My name is Kimberley and I’m a busy working mum to 4. Our eldest is my stepson Keith, then Coby who is 10, Roman is 5 and Charlotte who is a sassy 4-year-old little miss. Along with my husband, Corey, we live in the beautiful Hunter Valley, NSW. I am a nurse and Corey is a delivery driver. We are just your standard working class family of 6.
When Coby started kindergarten it became clear there was something not quite right.
His social skills were poor and he was finding it very hard to make or keep any friends at school. But it was a busy year for us with our family expanding to 4. I managed to break my ankle in 6 places, which required 2 emergency surgeries and 3 months in a hospital bed and more surgeries later on. Corey was left at home with Coby who was 5 and Roman who was just 12 weeks old, plus I discovered that we were also 8 weeks pregnant! 
In year 1 Coby was struggling to read, write and simply just play with other children.
The school counsellor assessed him and we were referred to a Paediatrician. Unfortunately, the public waiting list was well over 18 months and Coby’s behaviours had now escalated into quite extreme violence. He did not know how to control his emotions and became frustrated quickly. My days would end in tears. Corey worked later afternoons so it was just myself and the 3 children.
It was nothing for Coby, who was now 7, to throw entire dinner plates full of food across the kitchen, or come at me or his younger siblings with knives or forks, throw chairs, remotes, mugs, anything he could get his hands on when he was in the middle of a meltdown. I was emotionally done. I didn’t know how much longer this could go on for as I could barely function.
We scrimped and saved and managed to get a private paediatrician appointment and finally got some answers – our sweet little boy had ADHD.
For some parents, medication will never be the answer and yes we were frowned upon by our family and friends for choosing to medicate Coby, but we couldn’t see any other option.
At first it was like an instant change, we would go weeks without seeing any behaviours from Coby. He seemed happy, the school and his teachers were amazed.
But another year passed and it appeared Coby was barely managing at school. He couldn’t concentrate, he was being suspended for fighting every second week. We had already been back to the paediatrician numerous times and he just kept upping the dose of medication he was on. We also tried different meds but the outcome was the same.
Coby was now 8 and stealing anything he could – money, food, books.
We even took him to the police station and had senior constables speak with him. It felt like we were starting all over again. With 2 toddlers, a full-time job and just at the beginning of my own journey into weight-loss, I felt the entire world was against us, crushing every last thing I had left into the ground.
Coby was now nearly 9. His nutrition would normally consist of fruit and vegetables along with prepackaged school foods, sugary desserts, biscuits, white bread and take-away. We had previously attempted the additive free diet, but he refused to eat anything for over a week so we gave in.
This was around the same time I found The Healthy Mummy.
Coby became interested in the smoothies I was having for breakfast and wanted one too. He would make his own with banana, honey oats, 1 teaspoon Healthy Mummy Smoothie Mix and plain full cream milk. He thought this was fun and he was never hungry afterwards.
I decided to stop buying the prepackaged school food and bake everything from scratch with the help of The Healthy Mummy snacks. Our children’s lunch boxes were now full of banana bread, blueberry and cream cheese muffins, weetbix balls, protein pancakes, carrot and cucumber sticks with corn dip, etc, but the real change was in Coby’s learning. The teachers could not believe the change they were seeing in him.
He was happy, and sky rocketing with his numeracy and literacy. He began to read, and take interest and pride in his homework, school books and own appearance. He was so proud of his own achievements.
He was coming home with awards every week and other kids’ phone numbers and invitations to birthday parties. This time there were tears of joy! I would cry when he came home week after week with a huge smile and tell me all about his days and what he had learnt. And be still my beating heart when we got a letter in the mail from the school, Coby was going to receive an award at the end of year assembly! This child had never received any awards in his schooling life. We all took the day off work, my parents drove the 4 hours just to see him on the stage.
Coby received most improved student for 2015. As a family we couldn’t clap or cheer loud enough.
Coby is still medicated but on a lower dose and we are under the care of a fantastic paediatrician these days. Coby is 10 and he will tell anyone who listens that he is a Healthy Mummy Smoothie lover, his mum is a Healthy Mummy and that The Healthy Mummy saved him when he felt like he couldn’t save himself.
Love Kimberly.
Kimberly your story has quite literally moved us to tears. What a wonderful result and we are so proud of both Coby and you. AMAZING and thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
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