Stronghold of Hope

Scotty Potrykus's Testimonial

In September of 1996 Scott had just turned 4. He was a gentle, trusting compliant child. He was active and we thought, perfectly healthy. He had finished his last round of all the immunizations available (We didn’t know the hazards then, and thought we were doing the best thing.) Then the first strange behavior happened. He came running out of the bathroom and told us the lights had flashed and a picture fell on him. We checked, nothing was out of place. A couple of weeks he had a blank staring spell, with baby like mumbling and exhaustion. We thought he was tired and daydreaming, but I called my sister, Nancy (What a blessing having a doctor in the family.) She didn’t give me the “its no big deal response.” She told me to bring him into emergency right away. The Catscan and blood work showed nothing. She told me we should see a neurologist to be sure, though he seemed OK. But, before I left the Emergency room parking lot he started the gibberish and blank stare again, this time he added an arm wave like he was trying to catch a star. I ran him back into the Emergency room. Now I was scared and crying. We set up the appointment and the “hospital test carousel” was in motion.

The Neurologist told us she saw imprints of previous seizure activity, but would need him to wear the lead wires for 24 hours to capture a seizure. It looked like epilepsy! We were stunned. We couldn’t sleep at night fearing we would miss him seizing and he would hurt himself. They diagnosed him with complex partial seizures stemming from his left temporal lobe. They prescribed Tegritol an anticonvulsant medication. I read up on epilepsy and the medications. Tegritol could cause liver damages behavioral problems and was considered carcinogenic, but they told us if we didn’t control the seizures the brain would teach other parts to seize leading to grand-mal seizures. I felt like I was giving my son poison. I looked into a controlled diet (the Ketogenic diet). The Neurologist told us it is was too hard to stick to. Then, after the results of his next test, a MRI (magnetic brain scan) they threw the diet idea out the window. The seizures were originating from the sight of a brain tumor. We thought each doctor’s call was supposed to bring closure, hope, and good news. The news just kept getting worse. Our neurologist was referring us to a team of doctors in Detroit and, she wanted us to see an Oncologist! The tumor was diagnosed as a low-grade astrocytoma in his left temporal lobe. Nancy interpreted: a slow growing malignant tumor in the speech center of his brain. The Medical team talked about more tests, brain surgery and Chemotherapy. I talked with my bible study group, prayed, and they added Scott to the prayer list at Church.

Pre surgical testing began. More EEG’s, with spinoidal taps (they lie when they say the insertion is painless), WADA test, pet scan, neuro-psychological evaluation…

The physicians buzzed with plans. After the WADA test, they would do a brain flap, and then resective surgery, followed by a small dose of Chemo and monitor him with a MRI every 3 months to start. How did surgery Dec 12th sound to us ????? Not good at all !! We asked a million questions. They gave us two prior patient’s phone numbers to reassure us of the surgery safety. The first call was to the mom of a 6 year old girl who had surgery for epilepsy twice already and was having repeat surgery with a major dependence on post surgery drugs. Her mother said she was old enough now, to know what was coming and to not want to do it. She suggested we take a lot of Valium to get us through the ordeal. The second referral was a 10-year-old girl who had undergone the brain flap grid test prior to removing a benign tumor. Her mother warned us to be constantly by our child’s side to be sure that he would get enough pain medication. “No one should have to suffer that much pain.” she said. We were not comforted, or convinced this was the right thing to do.

The neuro-physiologist tested Scott’s abilities in different areas. He told us that he had a very high IQ and was above average in most areas except speech. He suspected, that was due to the tumor in his speech center. He endorsed the surgery and then looked at us as if needing to convince us of the seriousness we already knew, and said “Your son as you know him is no longer an option to you”. Did he realize the impact of what he had just said? Did he know a knife through our ribs would have hurt less. I felt my throat constrict and tears filling my eyes and then I heard that gentle voice inside say, “He does not have the same hope as you. He does not know what God can do;” 2 Corinthians 1:9 “ Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (The same verse God gave my friend Val diagnosed with stage 4 Breast cancer.) Val and I were in awe that God would give us such a verse of comfort. OUR GOD RAISES THE DEAD!! And there is more: Vs 10-22 “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us as you help us by your prayers.” God held us in his hands by the many people who were praying. My favorite verse gave me sanity. Proverbs 3: 5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” He would show us a way.

Friends and Family sent out requests for prayer. People we had never met, saw Scott’s name on a prayer card and wrote us a letter encouraging us to look at alternatives to traditional medicine. They said they had a long history of cancer in their family and had researched alternative medicine since they saw better results. It sent us on a whole new journey. Many of the things we found were healthy but not cures. Some were so extreme that we were simulating life in a bubble and it drove me near insanity. I prayed that God would bring information to us through Paul. He is more skeptical and precise. That would be better than trusting my anxious heart. God worked in Paul’s life. He began a miraculous journey of discovery. God led him though many doors, mounds of information, and testimonies from people who had used Entelev®/Cancell®/Protocel®. A formula developed by a Christian research scientist. We read about it and talked to many people that were cancer free after using this formula, even people who had been sent home by their doctors to die. We gathered as much information on it as we could. We visited the family of the only other child we could find who had used this treatment; a little girl who had liver cancer at age 2. The family had declined Chemotherapy fighting a huge battle with their doctors and gave her Cancell® instead. At age 6, she was still clear of cancer, healthy, and a lovely piano player to boot. They were a wonderful family and had reached their decision with much prayer. This formula was non toxic. Nancy (Doc. sister) checked it out. She wasn’t sure it could help, but comfortable it wouldn’t hurt. She understood what our traditional medicine choice entailed.

We started Scott on the formula (a small bottle of the original Cancell from Tony Bell and a supplement of a knock off of the formula) in December and postponed his surgery. I took the formula with Scott. We wanted to be sure we would know if there were side effects. When our medical team questioned us we insisted on a back up MRI to see if the tumor was growing. I reasoned with them that in my field of work we compared timed data before making a decision. After only 3 weeks on the formula we got our second MRI. We prayed the tumor would be gone and so would our association with hospitals and tests. The tumor was still there, unchanged. We talked with a Tony Bell (a Ph.D. Chemist following the formula) and he assured us no growth was progress with the voracious astrocytoma. He suggested getting another MRI after 3 months. THREE MONTHS!! How would we ever get the doctors to buy that one. Nancy warned us that if we continued to put the medical team off, they would consider us as declining care. We prayed earnestly for God to show us that we were doing the right thing for this little boy we loved so much and who trusted us. I prayed desperately, “ Lord you have to hit me with a lightning bolt or something so I know this is the right thing to do. Help us get three months if this is the right thing”. The next morning our Nurse representative to the medical team called. She told me that the head neurologist on our son’s case was going on a THREE MONTH sabbatical to China and asked what we wanted to do. (Well besides jump up and down and praise God) I told her we preferred to wait for her return rather than to switch our doctor midstream. God had answered my prayer, and given us confirmation and time.

After the three months had passed Scott’s MRI showed no tumor growth and the Spectostrophy test was echoing back what seamed to be normal brain tissue. His neuro- psychological evaluation came back with his speech improved to the level of his other capabilities. We had weaned him off his epilepsy medication with no seizures . The head of Radiology (a mother with 3 boys of her own) gave us good direction. Doctor to doctor with my sister she explained that the team would test him until they could justify surgery if we let them, but if it was her son, she would just monitor him every 6 months. And so we have, for 7 years now. Scott is now 11 (2003) and after the last MRI the doctor said he would check us in 3 years, and that he doesn’t understand (remember is more accurate) why we would worry since the scans now just look like left over scar tissue.

Scott continues to do well in school. He excels in reading and spelling. His spelling report can make me cry, because God has been so merciful to us. He has started to take the Protocel® once a month every 6 months and continues to have no symptoms. Thank you, everyone, for your prayers, “that he will continue to deliver us as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:10-11. We have been so blessed by the Protocel® formula and even more by the awesome people we have met in the process. We pray Gods blessings for all we encounter with cancer.

Thank you,
Paul and Judy Potrykus