Pubdate: Thu, 24 Apr 2014
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Page: A2
Copyright: 2014 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: James Miller

EX-POLICE OFFICER FIGHTS FOR GRANDDAUGHTER TO BE GIVEN MARIJUANA

PENTICTON - When a retired police officer from Summerland left his job
after 25 years, he hardly imagined fighting for his little
granddaughter to be given marijuana.

Chris Nuessler, with his wife, Elaine, wants Canada to allow
two-year-old Kyla Williams to be given a form of medical marijuana
known to prevent seizures resulting from epilepsy.

The girl's parents, Jared and Courtney Williams, along with the
Nuesslers, have been researching medical pot use and speaking with
experts to build what they're calling "Kyla's medical team."

They say Kyla has suffered severe side effects from prescription drugs
when she could be helped like other children in the United States.

A strain of marijuana commonly called Charlotte's Web has been known
to help kids in the U.S., but it's illegal in Canada.

It contains little THC, which provides the buzz recreational pot users
crave, and is mostly made up of CBD, which limits the severity and
frequency of seizures.

Named after a little girl named Charlotte Figi who has epilepsy, the
marijuana has allowed her to develop and enjoy a more normal life.

In Canada, the only form of legalized medical marijuana is dried,
meaning Kyla would have to smoke it.

Chris Nuessler said his view of marijuana as medicine has radically
changed since his policing days.

"For me it was back to the 1980s and 1990s mindset when I was busting
people.

"I had to do a 180 [degree turn] and start researching
this."

Kyla appeared to be a healthy little girl for the first six months of
her life until her mother noticed she wasn't progressing at a normal
rate and had unusual eye movements.

After she was seen by a pediatrician, Kyla was rushed to B.C.
Children's Hospital in Vancouver, where she was diagnosed with
retractable seizure disorder.

Over the next year, the little girl was placed on a series of
prescription drug mixtures, received steroid shots and was given a
high-fat diet.

She even developed a kidney stone. Some of the drugs had brutal side
effects and she was averaging 100 seizures a day, her grandparents
said.

"The drugs aren't really working and we were told there's really
nowhere she can go," Elaine Nuessler said.

"She's down to her last drug. She may [suffer seizures] for the rest
of her very short life."

In March, Kyla's mother and grandmother made a trip to Vancouver and
were told Kyla's life expectancy would be short.

"We both cried all the way home from Vancouver," Courtney Williams
said.

The next day, Courtney's 91-year-old grandfather called to tell her
he'd seen a CNN report on Charlotte's Web and how it's been known to
help children with cancer and epilepsy.

"Her development was so similar to so many of the kids who have been
helped by cannabis," Elaine Nuessler said.

With Kyla's father working for long periods in Fort McMurray, the
Nuesslers have become very active in Kyla's life and are in the
process of selling their home to accommodate the toddler and her parents.

They say they've spoken with leading experts in the field, including
Figi's doctor, and have even considered moving to Colorado, where
marijuana is available.

"Our entire support network is here," said Courtney Williams, who was
trained as a health-care aide.

Growing pot themselves is not an option because it requires detailed
chemistry to create Charlotte's Web.

The family said they want to try the marijuana to see how it will work
for Kyla and understand that there are no guarantees.

"Why not? It can't be any worse for her than some of the horrible
drugs she's been put on and the side effects her little body has had
to endure," Elaine Nuessler said.

"Our main thing is access, awareness and acceptance, not only for Kyla
but for other children in her situation.

"In my opinion, you should be able to go to your doctor, get a
prescription and then go to a pharmacy or dispensary and get exactly
what you need."  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D