prescribed supplements called the mito cocktail that are a combination of vitamins that are proven to help build up her body and immune system and have positive results but they have to be compounded by a special pharmacy and are not covered by insurance. Alternative therapies such as cranial sacral and massage help to decrease the sympathetic nervous system flight and flight response.

Travel to Atlanta – $1000 every 4 months – $3000 per year

Travel to Gainesville – $500 each month – $6000 per year

Travel to Pawtucket, RI – $1500 bi-monthly – $9,000 per year

Mitochondrial Specialist ( not covered by insurance ) $1200 per year

Ketamine Infusions Monthly ( not covered by Insurance) $4500 bi-monthly – $27,000

The Bridge – 3 week Rehabilatation Program in Utah $11,000

http://www.thebridgerecover ycenter.com/rsd-reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-treatment-center.html

Supplements – Mitochondrial Cocktail – $200 monthly – $2400 yearly

http://www.mitoaction.org/blog/mito-cocktail

Alternative Therapies to help manage symptoms – Hyperbaric Chamber, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Neuro Brain Retraining $500 – $1000 per month

Danielle remains hopeful she will heal and begin to thrive again. She still makes a difference everyday in the lives of those she touches. She is teaching nurses and doctors about compassion and how to treat and listen to their patients. She still inspires us all to Drop Your Reins and trust that once you fall off your horse, you have to jump back on and pick up the reins no matter how difficult life may be. She continues her fight to live another day and walk another step. She smiles at those who look and loves them all because she knows the struggles that others are going through.They many look ok on the outside but like her, they may be living with a wildfire ragging inside.

There is a high cost associated with Danielle’s care but her life is priceless.

Contact Marianne St. Clair

386-466-6466

marianne.stclair@gmail.com

Donations can be made online

www.GoFundMe.com/Team-Danielle

The purpose of this website and Danielle’s work is to inspire others to overcome their fears and learn to trust.

Today I was reminded of that by a email that perhaps was hard to look at and as I did some soul searching, I was reminded that healing is the ultimate outcome and I wish that for us all.

We are all in this journey together and as much as we would like to help others to get to their place of freedom so they can experience a greater sense of love and happiness, we do not have all the answers and are still seeking to
find them on our journey.

I know Danielle and I have inspired many of you to overcome some fears in your journey and we love you all for your courage. Danielle and I are making new leaps in our own journey now.

Love to all and we will see you on the trails.
Marianne

I hear hoofs pounding
I feel the earth sounding

I grab a hold as good as I can
I gave a good kick and off we ran.

Horse hair
Horse care
Life without horses
You wouldn’t DARE!

Bees and trees
What are these?
A gift God gave to thee.

Swimming,
Flying,
Living,
Dying,
Waving,
Crying,
All so ELECTRIFYING.

Live your dreams
I want to hear em.
Please don’t ever fear em.

You have the reins, so do what you please.
You have the reins so give a little squeeze.

I love my horses from hoof to head.
From head to hoof and tail to mane.

I love my horses as I have said,
From head to hoof and back again.

by Danielle Herb  – age 12

The quote below by Albert Einstein reminds me of a resent statement by a great humbled hero living today, Dr. Pradeep Chopra, whose care and love for our youth should not go unrecognized.

While Danielle had been screeming in pain for 9 days straight and none of the doctors attending to her could help her, there was one doctor who went beyond the call of duty and listened to the call of this frantic,  frightened and desperate mother’s call for help.

Dr. Pradeep Chopra answered with this quote:

Marianne, Danielle is just as much my daughter as yours and it is my responsibility to help her heal as it is yours.
We must lead by exampe and show these children compassion and love.

Here is Einstein’s quote. Can’t you see the same vein of greatness in both of these men’s words? I do!

WE ARE HERE for the sake of each other–above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.

-Albert Einstein

Danielle and I have been questioned, interogated, and challenged about the authentisity of Danielle’s symptoms. Many doctors have continued to try to place us in a very vunerable and victimized state as they seem very distrusting and disbelieving.

While the physical symptoms of Danielle’s RSD / CRPS are numerous as the video  shows, including:

swelling

Color changes to blue and red as the nevers are firing

Temperature changes to cold

Skin tone changes

Toe nails are changing

Time after time we see different doctors and they have this picture of what their perception of a RSD patient should be experiencing. First they could not find what was wrong with Danielle’s stomach and then they keep insinuating that her leg is not RSD.

ARE THEY KIDDING?

Danielle would like to tell everyone.. She is not sure what other people are experiencing but she is experiencing these feelings in her body…. and it is not in her head .. although her brain is miss firing and causing the physical symptoms to be REAL.

Intense Burning

Uncontrolable muscle spasms

Muscle Tremors

Shooting shocks of electricity

Too sensative to touch

 It is difficult to deal with chronic and acute pain day in and day out.  It causes real emotional inbalances caused be the chemical changes in the brain. She experiences

Mood Swings

Depression

Anxiety

The quality of her life has changed as well as how it  affects the entire family.  We surround her with love in hopes that she will leap out of pain and have the vigor and spunk for life that she once had.

I want to share a very powerful secret with you. It’s something successful people use in all parts of their lives to achieve positive outcomes at work, at home, and in the many circumstances they face everyday.

It’s a skill anyone can learn—a skill called Adaptive Coherence that I recently learned about from a trusted friend, Kyle Widner, CEO of Wild Divine,

I’m really excited about the potential it has to provide long-lasting stress relief and improve every aspect of your life. Learn more here (absolutely zero cost):

http://tinyurl.com/37zolx4

In fact, Adaptive Coherence is probably the least discussed skill of successful people—people whose lives are abundant in many important ways.

If you saw my last email, you know that I’m on a mission to help you live a Happier, more Balanced, and Successful life.

That’s why I’m sharing this video, to show you how to increase the level of Success (and lower the amount of stress) you experience in every part of your life. It’s all here:

http://tinyurl.com/37zolx4

This is really powerful content—content that improves lives every single day. I hope you’ll join me.

Be well,

Marianne and Danielle

P.S. Kyle Widner, a trusted friend and CEO of a great company called Wild Divine, recently sat down with Dr. Deepak Chopra, who shared ways to feel less anxious, more lighthearted, and also how to “spontaneously make choices that are revolutionary.” As always, Dr. Chopra’s words are powerfully enlightening! Visit the link below to watch their conversation, and also hear Kyle discuss a simple, enjoyable new way to achieve balance and invite Success into all areas of your life.

http://tinyurl.com/37zolx4

P.P.S. In case you missed my last email, visit the link below to get guided training videos led by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Andrew Weil, respectively, plus a breathing techniques guide with simple exercises you can do anywhere, at any time, to relax and/or rejuvenate. This is a great opportunity to get valuable content from Wild Divine, a company that makes highly effective personal development products, at no cost—don’t miss out!

http://tinyurl.com/2d8pwfe

Think back to the last time you had a really great day—a day when you felt content, relaxed, and energetic, and everything just ‘clicked.’
 
I’d like to give you guided training videos that teach you how to make everyday feel like a great day.
 
These training videos from Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Andrew Weil can make a hectic Monday morning feel more like a serene and sunny Saturday morning. Get yours here (no cost to you):
< http://www.wilddivine.com/ple-1.html>

 
In addition to helping you de-stress, you learn amazing techniques for achieving more balance in your life, and within yourself—balance that allows you to navigate your days in an entirely new way.
 
I’m sharing these life-changing secrets for one simple reason—I want to help you live a Happier, more Balanced and Successful life.
 
Let’s be honest—we’re navigating tough times in our collective history. Whether you’re watching the news or fighting rush hour traffic, there’s so much intensity these days—and the fact is, we all need a break.
 
This training, courtesy of a great company called Wild Divine, doesn’t just teach you how to get that much-needed break. More importantly, it shows you how to feel happier and more balanced, be more productive, even improve your relationships—in short, you learn how to drastically improve your everyday life. Get your copy here:
< http://www.wilddivine.com/ple-1.html>
 
I hope you’ll join me on this life-enhancing journey toward a Happier, more Balanced, and Successful life. I assure you—Monday morning will never be the same.
 
Be well,
 
Marianne & Danielle

  
P.S. I just had a great phone call with Kyle Widner, CEO of Wild Divine. Watch for my next email because I’m going to send you a video of his recent conversation with Dr. Deepak Chopra, who shares amazing stress relief tips, and lots more. In the meantime, visit the link below to get your training videos from Dr. Chopra and Dr. Weil to learn how to transform your everyday life. You’ll also get a guide with simple but powerful breathing techniques that you can use anywhere at any time to relax and energize. There’s no catch and no cost, but this page will only be available for a few days, so make sure to get your copy now:
< http://www.wilddivine.com/ple-1.html>

Recently Danielle experienced dreadful pain in her body and the doctors diagnosed her with RSD/CRPS.

In her search to find alternative solutions to work with her body’s pain and also begin to set a health foundation for herself she is working with a wonderful modern day biofeedback game called the Wild Divine.

Click here to find out more about it and watch the videos below to learn how it works.

Wisdom Quest

As Danielle was released from Brook’s Rehabilitation Hospital and I gathered up all the new equiptment that was going home with us.. I had to take a picture to show you the new reality that we faced. 

It felt to me  like when I gave birth to Danielle and left the hospital with all the baby stuff to take care of her.  I was now entering into a new stage of life and development and we were going home from the hospital now with a truckload  of new STUFF to support her on her journey.  Who would have thought  that one kid would need so much stuff.  HA ! HA! 

My Danny Does 

 Danielle was eagar to see her horses.  When she walked into the round pen with Halo he seemed to sense the difference in her left leg and arm.

Danielle spent time desentizing her arm to the different texture of Halo. It was so amazing how patient and loving he was while she ran her affected arm on his back.

Halo sniffed and smelled Danielle’s arm.