Before June, 1986, Cheryl Clark was a very unhappy girl. She was slow; had repeated Grade-2 and seemed destined to remain a fixture in Uxbridge Public School's Special Education class.    

Her co-ordination and attention span were below normal. As a young child, she had suffered a head injury, causing concussion. This accident, accompanied by severe curvature of the spine contributed to a serious learning disability that, in turn, caused Cheryl's parents much concern. They felt both the diagnosis and the treatment were incomplete.    

Cheryl had been prescribed various drugs to keep her condition in check. Surgery was being considered in an effort to repair the spine curvature or scoliosis as it's known.    

Painful to see    
    
For John and Gayle Clark, it was painful to look on helplessly as their daughter's health deteriorated. They were sure in their own minds that Cheryl wasn't beyond help; that somewhere there was a procedure that could reverse the syndrome.    

A column in The Weekender caught their attention. It focused on the work of Stouffville chiropractor Dr. Allen Turner and the success he'd experienced with children with learning disabilities and dyslexia.    

"We were ready to try anything," Mrs. Clark admits. "Cheryl's drug therapy program wasn't working. Her teacher had actually suggested we take her off the drugs. She was becoming much like a robot. It was scary."    

The following week, the Leaskdale couple took their daughter to see Dr. Turner.    
"He was honest," Gayle recalled, "due to the severity of her    
condition, he didn't know how much help he could be."    

Skull bones misaligned    

He explained, Gayle said, that Cheryl's nervous system was badly disorganized and that her skull bones were misaligned, resulting in pressure on nerves.    

Regardless, they had hope. For they had discovered a doctor who made it his business to research unique forms of treatment for the learning disabled; a man who had travelled across North America, picking the brains of experts in the field.    

Soon positive things began to happen, Gayle remembers. A month from the initial treatment, her co-ordination began to improve, as did her reading and writing. In two months, her scoliosis was reduced from 21 per cent to 18 per cent.    

By mid-September, Cheryl was able to retain multiplication tables and comprehend addition and subtraction.    

Confidence in her every-day approach to life-hit a more positive note.    

"Her teacher actually broke down and cried as she listened to Cheryl deliver a speech last spring," Gayle says. Since September, Cheryl's reading level has progressed from a Grade 4 to a Grade 6 level.    

Parents ecstatic    

No longer shackled by the chains of mental handicap, Cheryl has begun to blossom. She now feels much better about school, her friends and most importantly, herself.    

Her parents are ecstatic. 

"All I can suggest to other parents is give it a try," urges Mrs. Clark. "It certainly can't do any harm"    

Dr. Turner's treatments are so much safer than drugs," she claims.    

As for Dr. Turner himself, he too is excited at what he's seeing not only in the case of Cheryl Clark, but other children as well. In the past two years, he's hand led more than 200 similar afflictions.    

"In some instances, the improvements have been dramatic," Dr. Turner says. He points to a student in Uxbridge who was struggling to obtain marks in the 50s. Now, this same pupil is earning 80s and 90s.    

Dr. Turner's methods have proven so successful, a TV station is planning a documentary. In addition, requests are coming in from all over for the local chiropractor to address various medical organizations on the subject of treating children with learning disabilities. He's presently working on a book disclosing little known facts on his findings.    

For 12 year old Cheryl Clark, life is finally back on track, an answer to prayer for her mom and dad.    
        

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(updated Nov 15 2011)