Reversing the Irreversible: One doctor’s journey adopting a child with Cerebral Palsy that changed his approach to medicine
January 4, 2022
Table of Contents
Today I am really excited to bring to you an interview with Dr. Aaron Hartman. Dr. Hartman is not only a functional and integrative physician, but he is a parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy. Becoming a parent to his daughter has changed the way he practices medicine because he and his wife want to ensure that his daughter will live her best life and thrive.
This conversation feels very similar to my own story with my daughter and how we went about finding the best things for my child to thrive. It’s why I created the My Child Will Thrive podcast and website so that you and other parents could find out about all the different ways we can help our children and most importantly, that you’re not alone in this journey. There’s always something new we can all learn together.
Listen to my conversation with Dr. Hartman (or read the transcript below) about how his journey with his daughter changed his approach to medicine and let us know what you think!
[su_box title=”Things You Will Learn” box_color=”#84C141″ class=”nutshell_box”]
- Dr. Hartman’s journey with his daughter and why that changed the way he practices medicine.
- The biggest things that he did to change that trajectory of where her health and development was going.
- What are pons?
- How Dr. Hartman is practicing medicine and how to get in touch with him.
- How Dr. Hartman’s daughter is doing now.
- And much more…[/su_box]
Show Notes
- What is Cerebral Palsy? (5:49)
- Dr. Hartman’s daughter’s story and how they ended up going down the alternative/integrative/functional medicine route. (6:40)
- While we can get sucked into biohacking, Dr. Hartman found diet and hydration to be the most important. (10:18)
- Some of the other things that moved the needle for his daughter’s health. (13:29)
- Understanding what pons is and how it’s used. (19:25)
- How Dr. Hartman is seeing people now and how he incorporates functional, integrative and holistic medicine.(22:19)
- How his daughter is doing now. (24:12)
- How you can learn from or connect with Dr. Hartman. (26:44)
Resources and Links
Richmond Functional Medicine Website
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More about Dr. Aaron Hartman
Dr. Hartman’s journey with functional medicine started when he & his wife adopted their first daughter from foster care. She has cerebral palsy & countless dietary issues. They went from specialist to specialist and, even as a physician, he felt let down & confused. His daughter’s health struggles forced him to confront an uncomfortable realization: Our current healthcare system doesn’t have all the answers. His wife, however, refused to give up hope. She ultimately pointed him to functional medicine. His daughter & other two kids began to thrive. After years in family practice, he felt called to make a dramatic shift.
He now helps patients identify leverage points in key areas of their lifestyle & health that harness their body’s remarkable power to heal and begin living the vibrant life they deserve. He has become the ‘go to’ doctor for difficult and hard cases in central Virginia.
As a clinical researcher, Dr. Hartman has been involved with over 60 clinical studies, he is the founder of the Virginia Research Center, and currently is serving as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the VCU School of Medicine.
In 2016 he founded Richmond Integrative and Functional Medicine.