When our little daughter was seven years old, she was suddenly seized with convulsions. As the attacks became more frequent and severe, often continuing for several hours without a break, we asked for Christian Science treatment. After a particularly bad night we discovered that the child was unable to speak and that her arms and legs were paralyzed.
Being still inexperienced in Christian Science and beset by fear, we took the child to the hospital. The head doctor diagnosed the condition as inflammation of the brain. After two weeks, since there was no sign of improvement and the doctor considered the case hopeless, we decided to take the child home again and rely entirely on God and Christian Science. The doctor warned us against taking the child from the hospital, saying that we would be assuming a grave responsibility. However, we did take her home and asked a practitioner for treatment. The very first day indications of a slight improvement were apparent, for the child tried to say a few words. Three days later she said distinctly: "God is Love. He loves me too."
A passage on page 283 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, was particularly helpful to us. It reads: "Mind is the source of all movement, and there is no inertia to retard or check its perpetual and harmonious action." The practitioner also explained to us that our child was in reality a divine idea and that an idea of God cannot be paralyzed.
