Jane Dostine:
Paediatric Dietitian
  To Doctor Elizabeth PICKFORD
Paediatrician

Testimonial for Jessica
Severe Food Chemical Intolerance since birth.

Dear Doctor
On behalf of my wife Monica and I we would like to pass on our enormous appreciation and gratitude for assisting Jessica with her intolerance to food. Jessica was born with a severe intolerance to both breast milk and formula from S26 Gold to soy based and goat milk formulas. Jessica was in severe pain from birth and was never settled as a baby. Jessica suffered severe stomach cramping and bleeding from the bowels. After only one week out of Hospital Jessica was back at Hospital with us as her parents at wits end. This was not our first child it was our third and we had never had such problems with our children as babies. After attempting to elevate her bassinet, her change table and elevating at each feed thinking reflux it was all to no avail. Jessica would only settle for short periods of 10, 20, or 30 minutes maximum and when awake was constantly crying. After all formula was exhausted with no result we were prescribed Neocate and Jess has never looked back. We found Doctor Pickford on the internet when seeking information on food intolerances. Still to this day we travel from Wagga Wagga to Sydney to consult with her and dietitian Jane. Jessica, who at the age of nearly three years old, is still on Neocate, and only the very basics of solid foods. Only with the assistance of Doctor Pickford and Jane Dostine in the face of many medical practitioners, who don't think food chemical intolerance exists, we have been able to take Jessica from severely ill to thriving. I would invite any parent with a child who is not tolerating food to seek out her advice and experience. Jessica owes her health to Doctor Pickford and we owe her our sanity. Jessica has never looked back after being under her care and her support and the support of the team of experts at Castle Hill is beyond expectation.

Dear Elizabeth, We are writing this letter in gratitude to you. Our son, Daniel, has been seeing you since 2000 when he was only seven months old and first diagnosed with being anaphylactic to all nuts, eggs, dairy and dairy products, soy and shellfish. He also has asthma.

Our first appointment was quite overwhelming as we had to come to terms in dealing with life threatening allergies, and all the change we had to make to our daily lives. Your quality of care, especially in our initial appointments, in explaining and informing us on how to deal with that, was outstanding.

Daniel has since started School and is currently in year 1. His allergies are now to all nuts, eggs, sesame and shellfish and he still has asthma.

Your commitment to assisting us with letters, anaphylaxis plans and whatever information the school has required was phenomenal. It has made the transition into school a very smooth one, and you have always made yourself available to contact if the school has ever needed to talk to you.

We have no hesitation in recommending you to people we meet or come across who have children with life threatening allergies, our niece included who started seeing you last year.

It is a rare quality to have a doctor who shows so much quality of care towards her patients. We look forward to seeing in October for Daniel's annual appointment.

The Alberti Family

"My children have been under the care of Dr Pickford and Jane Dostine for almost a year. During this time the level of care and guidance I have received has been exceptional. The depth of personal care for my children's wellbeing well surpasses their professional requirements and I felt like nothing was too much trouble. It's difficult to describe how much Dr Pickford and Jane Dostine have changed my family's life and I highly recommended them to any family."

Elise Cartwright

Dr Elizabeth Pickford has been a Godsend to our family during the almost six year odyssey that has been our family's journey with our daughter's allergies and intolerances. Kara was 8 months old when she became a patient of Dr Pickford's at the allergy unit, Royal Price Alfred Hospital. It was at this stage that we first breathed a sigh of relief that help was truly at hand to assist us and support us on our journey with our daughter. And so it has been. Dr Pickford has been available, caring, knowledgeable and open. She has been our rock and we can't thank her enough.

Amanda Neil (mum to one extraordinary daughter).

"I will always appreciate the help and encouragement that you gave us with the boys. It is good to see that you are still working with children. I am sure that many parents will come to appreciate your care and attention and your non judgmental approach."

Name withheld

I'd like to thank you for your sympathy and understanding at the time of our appointment and your extremely professional attitude which gave me great hope that something could be done. When your body reacts like that to unknown substances, it can be a pretty frightening experience. When you met me I was at the end of four days of "no pills". I was at the end of my tether, almost literally.

Name withheld

"Joel's foot and eczema has continued to be completely clear since seeing you - Thanks again SO much its lovely to see Joel's clear skin after months of itchy scabs – You're a real treasure"!

Sharron Walker

"Thanks so much again for your care and attention of Liam and Joel yesterday, you really are wonderful with them".

Sharron Walker