Father bans children from taking antibiotics or painkillers even after the doctors warned him that his child might die
Richard Lanigan and his wife Janette have never given daughters Molly and Isabelle, 14, and Eloise, 11, medication like antibiotics and painkillers as they believe their immune systems are better for it. The couple is so adamant about following this idea that even when they were informed by the doctors that their daughter might die of whooping cough, they ignored the idea of taking any medication. Richard believes the natural nutrients in Janette's breast milk kept her alive. The only time his three daughters have had a vaccination is when they were immunized before going on holiday this summer. Richard believes that avoiding the modern medicine is the best thing for them as it helps to boost their children's immune system.
Even though Richard knows that their method is controversial for several other people, he insists that it is the reason for his daughters to have a better immune system. As reported by Daily Mail, his daughters have barely suffered any illness and occasionally have had a cold which is not severe. Richard also believes that more parents should follow this technique. "The evidence clearly demonstrates that you can strengthen children's immune systems by allowing them to play in the dirt when they are young and get infections," he said.
He further added, "I strengthen my girls' immune systems by allowing them to get diseases. They have less time off than other kids at their school, but that's not because of one particular thing – it's a way of life." He claims that getting exposed to infection is what nature intended and his twins have grown into strong, tall, healthy teenagers because of it. "I look at my children and they deal with illness quite well," he said.
"If you look at how we've evolved, humans became stronger by getting illnesses," he continued. The process of natural selection meant the strongest survived. If you rely on vaccinations and medication for optimal health, you're creating a weaker species. Eventually, something like the Spanish flu will come along and wipe out millions. I could live with natural selection, even though it seems pretty harsh."
When it comes to treating pain, Richard looks for natural options rather than relying on painkillers. He believes that if more parents follow this method, they will end up with healthier, more resilient children. 'Ice is the most effective anti-inflammatory and pain relief for my kids. You don't see them popping pills," he said. "But there's no money for the pharmaceutical industry in frozen water, so they encourage people to take drugs."
The first time one of his daughters took painkiller was after youngest daughter Eloise hit her head aged seven and was taken to A&E. Two nurses had to put her down for her to have Calpol as she didn't know how to take it. When Richard was asked if she was allergic to any antibiotics, he had to admit that he didn't know because she had never taken any. "Nurses were looking at me like a new age freak – they couldn't believe that she had never had antibiotics by that age," he said.
Richard believes that antibiotics resistance becomes an issue. "We should be trying to optimize the immune system," he said. I would never tell somebody to do what I do, but what doctors are doing by giving out antibiotics willy-nilly is interrupting an evolving species that has spent millions of years getting healthier. People go to the GP when their kids have the sniffles because it's free and it's advice – but our healthcare system has been taken over by the pharmaceutical industry."
He further added, "Antibiotics have been used to cure every type of disease, and now we have bacteria that are resistant to them. When it comes to illness it should be down to how that person's immune system handles it. If they're the weakest in the species, though, that may have sad outcomes but should we compromise the wellbeing of many children for the few who can't have vaccines?" Richard further added that he is also opposed to vaccinations due to potential side-effects. He has not allowed his children to have any routine shots for disease such as measles, mumps and rubella or rotavirus. Meanwhile, Richard believes that ultimately, the right approach is to let his children lead natural lifestyles to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.