I CAME ACROSS THIS STORY RECENTLY AND WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU.
A girl of eight starved to death in her own bed after suffering a phobia of dentists so severe that she would not even open her mouth to eat, an inquest has heard.
Sophie Waller's fear was so extreme that she was taken to hospital just to have a tooth removed.
The coroner was told that Sophie developed her phobia at the age of four when a dentist accidentally cut her tongue during a check up.
When she cracked her tooth on a boiled sweet four years later, she refused to visit a dentist and was referred her to hospital by the family's GP after she refused to eat for three days.
Doctors at the Royal Cornwall Hospital decided to remove all her milk teeth in one go to avoid repeating the procedure - a decision her parents claim they did not consent to, and which made the situation even worse.
Afterwards, Sophie would not open her mouth and had to be fed through a tube.
She was later discharged, however, and yesterday her mother, Janet, 34, said she had begged the hospital to have Sophie readmitted after she began to waste away at home.
Mrs Waller and her husband Richard, 35, claim they contacted the hospital on several occasions but were refused permission to bring their daughter back in and instead referred to a child psychologist who told them 'not to worry'.
But Sophie refused to talk or swallow food as her parents tried to feed her with fruit and drinks supplemented with vitamins.
She became so thin she could not walk on her own and was found dead in bed on December 2, 2005 - two weeks after leaving the hospital.
She weighed less than four stone.
Pathologist Marianne Brundle found she died of acute kidney failure because of starvation and dehydration.
Her parents, of St Dennis, Cornwall, said that by removing all eight of her milk teeth the hospital had left their daughter traumatised and unable to eat.
Mrs Waller said: 'I signed a form to consent to have one tooth being removed, but not eight.
'The next thing I know she comes out of theatre and there was blood all round her mouth. All her milk teeth had been taken out.
'She didn't like dentists already so she was very freaked out. She had blood running all down her face. The poor girl was devastated.
Janet Waller said her daughter was 'devastated' when she discovered her teeth had been removed
'It was very scary for her. She soon needed a feeding tube because she stopped eating and drinking.'
After leaving hospital Sophie's parents say they tried to feed her watermelon and oranges but most of the food was spilled down her front as she wouldn't swallow.
Mrs Waller says they contacted the hospital with their concerns but were told not to bring her back and referred her to child psychologist Kerry Davison.
The couple claim say they rang her at least once a day but say she told them 'everything would be fine' and not to worry as long as she was eating something.
Mr Waller said: 'It could have easily been avoided if we had just taken her into hospital instead of listening to that woman.
'If I had just said 'I am going to take her anyway' we would not be sitting here now.
'I asked her to come round and see her but she kept saying there is nothing to worry about and I'll come next week.'
Mrs Waller, a nursery teacher, said: 'I kissed her goodnight and told her I loved her as normal.
'In the morning I noticed that Sophie looked like she was asleep so went to make a cup of tea and I though I'd wake up Sophie after.
'When I went up she was lying face up and I knew she was dead. She looked cold. I took her downstairs and Richard tried to perform CPR.'
Doctors found no food in her stomach or gut after she died even though she had previously been a 'tubby girl' who loved to eat.
Mrs Waller said: 'Everyone has a phobia and Sophie's was a dentist phobia and a phobia about her teeth.
'I wish now that Kerry Davidson had come out and looked at her or if the hospital let me return it would have saved her.
'She was a bubbly little girl who loved going to school who loved her food and would eat anything.
Her parents admit that after leaving hospital their daughter was not seen by any doctor.
Pathologist Marianne Brundle carried out a by post mortem and found she died of acute renal failure because of starvation and dehydration.
The inquest, in Truro, continues
Are we causing our own bodies to become weak immune depressed unable to fight off any infection.
The story about the little girl was fasinating to me.
She was obviously scared of eating anything for fear she would have to end up at dentist again.
Are we like her????????????????????????????????????????????
Think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ARE WE STARVING OURSELVES OF CERTAIN FOODS AND DRINK BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID THEY MIGHT FEED THE BACTERIA CAUSING BAD BREATH.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WELL NEWS FLASH WE ALREADY HAVE BAD BREATH THEREFORE THE BAD BACTERIA ARENT GOING ANYWHERE FAST.
DO WE SAY:
I WONT HAVE FRUIT JUICE BECAUE IT WILL JUST FEED THE BACTERIA BECAUSE OF THE SUGAR IN IT?
OR
I WONT HAVE RED MEAT LIKE BEEF BECAUSE IT WILL FEED BAD BACTERIA IN INTESTINES? when we know we need the extra iron since we have become anaemic ESPECIALLY WOMEN.
OR
NO FRUITS SINCE THEY FEED THE BACTERIA? we miss out on vitamin
c
OR
NO STRACHES LIKE POTATO, RICE ETC. THESE FEED BACTERIA IN INTESTINE.
but you might say we can get vitamins from pill-multivitamin pill.
well no multivitamin can take the place of full balanced daily meal or can ever full your stomach. VITAMINS FROM PILLS ARE NEVER FULLY ABSORBED AS WELL AS FOOD SOURCE.
EVER NOTICE WHEN YOU EAT PROPERLY FORGETTING BAD BREATH FOOD RESTRICTIONS HOW YOU FEEL BETTER IN YOUR MIND, BODY, STOMACH ETC.
WELL, AT ONE POINT I WAS LIKE THAT GIRL.
ONLY DRANK WATER NO JUICE. AND WELL MY SKIN BECAME DRY VERY DRY.
I TRIED TO CUT OUT FRUITS BECAUSE OF CANDIDA AND WELL I BECAME CONSTIPATED.
I REFUSED TO EAT STARCHES RICE, POTATO OR RED MEAT AND WELL I WASTED AWAY. MY CLOTHES JUST HANG OFF MY BODY LIKE I WAS ILL. SERIOUSLY ILL THE POUNDS FLEW OFF. I AM ONLY 105 POUND SAME AS 8 STONE IN UK. WENT DOWN TO 7 STONE UK/ 90 POUND US
NOT A GOOD SIGN BECAUSE THEN OUR BODIES CANT FIGHT ANYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY.
I ASK YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES:
IN ALL THESE YEARS OF DENYING YOURSELVES OF CERTAIN FOODS HAVE YOU EVER CURED YOUR BAD BREATH THAT WAY?
ASK YOURSELVES, COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE CAUSING YOUR OWN BODIES TO BECOME IMMUNO-DEFICIENT UNABLE TO FIGHT ANY INFECTION???????????????????????????????????????????
jUST MY THOUGHT ON THE WHOLE RESTRICTING DIET THING.
mIGHT WORK FOR BODY ODOUR BUT NOT FOR BAD BREATH.
PEACE ALL,
DRASTIC
ARE WE MALNOURISHED IN SOME WAY???????????????????????????
I totally agree with you on that, because I have been through that kind of situation myself. I have always hated drinking milk, and infact I stopped eating breakfast becasue i hated milk in high school. reading articles online about how it can increase bb gave me more reason to stay away from it, but my acid reflux was very disturbing and to stop that the only thing available on hand was milk, so I started drinking milk and it has actually helped reduce my bb now. I have finally found a good way to drink milk without getting bb, I boil it, add some sugar and then drink it lukewarm.
I personally dont drink milk because I am lactose intolerant.
I am not really talking about milk.
What I am talking about are food of substance like potatoes, rice, fruits etc
Those are the things I am talikng about. Even a little meat here aNd there.
Some people avoid red meat altogether.
I am not saying go out and eat red meat or any meat everyday of the week.
JUST THAT OUR DIET SHOULD BE BALANCED.
IN TRYING TO CONTROL OR CURE OR BAD BREATH WE MIGHT BE MAKING IT WAY WORST BY NOT EATING PROPERLY.
MANY OF US COULD BE MALNOURISHED AND NOT KNOW IT.
WE NEED TO STOP RESTRICTING OUR FOODS AND EAT PROPERLY PEOPLE.
I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS WILL CURE YOU BUT SEVERE DIETING NEW CANDIDA DIET ETC NEVER CURED YOU SO WHY NOT STOP STRESSING OUR POOR BODIES AND EAT BALANCED MEALS.
