134: When God Carries You Through, Medically Fragile Son | Kitsi Tribble

Summary

Podcast Summary: I AM HealingStrong

Episode 134: When God Carries You Through, Medically Fragile Son | Kitsi Tribble
Air Date: May 1, 2026
Host: Jim Mann
Guest: Kitsie Tribble

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Episode Overview

This episode of I AM HealingStrong features an inspiring and deeply personal conversation with Kitsie Tribble, a mother who navigated the life-or-death medical crisis of her son, Grayson, who was born with Down syndrome and suffered a severe vaccine injury. Kitsie candidly shares the spiritual, emotional, and practical challenges her family faced throughout their ordeal, including medical decisions, faith-testing moments, and miracles along the way. The conversation emphasizes trusting God through impossible circumstances and offers encouragement for others facing health crises with loved ones.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Background and Introduction (01:31–06:19)

• Kitsie’s Family: Kitsie introduces herself and describes her roots in Six Mile, SC, her Clemson education, and life as a stay-at-home mom.
• Mother's Cancer Journey: Her mother’s past and recent cancer battles make their family familiar with medical adversity.

  “She had breast cancer twice, and that was about 20 years ago. And then… endometrial cancer… But… they got all the cancer. So she technically was cancer free.” (02:29–02:59, Kitsie)

Grayson’s Medical Crisis: Down Syndrome, Vaccine Injury, and Hospitalization (06:19–17:22)

• Initial Health and Vaccine Injury: Grayson was born with Down syndrome. After a DTaP vaccination at four months old, he developed infant spasms—a severe seizure disorder.

  “He was born with Down syndrome... he had a vaccine injury when he was four months old... the D TAP caused a severe seizure disorder called infant spasms.” (06:19–06:41, Kitsie)

• Treatment Dilemmas: Kitsie discusses the impossibility of the choices presented: high-dose steroids, medications with extreme side effects, or doing nothing (risking permanent brain damage).
• Medical Complications and Crisis: Grayson’s health spiraled: heavy steroid use destroyed his immune system, he required oxygen, developed pneumonia from feeding tube misplacement, and experienced cardiac arrest with a 10-minute heart stop.

  “He quit breathing and his heart stopped for an entire 10 minutes while they worked on him.” (08:58–09:08, Kitsie)

• Miraculous Recovery: Despite being given no hope by doctors, Grayson survived and was eventually well enough for open-heart surgery.

  “He wasn’t expected to live, but thank the Lord he did… He spent four months in the ICU…” (08:09–08:35, Kitsie)

Spiritual Resilience and God’s Presence (13:21–17:22)

• Enduring Trauma: Kitsie reflects on the numbness and helplessness during Grayson’s worst days, noting God’s sustaining presence.

  “It’s just one of those times that you just know God’s carrying you.” (13:55–13:59, Kitsie)

• Surrender and Acceptance: "I had to accept whatever God was going to do… I wanted God to heal him and I didn’t know if that was on this side or… by removing him from his earthly body." (14:27–14:44, Kitsie)
• Prayer Answered: After Grayson’s heart stopped, seizures ceased—something doctors could not explain.

  “He never had another seizure… That was just something I prayed specifically…” (15:02–15:30, Kitsie)

Navigating Medical and Social Systems (18:29–23:15)

• Medical System Challenges: On refusing further vaccination, Kitsie was dropped by their pediatrician and faced reluctance from other providers.

  “Because we wouldn’t vaccinate him anymore, we were let go from our pediatrician.” (18:29–19:32, Kitsie)

• Pediatricians’ Pressure: Kitsie was shocked as the same vaccine that injured Grayson was nearly administered again.

  “Instead of helping me, they tried to give him more... the same vaccine that caused the injury two months before.” (19:49–19:58, Kitsie)

• Taking Control: Kitsie describes working with specialists, a naturopathic pediatrician, and implementing a nutrition-focused recovery plan.
• Remarkable Progress: Through consistent, natural healing strategies, Grayson weaned off all medications—including those expected to be permanent—and became a happy, healthy child.

  “He did wean off all his medication, including his thyroid meds...” (22:04–22:29, Kitsie)

Lessons, Regret, and Advice (24:27–32:39)

• Reflection on Medical Decision-Making: Kitsie regrets ceding to pressure against her instincts regarding vaccines.

  “That would be my lesson… don’t jump into a decision… you have time. But I felt like I didn’t have time… I caved and just said, OK, you know best. And I don’t know why I’m having all these reservations, but apparently I have no basis to argue…” (24:27–25:33, Kitsie)

• Advice to Listeners Facing Diagnosis:
  • Read medical literature (“package inserts”) for themselves.
  • Recognize that side effects are not always rare.
  • Never give up hope; God can work when medicine reaches its limits.

  “Read the package inserts and know that… the side effects are not rare… God is good and God can heal… There’s always something more God can do. And don’t give up that hope.” (31:29–32:39, Kitsie)

Community and Support: HealingStrong Group Leadership (27:05–31:29)

• HealingStrong Support: Kitsie became a HealingStrong group leader to help others—including her own mother—find support and hope.

  “I felt like the program would be… good for me and our family, good support, but support for her.” (29:22–29:29, Kitsie)

• Group Dynamics: Meetings are small but consistent, offering close-knit community in difficult times.

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Memorable Quotes

• “It’s just one of those times that you just know God’s carrying you.” (13:55, Kitsie)
• “I had to accept whatever God was going to do… And that definitely wasn’t easy. But it’s also not easy watching him being tortured.” (14:27, Kitsie)
• “He never had another seizure when he came to. The doctors can't explain that… That was just something I prayed specifically.” (15:02, Kitsie)
• “You’re a terrible mom if you don’t [vaccinate]. So that was the messages I was getting, but I didn’t have peace about it.” (00:00, Kitsie – opening quote and repeated at 25:33)
• “Just never give up hope… The doctors, they’re limited. But there’s always something more God can do.” (32:28–32:39, Kitsie)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00: [Opening] Kitsie’s initial struggle with vaccine decisions for her son
• 06:19: Grayson’s diagnosis, vaccine injury, and rapid health decline
• 08:09–08:35: Hospitalization, medical crisis, and “no hope” from doctors
• 13:55: Spiritual reflection—“God’s carrying you”
• 15:02–15:30: Seizures cease after cardiac arrest; prayer and medical mystery
• 18:29: Discharged by pediatrician; struggle to find supportive care
• 22:04: Grayson’s recovery—off all medications
• 24:27: Kitsie’s lesson: Trust your instincts, don’t rush medical choices
• 29:22: Kitsie becomes a HealingStrong group leader
• 31:29: Kitsie’s core advice for parents facing health crises

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Final Takeaways

• Kitsie's journey demonstrates the intertwined challenges of medical emergencies, spiritual surrender, and the fight for respectful care.
• She urges parents to listen to their instincts, be informed, and trust God’s sustaining power.
• The HealingStrong community offers a vital support network for those navigating health crises with faith and purpose.
• Despite trauma and regret, Kitsie’s story is one of resilience, hope, and eventually, profound healing for her son and family.

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For Listeners Seeking Hope

Kitsie’s story is a wellspring of practical advice, hard-won wisdom, and spiritual encouragement for parents and families navigating complex medical journeys—underscoring that, even in the darkest circumstances, hope and healing are possible.

Transcript

[Kitsie]

Know, you can't just go Google. Should you vaccinate a child with down syndrome? Everything that comes up is going to say, yes, definitely. Even more, you know, they're immune compromised. They need it. They need it, they need it. You're a terrible mom if you don't. So that was the messages I was getting, but I didn't have peace about it. And that would be my lesson that I've taken from all this is. And I've heard it talked about just in these groups and these programs of people that can relate with a cancer diagnosis. You know, don't jump into a decision and don't, you know, you have time. But I felt like I didn't have time. I had to stick to their timeline and do it their way. And I caved and just said, okay, you know best. And I don't know why I'm having all these reservations, but apparently I. I have no basis to argue, and I didn't want to step out on my own and take on that responsibility. And then something happened to him, so I kind of did it against, you know, looking back, what God probably would have had us do.

[Podcast Narrator]

You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, a part of the Healing Strong organization, the number one network of holistic cancer support groups in the world. Each week we bring you stories of hope, real stories that will encourage you as you navigate your way on your own journey to health. Now here's your host, stage four cancer thriver, Jim Mann.

[Jim Mann]

You're the only Kitsie that I know. Kitsie Tribble. How are you?

[Kitsie]

I'm good. How are you?

[Jim Mann]

I am just great. You came to my meeting a couple months ago, sometime last year. Changed my life, of course. Just can't catch the date. You came because you wanted to start a group and you wanted to see how we did it. You probably went away disappointed. I'm sorry.

[Kitsie]

Not at all.

[Jim Mann]

We got. We've got new leaders.

[Kitsie]

Oh, God.

[Jim Mann]

Finally stepped up after six years of me fumbling through it, proving that anybody can do it.

[Kitsie]

So they're taking your place or they're starting new groups?

[Jim Mann]

No, they're taking my place. I'm still going to be there because I have the key to the building. So there's something. Yeah, they. They're stepping up, and I couldn't be more excited about that.

[Kitsie]

Good.

[Jim Mann]

So you came and you brought your mother, who. She is battling cancer, right? Or she was.

[Kitsie]

She was, yes. Well, she's had breast cancer twice, and that was about 20 years ago. And then she had endometrial cancer that she found out about last year. And it was a very aggressive state, stage four. But when they went in and took her uterus out, it ended up that they got all the cancer. So she technically was cancer free, which made her a good candidate for this program.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Kitsie]

So she adopted a lot of the. The healthy eating habits and got rid of a lot of bad eating habits and what has been doing very well.

[Jim Mann]

Who has bad eating habits? That's unheard of. Just eating stuff we get from the grocery store. It comes in boxes and now I gotta read labels. It's so irritating. But they put so much junk in there. You gotta, you gotta read in self defense. Right?

[Kitsie]

Very true.

[Jim Mann]

So what town is your meeting in? Is this down the road from us?

[Kitsie]

It's in Six Mile.

[Jim Mann]

All right.

[Kitsie]

Very close to Clemson. That area.

[Jim Mann]

That's good because I live in Anderson, so it's not too far away.

[Kitsie]

Not too far at all.

[Jim Mann]

I'm a big Clemson fan. Since we live here. Gonna kind of have to. Otherwise we'd be in trouble. But I don't wear orange, so there's that. Did you grow up in Six Mile or.

[Kitsie]

I did. I was born in Columbus, Ohio, but I grew up here since I was about five years old.

[Jim Mann]

Okay.

[Kitsie]

Raised our kids here.

[Jim Mann]

Okay, wait a minute. What moved you from Columbus to. To Six Mile?

[Kitsie]

My mom, she went to college at Clemson and. Okay, we just stayed.

[Jim Mann]

That makes sense.

[Kitsie]

Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

And how'd you get the name Kitsie? I love the name Kitsied. I'm not making fun of it. I've just never heard of a Kitsie. How'd you get that name?

[Kitsie]

She was, I think Ms. Kits. Columbus 1979, the year that I was born. And my mom just liked that name and went with it.

[Jim Mann]

Okay.

[Kitsie]

I've heard it short for Catherine. I've never heard anybody else that's had that name. But not in my case. It's just Kitsie.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, mine's real unique. Never heard of another gym. Good night. Kind of. My parents could be a little bit more creative, but what can I say? All right, so you moved here and you've kind of. You stayed around. Did you go to Clemson?

[Kitsie]

I did.

[Jim Mann]

What'd you take there? Football?

[Kitsie]

Graphic Communications.

[Jim Mann]

Graphic communications?

[Kitsie]

Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

Oh, what do you do with graphics? Communications?

[Kitsie]

It's. It's a printing program. So you can go into the printing side of things. Manufacturing or you can do. I like the design part. Okay, so you would design books or booklets and business cards or you know, you'd work for a printing company doing their Layouts and design.

[Jim Mann]

Oh, okay.

[Kitsie]

Which I only worked for about a year and then got pregnant with my daughter and ended up being a stay at home mom. So didn't do a whole lot with it.

[Jim Mann]

But that's all right. There's still time, right? Once. Once you have that emptiness, which is where I'm at now. So you're an introvert, aren't you?

[Kitsie]

Yes, very much.

[Jim Mann]

That's the perfect career for an introvert.

[Kitsie]

Yes, I agree. I love it.

[Jim Mann]

I have. My oldest daughter just graduated with. With an art degree this past December. She's a total extrovert, so it's kind of weird. And then my.

[Kitsie]

See where she gets that.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. And then my younger daughter, she's a nurse and she's a total introvert. They should swap their careers, I guess. But it's what they both do the best, so I won't argue with them. All right, so you have three children. One of them has a physical situation, right?

[Kitsie]

Yes. Our youngest, Grayson, so he was born with down syndrome. He's seven years old and he had a vaccine injury when he was four months old. And this is kind of how I got involved with this program because the D TAP caused a severe seizure disorder called infant spasms. They just progressed to the point where he was having them all throughout the day and they come in clusters, so it was just pretty constant. And the only treatment plan they have for the spasms is to put them on high dose steroids. Well, it was either between that and there was, I think it was called Keppra, another medication which can cause blindness, or you can do the high dose steroids. So there was really no good choice because you do nothing. It's just going to continue to damage his brain. Or you do the other. It will eventually cause blindness. Or you can do the steroids. So that kind of felt like the only choice we had. So we did the first round of steroids. Of course that hit his immune system really hard. So he ended up catching a cold and he ended up in the hospital because he had to be on oxygen.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Kitsie]

And once he started running the fever from this cold, it brought back the spasms. They come back pretty full force when he gets sick. So he started having spasms again in the hospital and they started him back on another round of the high dose steroids. And in order for him to be able to eat, they put a feeding tube in. And during this stay, he had pulled the feeding tube out about this far and they gave him a whole feeding that pretty much went to his lungs.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Kitsie]

So we ended up aspirating during that first hospital stay and ended up being rushed to the icu. And we didn't really know how he was going to do with that because he was having heart failure, just doing not very well. And he was already supposed to be having open heart surgery at four months that we had to push back because of the. The spasms. He ended up coming home. He did get better, and that was a miracle in and of itself. We don't know really how that happened. They sent him home on oxygen. He continued to get a little better each day until about maybe two weeks after being home. And then he started doing worse again. So we had to just keep going up and up on, on the oxygen. And we knew things were getting bad. So we took him back to the ER for the second time and the spasms were coming back again. So they hit him with a third dose of high dose steroids, which wasn't really doing much at this point except making him very sick. And I think it was the second day we were there. And this was at Greenville Children's Hospital. He was having constant seizures, pretty much to where he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. I didn't really know what they would do for him. They really couldn't do anything for him. They were just trying to figure out what was going on. He quit breathing and his heart stopped for an entire 10 minutes while they worked on him. And they did finally get his heart to come back. But once they got his heart to come back, he was anemic. He was very low on blood. They had to give him blood over the next few days. All his organs were shutting down. His lungs were horrible. And they finally found out through some blood work that he had what's called PJP pneumonia, which is normally what. From what they explained to us, you only see it in oncology patients who are just. Their immune system is wrecked. So they weren't real sure why they were seeing that in Grayson. But it's also a fungus that grows in the lungs. So we knew it was from his previous stay of the aspiration. They tried very hard to like kind of COVID that part up. That. No, it wasn't from that. But it wasn't until we got moved to a different hospital that we realized it was from that. Anyways, he wasn't expected to live, but thank the Lord he did. But he spent four months in the icu, one month at Greenville. Then they flighted him to musc where we could try to get him stable enough to have his heart surgery, and he was intubated for a couple months. He did get stable enough to have his heart surgery. He had it, and then we came home after that. Four months, about a month before his first birthday. And he was on about 10 different medications at the time. That whole stay, he had been on narcotics, you know, trying to get his. Just so he didn't feel he was where he was intubated. He had to be on several different narcotics. So it was a lot to try to wean him off of. And just his little body, that first year of life, everything that he had been through, and all the antibiotics, trying to get rid of the lung fungus. It was just very overwhelming to know where to start when we got home. Yeah, I was staying with him at MUSC in Charleston. My husband would drive up every weekend and bring the kids. But through the week, I was alone with him unless my mom or somebody would come stay with me. But I say it's just the God thing because it's kind of like Chris work and his program just. I don't. I really don't remember where it came from, but I'm thinking it was Facebook. And I run across an ad, and it just kind of captivated me. He was giving the. What does he call the modules that he shows every six months for free?

[Jim Mann]

Oh, it's rare One. Yeah.

[Kitsie]

Yeah, the program. So I was watching those modules every day, and it just gave me so much hope, just hearing about how the body heals itself and the fact that he was a Christian and bringing Bible verses into it to support what he was saying. And God just knew I needed that at that time. So I would spend my days just listening to these modules, kind of forming a plan for when we got home and taking notes and bought his book. And it also helped me make some decisions at the hospital because he was getting daily X rays, and on top of that, they were wanting to do a CT scan of his lungs and certain things. And I had read about how bad the CT scan was, and so it was just. It was a godsend. And at any point you want to stop me to ask a question again, I've kind of gotten on a roll here, but.

[Jim Mann]

No, you're good. That was funny.

[Kitsie]

Yeah. I go from having nothing to say, but this is the important part, so. Yes, because this is my baby.

[Jim Mann]

Well, first of all, I mean, you sound so calm as you. As you talk about this, and I'm sure you were not calm, at least on the inside. You. You might have been calm outside because you're A calm person that had to be just tearing you up. I mean, it's terrible when your parents get sick or. Or somebody who is not depending on you necessarily. But when you're a child, wasn't even one yet. I'm sure you felt like you had no control over the situation. You had to depend on doctors, and it looked like, you know, it's a life or death situation. What in the world did that do to the family?

[Kitsie]

It's just one of those times that you just know God's carrying you.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah.

[Kitsie]

Because, you know, as you're going through it, I was just kind of numb to everything going on. Grayson was in so much pain, and we were at just a loss to, you know, what to do with him while he was having these seizures. And by the time we got him to the hospital the second time and he couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, he was all bloated up from the steroids, and he was just miserable. He was absolutely miserable.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah.

[Kitsie]

So I didn't want anything to happen to him, but I wanted God to heal him. And I didn't know if that was on this side or that would be healing him by, you know, removing him from his earthly body. And I had to accept whatever God was going to do.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Kitsie]

And that definitely wasn't easy. But it's also not easy watching him being tortured. And literally, you know, the nurse walking in and he's having these seizures. I'm like, please do something. And she looks at me and shrugs her shoulders like, wow, there's nothing to do.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah.

[Kitsie]

So when you've exhausted all other things. And another miracle is when his heart stopped. He never had another seizure when he came to. And that's. The doctors can't explain that. They did about three more brain scans while he was there, and there was never any seizure activity. And that was just something that I prayed specifically that whatever brain damage came from the lack of oxygen, that 10 minutes, that it be in that part of his brain where he would have what they called the hips arrhythmia from the. The infant spasms. And God answered that prayer because they were gone. And nothing, nothing else could. Could have done that. But, yeah, it was hard on the family, of course, because I went from being a stay at home mom, and my kids were used to having me there every night at bedtime, getting them ready for school in the morning. And I had one starting his first year of middle school that August that I wasn't here, and my daughter was starting her first year of high school.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Kitsie]

And she was supposed to play on the volleyball team and couldn't get rides there and back, and so she had to give up her spot on the volleyball scene. So, yeah, I mean, it was. It was a lot. But, you know, we got her baby back. And I do remember being in the hospital and just being like, why am I not in the corner? Just broken and, you know, how am I handling this? I. I didn't. I. I knew how, but it just. It did amaze me that I just asked God, you know, you put. You put me here. Help me be present and learn whatever you want me to learn and take from this experience whatever you're wanting me to take from it. And he did that. He honored that. And I held it together pretty well, except when my family would come visit, and then on Sundays when they would leave. That was pretty hard. But, yeah, held it together. It wasn't until I got home. And I guess that's when. God, when you're in your. Your safe place, and then everything kind of. I guess the PTSD set in of the four months before, and that's kind of when I felt everything is after being at home. So that worked out good in the hospital.

[Jim Mann]

Was that just before COVID or is that during COVID Oh, that was.

[Kitsie]

Thank the Lord. That was before COVID because. So we got home October, and Covid hit that spring.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. Okay.

[Kitsie]

And I was kind of defiant with it because I'm like, I finally got my kid home. We're getting them healthy, we're getting out, and then covet hits, and they're trying to put masks on us, and I'm like, we're not doing this. And at first I was scared because, you know, his lungs were bad. His heart was just fixed. And then you have to worry about this thing going around and. But, you know, I kind of quickly realize if they were to tell me I had to wear a mask in the. In the room and my family couldn't visit, we would have had a problem.

[Jim Mann]

You would have gotten feisty.

[Kitsie]

You might have seen the feisty side of me. That doesn't come out very often, but.

[Jim Mann]

Oh, that was a close.

[Kitsie]

It would have been a nice feisty. But I would have been like, no, thank you. I'm not wearing that.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. All right, well, let's get to the good part, where he started getting better, right?

[Kitsie]

Yeah. So he gets to come home, and he was still on oxygen, still had his feeding tube, on about 12 different medications, most of which I was to wean him off of. But the heart medicine, they Weren't sure if he'd have to stay on and thyroid, you know, I'd gone to his thyroid doctor and asked, you know, how I could help get him better to get him off the medicine. And he was basically like, he has down syndrome, he'll probably always be on that medication. And I didn't really like that answer because I thought his thyroid was fine before this injury. So I think we can get it back to where it was. But he didn't know how to use a bottle. He was almost a year old but when all this had happened he was still on a bottle. So it was kind of a weird transition cuz they sent me home with him and he had all these, you know, he was very complex medically but because we wouldn't vaccinate him anymore, we were let go from our pediatrician. I had taken him there after we got back knowing I didn't want to go back to that pediatrician because they didn't help me when he had the reaction and I took him back for his next appointment. Instead of helping me, they tried to give him more. They actually tried to give him the same vaccine that caused the injury two months before.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Kitsie]

So I was pretty, my eyes were open to how that system works too. And it, it wasn't very friendly towards my child. So our child. But I needed their help in the moment because I didn't know what to do about the feeding situation. So I took him into a different. A doctor at the same practice, but a different doctor and just asked her how am I supposed to get him off the feeding tube? He was taking a bottle but now he has to start eating. And she's basically couldn't really help me with that and tried to send us to the Furlotto center in Greenville for medically complex children. So he got that referral. But then when they called me, I just let them know the situation that I'm not going to vaccinate him. I just want to make sure that's not going to be an issue before we go through the whole process of becoming a patient. And she said yeah, that, that is going to be a problem because he's around all these other kids and.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Kitsie]

I was like, well, do you care about my kids health or just the greater population? Because it's, it just doesn't make, it's not adding up here. And she said she couldn't take them. So basically I felt like, okay, I'm on my own here, I'll just figure this out on my own. But thankfully he had all of his specialist where he had his heart surgery. So he had his endocrine doctor and his cardiologist. He had four different specialists. So anytime I had a problem, I would just take him to that specialist. So I didn't really need the pediatrician at the time. They're pretty much only good for jabbing him. And that was about it. I did get him started in speech therapy and feeding therapy and they were very helpful in getting him to start eating. So I was kind of working with the blank slate, which was perfect to start implementing the program, which is I was blending all his foods and giving him smoothies and oatmeal and had just decided, we're going to start off no sugar, no dyes, no dairy, no gluten, just all the things that could irritate his gut. I'd also started working with a naturopathic pediatrician who, who specializes in down syndrome. We telepath, she's from Oregon, so she would just order the blood work and see his blood work in the stool test. So she was helping me along the way of tracking his progress. And as he. He did wean off all his medication, including his thyroid meds, has been completely med free for after about a year. He got home, he was able to get off all his medications.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Kitsie]

The main thing was just constipation for a while and just getting his gut back to working and moving. And so we just dealt with some toxicity in his body for a few years trying to get that worked out. But he has made, I would say, I mean, I say a full recovery, but he'll always have challenges as far as speech and, you know, physical challenges. And I do believe that speech was greatly affected by everything he went through because he was saying a lot of the sounds before all this happened that he's still saying he hasn't progressed a whole lot in that area. But yeah, yeah, he's a very healthy, happy child at this point.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, he looked very happy in the picture I saw. So. And I know, I know several kids or even adults who have down syndrome and they're always so fun to be around. They're so happy, they're so optimistic and they're just so full of joy. I thought, man, the things we can learn from them. Right.

[Kitsie]

But he can turn on you too. He is very happy, but he's very extreme in all his emotions. So it can turn from very happy to very angry to.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, well, there's that part. Yeah.

[Kitsie]

But yes, he's very sweet.

[Jim Mann]

Man, when you think your child is not going to make it. And, and it sounds like you were preparing yourself for, you know, either way, being a follower of, Of Christ. You know, it's. You have a whole different mindset with that. But still, it's. It's never easy. But, you know, so many people, when they get their diagnosis for themselves or for their child, they just get angry with God as if he did this. But it, it sounds like you, you had a good mindset. You weren't shaking your fists at the heavens, right?

[Kitsie]

No. And I, I can't blame God for a decision that we made when it came to the vaccines, because that was something that I had struggled with trying to figure out what to do with him. You know, we had fully vaccinated our first two kids and never questioned it. But I did start to do some research before he was born and had decided, you know, I'd at least look into each one before we did it and just be more intentional about it. But then when I had tried to have that conversation with a pediatrician, they just weren't very cooperative with that and accepting of that. And it was, you know, the pressure of, well, you can't come here if you don't. And it was something I prayed about, but I wasn't getting answers quick enough. I felt like, because I wasn't finding any reason not to vaccinate him. You know, you can't just go Google, should you vaccinate a child with down syndrome? Everything that comes up is going to say, yes, definitely. Even more, you know, they're immune compromised. They need it, they need it, they need it. You're a terrible mom if you don't. So that was the messages I was getting, but I didn't have peace about it. And that would be my lesson that I've taken from all this is. And I've heard it talked about just in these groups and these programs of people that can relate with a cancer diagnosis, you know, don't jump into a decision and don't, you know, you have time. But I felt like I didn't have time. I had to spend, stick to their timeline and do it their way. And I caved and just said, okay, you know, best. And I don't know why I'm having all these reservations, but apparently I, I have no basis to argue, and I didn't want to step out on my own and take on that responsibility. And then something happened to him. So I kind of did it against, you know, looking back, what God probably would have had us do. And he progressively, you know, were showing signs of injury Leading up to the spasms, But I just thought it was colic or, you know, his stomach wasn't settling well with the milk, whatever it was. But the hours of crying, the inflammation, the encephalitis setting in in the brain, and I just wasn't making the connection. So, yeah, there's definitely a. A big lesson I learned and all this. So I can't go back and blame God, because I did find the answers. When he had the injury, all this information came flowing in. I'm like, had I waited, I would have known this.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, you're talking like, crazy, Kitsy. Just yak, yak, yak. I'm kidding. It's great. This is. This is what we need. Okay. So then enters your mom. Obviously, she's been around for a while, but, I mean, when I first met you, it was at the meeting, and you were starting your own group just down the road from me because of your mom. But give us a little background of that. Of course she's had the cancer you said 20 years ago.

[Kitsie]

Yeah, it was in her 40s. She had breast cancer twice. And a mastectomy and the radiation and the chemo. She had done everything. They recommended tamoxifen. I think that's the name of the medicine they want you on for five or ten years after you have breast cancer. So she took that, and then last year, she found out she had the endometrial cancer, which was likely caused from the tamoxifen, because that's one of the side effects. She knew this time around, even though they recommended chemo, that she got the surgery, had her uterus removed. They couldn't find anything, but they still wanted her to take the chemo because they said there could be some. Some radical cells they didn't see. And. And it was so rare. That was another God thing, because when she found out it could be cancer, she changed her diet and started implementing a lot of this from the program. But it was only about a month and a half. But I just feel like God honored that because when they went in, they. They took her uterus out. There's still usually. With the type of aggressive cancer she had, there's usually something left behind, but it was all gone, like, they could find nothing. So the doctor was a little bit stumped and called her a rare bird. And this is a conundrum. We don't really know how to handle this because it doesn't usually happen. But we're going to recommend that you still. Because of the cancer, it was that you get the chemo and they pushed it pretty hard, but she knew she didn't want to go that route. She was still having some just side effects from the first chemo she had had 20 years ago. So she. She was very open to doing this. And I felt like the program would be not just good for me and our family, good support, but support for her.

[Jim Mann]

And you heard about healing strong through Chris work, right? Yeah, it's always the case. So how is your group going now?

[Kitsie]

It's a small group. It's. We have one sweet older couple that have come to every single meeting. They're from Travelers Rest and. Wow, that's really nice to know. I'll at least have my mom at the group, and I'll at least have Mandy and Alan at the group. But other than that, I have a friend who. She comes occasionally, and then kind of random people will come and go.

[Jim Mann]

That's how mine is. Of course, you were there at one time. I don't know how many people were there then.

[Kitsie]

Probably it was a full room that day.

[Jim Mann]

Was it? Yeah, we'll have, like, up to 20. And then last month, one person showed up and I. I juicer and I had all kinds of stuff going. I was ready for, you know, 50 people showing up. And one person showed up like, okay, well, I'm going back to Anderson. And I had drank a lot of juice, so that was good. But yeah, yeah, it's. It's very inconsistent as far as that because people come and they go. There's usually a core that are. They're there all the time, but they're very faithful with, you know, staying with it and supporting it, so. And I'll probably have a decent crowd on my next one, which will already have happened by the time this airs. But with Susie coming, I'll probably get. I better get more than one person. Better not just be me and Susie. No, they're all excited about meeting her and. And picking her brain and hearing her story. And hopefully you and your mom can come.

[Kitsie]

Yeah, I'd like to.

[Jim Mann]

No pressure, but we'll talk about you if you don't. So there's always that. Well, is there any advice that you would give to somebody that's listening right now who just got a diagnosis or even worse, their child was. Was diagnosed. That's probably the worst thing I can think about. What would you tell them?

[Kitsie]

Read the package inserts and know that they're not rare, the side effects are not rare.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Kitsie]

And as far as the healing side of things, God is good and God can heal. And even when they give you no hope, you know, it might not have been a cancer diagnosis. With Grayson, it was. You know, we've exhausted everything we can do. You know, they sent in palliative care. They were preparing us. And I don't know, I just felt like once God brought him back, God gave me this peace, and I. I felt like he was going to be okay. I don't know why I felt that. I don't. I had no reason to think that, but I know he was leading me down that path of, you know, this is how we're going to do it. And so I would say, just never give up hope. You know, the doctors, they're limited. They can offer medication, and there's going to be times where what they can offer won't help you, or they're at the end of what they can offer you. But there's always something more God can do.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah.

[Kitsie]

And don't give up that hope.

[Jim Mann]

That's good advice. Kids, you're a strong woman. You've been through a lot. I wouldn't want to mess with you. My youngest daughter is like that. She's calm and quiet, but I've seen her. When someone crosses her, everybody step back. He's like Chuck Norris.

[Kitsie]

I sound like that with our kids, I guess.

[Jim Mann]

Yes. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. And you're probably unusual. Quiet time when your son is down.

[Kitsie]

Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

Well, I don't want to take any more of that time so you can enjoy it. But thank you for all you do, and you're welcome to our meeting whenever.

[Kitsie]

Thank you.

[Podcast Narrator]

You've been listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, part of the Healing Strong organization. We hope this episode encouraged you and gave you confidence to take charge of your healing journey, trusting God to guide your path. Healing Strong is a non profit dedicated to connecting, supporting and educating individuals facing cancer and other diseases through strategies that rebuild the body, renew the soul, and refresh the spirit. It's free to join a local or online group. Just visit healingstrong.org to find one near you or start your own. While you're there, create a free My Healing Strong account to access all of our free resources to help you live healthier and heal strong. Though our groups and resources are free, we invite you to support our mission through a monthly Hope Givers donation of your choosing. Your generosity helps us reach more people with hope and encouragement. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a five star rating and review to help us spread the word. We'll see you next week with another story on the I Am Healing Strong podcast.