A woman with diabetes who died after stopping her insulin while taking part in a four-day slapping therapy workshop regarded the person who ran the retreat as a “messenger sent by God”, a jury has heard.
Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, wrote glowing testimonials about Hongchi Xiao saying she believed he was starting a revolution in healthcare, Winchester crown court was told.
Xiao allegedly congratulated Carr-Gomm when she announced she had stopped taking insulin at the start of the four-day workshop, attended by “keen disciples” of his methods, at Cleeve House, a country manor in Wiltshire.
When Carr-Gomm fell seriously ill because she had not taken her insulin, Xiao allegedly told other participants that she was experiencing the “darkness before dawn breaks” and did not call for medical help.
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She was one of 30 people who attended the workshop in October 2016 run by “Master Xiao”, a champion of paida lajin therapy, in which patients are slapped or slap themselves repeatedly.
Atkinson said Carr-Gomm previously attended a workshop of Xiao’s in Bulgaria and, though she became unwell there, left testimonials on his website in which she said he was “definitely” a “messenger sent by God” and that he was “starting a revolution … to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of healthcare”. She added: “I admire you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The jury heard that participants in the workshop fasted and drank only Chinese tea. At classes, Xiao allegedly slapped them using his hand and a paddle.
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The court has heard that Xiao was convicted of manslaughter in Australia after a six-year-old boy with diabetes stopped taking insulin allegedly under his instruction and died about 17 months before Carr-Gomm’s death. He is said to have told participants in Australia there was “no pain, no gain”.
Needs to be more media coverage of punishment for people giving medical advice with no qualifications.
This man was convicted for killing children in AUS. Yet 17 months later, others fell for his crap.
As a T1d its seems insane to me that any other diabetic would stop insulin. The muscle pain and inability to generate energy from high glucose is bad enough. Honestly, 3 days of slapping will be nothing compared to the pain she would be suffering at this point. Simple fact for those who do not understand the biology. Without insulin, your body is unable to generate any energy to operate your muscles or brain. As such muscles sends desperate signals to your brain to stop movement. At a time when the blood in your limbs organs and muscles is turning to treacle. Causing your joints to have other pain issues. While also harming all other organs. Hence, the term systemic disease. It fucks everything.
This victim clearly needed more education as to what her body is going through in those times. But this is common around the world. Most T1ds have to demand explanations past “It’s a common issue with diabetics”. This is often all we hear from to busy doctors. So T1ds not understanding the details of their illness is forgivable.
But the media really does need to be involved in scaring the shit out of medical quacks making false non evidenced claims against qualified advice. Alternative medicine gets a bad name from shitheads like this. Most practisers, while maybe often little more than placebo or sometimes just less refined herbalism using historical anecdotal support. They do tend to recognise they are at best additional to professional MDs. As such, encourage patients to ensure their treatments do not interfere with RXed solutions.