The Lambert family from Sydney Australia, who decided to give Katelyn, then just a baby, a cannabis extract, broke the law to save their granddaughters life.
Katelyn, the granddaughter, was born with a rare genetic disorder called Dravet Syndrome, which at its worst saw her fitting over a thousand times a day. Starting when she was just 6 months old, Katelyn’s future did not look the best; despite taking a cocktail of antiepileptic medication, her seizures continued unabated, damaging her brain and mental function.
Then cannabis came into the picture.
After a two and-a-half-hour seizure that saw Katelyn helicoptered to a specialist hospital, the family decided to look for alternative treatments. And before long Katelyn’s father Michael came across the CNN documentary about fellow Dravet sufferer Charlotte Fiji who, after taking high CBD/ low THC cannabis oil, had experienced a remarkable improvement in her condition.
CBD, otherwise known as Cannabidiol, is one of over 100 compounds in the cannabis plant called Cannabinoids and has proven to have particular efficacy in cases of childhood epilepsy.
Drivenon by Charlotte’s improvement, Michael took to the internet, eventually ordering CBD Hemp extract from Danish company Endoca. The change was immediate.
“I’ve seen such a difference since she’s been on the CBD,” Joy goes on. “She’s happier, she’s more alert, she goes to preschool. We don’t fear when she’s there that she’ll have six seizures through that day, so we’re very happy with that. It’s a little step, but we’ve got to be grateful for that. She’s alive.”
Lamberts Donate $33.7 Million to Cannabis Research
This would be just another ‘medical cannabis miracle cure’ story if it weren’t for the fact that Barry Lambert, Katelyn’s grandfather, is a multimillionaire. Neither he nor wife Joy had ever smoked a joint in their lives, but they were very amazed by Katelyn’s improvement, so much so that they that they decided to donate $33.7 million to medical cannabis research.
Thus, The Lambert Initiative at Sydney University was born, and it is exploring the potential of compounds derived from the cannabis plant (cannabinoids) in treating a range of diseases.’
The Lamberts hope that their unprecedented donation could be a real game changer in the world of medical cannabis research, especially at a time when, at least in Australia, the laws are changing to permit the use of cannabis for certain medical conditions.
