Written without prejudice: In my opinion
Thomas started at the Chameleons Montessori School in March 2008.
My son Thomas (then 8 years old) was a normal healthy active boy, before he joined the Chameleons Montessori school, situated in the middle of the Natida wine farm. Within a mere few month’s it became obvious to me, that there was something wrong with his health. Since starting at the Chameleons Montessori, he developed a persistent sniffle and cough, that just wouldn’t go away.
I spoke on several occasions with the staff of the school about it, and Emma Mendell (the principal) suggested a homeopath (apparently a parent of 1 of the children at the pre-school). We went, tried her remedies for a while, but there was absolutely no improvement in Thomas’s health. On recommendation of a couple of friends, we went in January 2009 to a GP who had studied homeopathy. He suggested a blood test, to see what was setting off Thomas’s allergies. The Doctor at Synexa (the lab where they did the blood tests) suggested a stool test as well.
The results of the test were that Thomas had leaky gut (an adult disease) The allergies that he had developed over the past year (as he never had them before) were caused by his weakened immune system, because of a leaky gut. When I told the doctor that I was told that it wasn’t harmful what they sprayed on the farm, he said: “if it kills bugs or fungus, it can’t be healthy for humans!”
I told Emma Mendell (the principal) what the Doctor had said. And that the Doctor suggested that Thomas’s illness was most likely caused by the spraying of the vineyards. The Principal said she would find out more, and talk to the farmer. A couple of weeks later, when I questioned her about it, she said they were having tests done, and she was waiting for the results. I waited patiently for the results, and questioned her about it now and again. Then finally I was told by Emma Mendell the Principal of the school, that the test result came out clear. According to her, everything was “alright” & “all natural” and “non harmful to the children or any one”.
I trusted this to be the truth.
Despite his medication, regular Doctor’s visits, strict wheat/sugar and dairy free diet, Thomas’s health deteriorated . Emma agreed that they would let me know, when they were going to spray, so I could keep Thomas away from the spraying. Every spraying session would last between 2-3 days, and it would be done every 2 weeks, between September and March, according to Emma. In case of rain, they would have to repeat. In the end February, when Emma Mendell called me to tell me about another spraying session, she told me that they had told her, that it was the last time for that (spraying)season.
There where several times that we didn’t get that warning. I was sometimes called while spraying had already started(sometimes I was not even near Durbanville). And sometimes we arrived at the school, and found out they were not spraying ( came all the way for nothing). On one occasion, turning back home after we just arrived at the school, we counted as many as 7 tractors at the same time spraying on Natida, and neighbouring farms. During the “spraying season” Thomas had many nights that he could hardly breathe and sometimes would have to sleep sitting up, in my arms, as I would hold his head up, to help him breathe. I told this also to the staff at the school, but Emma assured me that Thomas was the only one that was affected at all, so the problem must be with Thomas. I kept Thomas at the school, as I (naively ) believed what I was told. I tried looking for answers elsewhere. At one time I thought it might be his synthetic school uniform causing his allergies. Then I thought it might be the pets at the school, etc. etc. I was looking for the cause of Thomas’s allergies and illness.
Would I have known then, what I know now, I would have taken Thomas out immediately after he was diagnosed. But I exposed him for another year to all the Toxin’s because I believed them.
I was approached a week before the school holidays in March 2010, by several people, informing me about the true facts of the spraying. In that week, I first asked Emma Mendell for the spraying schedule (Tuesday 23 March in the morning). I received it after calling her again (Wednesday 24 March pm). Then I called the school again. I spoke to her sister, Claire (Thursday 25th March am) , and I asked for a copy of the test results. Claire then informed me that there were never any tests done, JUST research! I told her immediately that research means nothing.(I said:”I can sit on a chair, stare at the vineyard, and call it research”). I then hand delivered my letter , with the removal of my son Thomas with immediate affect (Friday 26th March am), as I believed that I had found my answer, Thomas was getting ill from the spraying on the farm.
Since then, Thomas’s health is slowly improving. He sleeps through the night now, breathing steadily (simple thing he wasn’t able to do for almost a year!). It might be a while, before Thomas can have a “normal” life again, eating “normal” food(it is not easy to be on a diet. Imagine a 9 year old child on a very strict one for over a year), but at least the pain in his tummy has subsided, his breathing has improved tremendously, and he sleeps properly.
One can argue that with a normal immune system you can handle the spraying. But if your immune system gets attacked by the continuous surrounding of poison, your immune system might not be able to hold on for that long.
It has been said that “if you drive behind a diesel bakkie , is also harmful”. Or ”we also swim in a Chlorine pool”. I would like to point out, the school is situated in the middle of a spraying field, with very high levels of exposure to chemicals that are known to be very harmful. A hundred thousand times higher than the harm of exposure of swimming in a Chlorine pool, or driving behind a diesel bakkie .
A “buffer zone” of a couple of little trees(less than waist high)is in my opinion not going to make much difference. I’m not willing to bet my child’s life on it. I find this a joke!
It has been alleged by the school to me, that the removal of Thomas was purely financial. This is an untrue accusation. From the beginning of his removal from the school, I’m paying more for his private tuition, than I was paying at the Chameleon Montessori School.
But it is not difficult to form the opinion, that their own motives for continuing poisoning the children are purely financial. As some of you may know, the school was and is, in financial trouble, and moving is not an option.
Clarien Thornhill-Fisher
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