The Boy in 7 Billion

by Olivia Rutter

Against all the odds, brave mother Callie Blackwell and her husband Simon saved their terminally ill son Deryn – of that there is no doubt.

Their story is reminiscent of 30 years ago in the United States, where the Odone’s saved their terminally ill son Lorenzo through research, trial and error, and the eventual development of a treatment for his own ‘incurable’ illness. These remarkable tales perhaps come along only once in a generation.

The story of ‘Lorenzo’s Oil’ went on to became nominated for two Academy Awards; The Boy in 7 Billion is only just hot off the presses, but both these true-life tales are nothing short of inspirational; packed full of the most desperate and courageous examinations of the human condition.

Ultimately, Callie Blackwell’s book is one of ‘Love, Courage and Hope,’ but there is also an undeniable undercurrent of frustration.

Unlike the Odone’s, whom were without even anecdotal evidence of a cure, the Blackwell’s had researched potential alternative treatments available outside of the UK; namely medical cannabis, a treatment which remains illegal. In the face of losing their son, the Blackwell’s risked it all and administered their son Deryn with a cannabis tincture.

Hear the family’s inspiring story below.  

In the first video, Callie talks about cannabis in the UK and a need for a perspective shift.

In the second video, Callie discusses current UK medical procedure and how conventional medicine had nothing left to offer her son.

In the third video, Callie argues how prohibition of cannabis in the UK negatively impacts upon people’s lives, and whilst so many people secretly self-medicate, the street cannabis available in the UK is high potency, unregulated, and carries with it the ever-present risk of criminalisation.

In the final video, Callie recalls the story of her sons treatment, from diagnosis to palliative care, and of course the ‘secret’ drug that she administered which against all the odds, saved his life.

To learn more about the Blackwell’s story, visit Callie’s website here. She tweets from @DerynsMum.

Article by Alex Brewerton.

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