Story of Hope for London

Challenge: Tantrums, poor sleep, constipation

When London first came into our office, she was known by her parents and grandparents as a troublemaker. She did not like being told "no" and was on the verge of being expelled from kindergarten. Her guardians were receiving frequent calls from the school—warnings that she was on her “last strike”—and she had to be picked up early due to behavioral challenges multiple times a week.

London was what we consider a true “Perfect Storm” child.

Her biological mother experienced a highly stressful pregnancy, compounded by drug addiction, which resulted in London being born with withdrawal symptoms and numerous early challenges. Her early years were marked by instability and stress, ultimately leading to her being placed in the custody of her grandmothers.

From the womb onward, London’s nervous system had been hardwired for survival. Her brain was constantly in fight-or-flight mode (sympathetic dominance), with very little access to the calming and regulating parasympathetic side of the nervous system. From a neurological perspective, it made perfect sense that she struggled with behavior, sleep, digestion, and emotional regulation. Her brain wasn’t misbehaving—it was simply doing what it had learned to do to stay safe. Unfortunately, that left her with very little capacity for adaptability, learning, or growth.

Out of desperation, one of London’s grandmothers brought her to Crossroads Chiropractic, hoping for a breakthrough.

London began neurologically focused chiropractic care in March. By June—just a few months later—her family and teachers were seeing a completely different child. They reported improvements in her sleep, energy levels, attitude, digestion, and behavior. She had fewer tantrums and was even able to reduce her reliance on medication (specifically, laxatives).

London’s dad shared with us a story that we will never forget. When London returned to school that fall, her father attended a parent-teacher conference expecting the worst, as he had so many times before. On his way in, multiple staff members stopped him to ask, “Are you London’s dad?” His heart sank. But instead of complaints, he was met with praise. Teachers and staff wanted to tell him how wonderful she was and how much of a joy she was. When he finally sat down with her teacher, he was told that London had received all green lights that semester—she was thriving in the classroom.

With a more regulated nervous system, London finally had the capacity to be who she was always meant to be.