Dr Annabelle on taking extraordinary steps to save her son
March 20th, 2008 will forever be a date that remains indelibly etched in my memory.
I was in line at RBC Independence Square; my mother sat nearby waiting for me, blissfully unaware of what was to come.
From all accounts, I fell to the ground, convulsing and frothing through the mouth. I was disoriented and unable to identify myself. Everything and everyone was nothing more than a confusing blur.
I was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital where I remained warded for the next ten days.
So began my life with seizures and baby, what a journey it’s been. There were times I’d have in excess of 45 seizures daily. Thankfully, things are a lot better now, so much so, there are days I can almost forget my diagnosis. Despite the challenges, my journey with seizures helped to unearth a strength and resilience I didn’t know existed within me. It truly revealed my warrior spirit which was evident in those moments (of which there were many) when I had to advocate for myself and others.
In June of 2023, I was able to meet a kindred spirit in Dr Annabelle.
While in Saint Kitts for the 2023 Music Festival, the universe smiled on me and I was able to meet Dr Annabelle Manolo-Morgan.
A wife, scientist and mother, she pulled out all the stops as she advocated for her son who also had seizures.
In 2016, Dr Annabelle and her husband, Gramps Morgan (yes THE Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage, reggae royalty) were faced with every parents worse nightmare. Their infant son Macario was plagued by incessant seizures, in many instances up to 200 episodes daily.
During a brief interview with YCG backstage at the Saint Kitts Music Festival in June of 2023, Dr Annabelle explained that traditional medicine proved ineffective, forcing them to consider other treatment options.
Eventually, the decision was taken to remove 38% of Macario’s brain.
Dr Annabelle said following her son’s brain surgery, he was prescribed numerous medications and according to the prognosis shared by healthcare professionals, he was expected to have a very low quality of life.
A scientist with a Ph.D in cell and developmental biology, Dr Annabelle refused to leave her son’s well-being at the mercy of traditional medicine which had already failed him once before. Instead, she began researching cannabis, buying all cannabidiol products on the market and testing them on herself.
Not 100% satisfied with the transparency of existing CBD products and refusing to subject her son to harmful toxins, Dr Annabelle created a potent CBD oil which has drastically improved her sons life.
Mere days after she started inserting CBD through her son’s feeding tube, Dr Annabelle recorded a marked improvement in his overall health. Macario started walking when he was fourteen months and has been playing catchup ever since.
The proud mother and passionate scientist told YCG that her son is living proof of the power of science.
Dr Annabelle said she will continue to share her story as she advocates for continued progress in research and development in the area of plant-based treatment modalities like CBD and other cannabis medicines.
WHO IS DR ANNABELLE MANALO-MORGAN?
A native of Canada, Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, PhD balances life as a scientist, educator, author, and mother of five. Dr. Annabelle has a doctorate in Cell and Development Biology from Vanderbilt University where her focus is on genetic mutations that mimic the offset effects that chemotherapy has on heart disease. She has presented and published on the resulting cardiotoxicity as well as on the developing cardiac mesothelium. In 2016, Dr. Annabelle saved her own son’s life using a cannabinoid formulation that she created and now pursues the possibilities of implementing cannabis and/or plant compounds into current modern medicine. She served as Tikun Olam USA’s Chief Scientific Officer and started her own company, Masaya Medical Inc. in 2019. She is on the board of directors and the lead scientific officer of Nasdaq corporation, Flora Growth.
Dr. Annabelle consults on legislation and is a part of multiple clinical trials around the globe, while advocating as an international speaker for medical cannabis backed by scientific rigor. She believes in bridging the gap between naturopathic medicine and traditional medicine through science. Selected as a Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World 2022, her book Mighty Flower, was published with ForbesBooks in February of 2023.
“My work doesn’t look back- it looks forward, toward the potential of precision based medicine, of cannabis medicine, of translational biology and an increasing dialogue between holistic care and modern treatment.”
Stay tuned, YCG is hoping to bring you more of Dr Annabelle’s remarkable story, soon.
