Fields Taylor, Mute Girl, Talks After Eating Cream Cheese For 3 Months; How A High-Fat Ketogenic Diet Works
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Fields Taylor, a three-year-old mute girl from Leicestershire, England, was born without the ability to speak due to her diagnosis of Glut 1 Deficiency. Following a diet heavily dependent on Philadelphia cream cheese, Taylor shocked everyone by miraculously speaking.
Glut 1 Deficiency, or Glucose Transporter Type 1 Deficiency Syndrome, is a rare, genetic disorder that targets the brain's metabolism. This impairment in the brain is caused by the lack of glucose that is needed for it to grow and function, G1DFoundation explains.
Common symptoms associated with Glut 1 Deficiency are seizures and movement disorders, which are what caused Fields' doctors to diagnose her with epilepsy.
"I had a normal pregnancy and normal birth but when Fields got to 15 weeks, she started getting a twitch in her wrist," Fields' mother Stevie explained to the Mirrior.com.uk.
"I took her to see the GP when all of a sudden she had a seizure in the waiting room. I was petrified. She went really vacant, like she was going into another world."
A year after doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy, a second opinion discovered that Fields was, in fact, suffering from an incurable Glut 1 Deficiency. They immediately assigned her to a ketogenic diet, which forces the body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
In accordance with her new high in fat but low in carbohydrate meal plan, Fields began eating four containers of Philadelphia cream cheese each day.
"The amount of Philadelphia she goes through is mad but worth it. It really has been our saving grace. She loves the stuff and piles it on crackers," Stevie explained.
"It doesn't affect her weight either as she uses up every bit of fat she eats - she doesn't store any of it."
Three months after starting the low-carbohydrate diet that is also used to treat epilepsy, Stevie Taylor heard the most wonderful sound in the world — her daughter's voice.
"The first time I heard Fields say 'Mum' it was just wonderful," said Stevie.
"There have been times when I've thought I would never hear her speak. It's fabulous to know that she does have a voice inside her and we can communicate."
As long as Fields sticks with the ketogenic diet, doctors believe that she will continue to make groundbreaking progress. Unfortunately, many children who also need this treatment are not receiving it, according to Emma Williams, MBE, CEO and founder of Matthew's Friends, a Ketogenic Dietary Therapies Charity.
"The Ketogenic Diet is really the only treatment there is for Glut 1 DS and sadly there are still patients in the UK that have been diagnosed with Glut 1 DS that are then put on a long waiting list for the treatment," Williams told The Sun.
"This is not acceptable as there should be no waiting list for these patients. The longer they are without treatment the longer their brains are being starved and the more damage can be done. Fields' story just highlights the difference the correct treatment can make to a person."