Someone recently asked me, “What are some of the most memorable patients you’ve seen over the last 40 years in practice?” One case immediately came to mind—a 10-year-old boy whose abdominal pain and headaches were so severe that he missed an entire year of school.
Today, I’ll share how we discovered what was wrong and how he finally got better.
My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and author of the FreeDiet®. Most of our new patients come in with gut symptoms, and this boy was certainly one of them.
A Desperate Mother and a Bag of Pills
I remember the moment vividly. His mother burst through the front door of our clinic and said:
“Is there anything you can do to help my son? We just came from the psychiatrist upstairs. He’s putting him on more medication—and he’s already on ten different drugs that aren’t helping.”
She threw a bag of pills onto the counter. She was frustrated, overwhelmed, and convinced that something deeper was wrong.
Doctors had told her:
“It’s all in his head.”
But she knew it wasn’t.
His Symptoms: Severe Pain and a Year Out of School
He had:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Debilitating headaches
- Pain so intense he couldn’t attend school
- A full year of missed classes
- Nights spent moaning and screaming in pain
- Siblings hitting him to be quiet because they couldn’t sleep
He had seen multiple specialists. None could find the cause.
Medications He Was Prescribed
He was on:
- Four drugs for abdominal pain
- H2 blocker
- PPI
- Anticholinergic
- Anti-nausea medication
- Antihistamine
- Beta blocker
- Anti-seizure medication
- Antidepressant
- Anti-anxiety medication
None of it helped.
He also had scoliosis, so I began treating him for that while ordering deeper testing.
The Test That Finally Revealed the Truth
A comprehensive stool analysis came back positive for hookworm.
Many parasites can be treated naturally, but hookworm often requires medication.
I told his mother to bring the results to his pediatrician. The doctor refused to prescribe treatment, saying:
“I don’t know what this PCR test is. It doesn’t mean anything.”
PCR testing wasn’t widely used for stool pathogens at the time—though ironically, a few years later, PCR became the standard for testing of a particular global virus.
Another doctor, an infectious disease specialist, said:
“There’s no way he has hookworm. You can only get that in a third-world country.”
This was simply not true.
I pulled up an article showing a hookworm outbreak on Miami Beach, where stray cats had contaminated the sand. Fifteen people got hookworm from walking barefoot.
This boy:
- Had pets
- Walked barefoot inside and outside
- Lived in South Florida
It was entirely plausible.
The Treatment Journey: A Difficult Road
While searching for a doctor willing to treat him, I put him on an anti-inflammatory diet and gut-supportive supplements.
Eventually, his mother found a doctor who prescribed:
- Two rounds of Pin-X
- A 3-day course of mebendazole
His symptoms worsened dramatically:
- Screaming in pain
- Severe headaches
- Intense stomach pain
It became so bad that neighbors called the police, thinking he was being abused.
I received a call from the Department of Children and Families. I had to explain the situation—that he had hookworm and was undergoing treatment.
Thankfully, they did not remove him from the home.
The Turning Point: Proper Treatment + Gut Support
Finally, a pediatric gastroenterologist agreed he had a parasite and prescribed a 30-day course of albendazole.
He continued the diet and gut-support nutrients.
Soon after, he came in for a visit.
I asked, “How are you feeling today?”
“Good.”
“How’s your stomach?”
“Good.”
“How about your head?”
“Feels fine.”
His mother was shocked:
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”
He shrugged:
“You didn’t ask.”
He had gone from vomiting outside the clinic the day before to no pain at all.
Over the next few weeks:
- No headaches
- No stomach pain
- No symptoms
- Off all medications
A follow-up stool test confirmed the hookworm was gone.
He returned to school and began getting his life back.
What You Can Learn From This Case
- Be careful walking barefoot outdoors.
Hookworm enters through the skin—often through bare feet.
- Don’t assume symptoms are “all in your head.”
Root causes matter.
- Proper testing is essential.
Without the stool test, he may have been misdiagnosed indefinitely.
- Gut health plays a major role in chronic symptoms.
Supporting the gut helped him recover faster and more completely.
How the FreeDiet® Helps Support Gut Healing
The FreeDiet® is the anti-inflammatory diet I use to help patients with chronic gut and other health conditions.
Foods to Avoid on the FreeDiet®
- Gluten
- Grains
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
- Legumes
- Nightshades
- Processed foods
I’ll include a link to the FreeDiet® Phase 1 Food Chart if you’d like a copy.
The Bottom Line
If you’re suffering from chronic gut issues or other persistent symptoms and aren’t getting better, it’s crucial to get proper testing. When you uncover the root causes and receive the right solutions, I believe almost anyone can get better.
Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.
