Pola Blick is an expert in natural medicine and advanced cosmetics. Branding herself as the beauty priestess and guru of celebs, she built a reputation as a magician with golden hands who works wonders for a variety of skin problems. However, behind the radiant appearance, Blick went through upheavals in her personal life.
Blick married Morris, a businessman from Milan. Within a short time, the couple had three children – Emanuel, Johnathan, and Michael. They lived a peaceful, comfortable life in Italy until Johnathan was diagnosed with autism and Michael with Hirschsprung disease. Difficulty and pain became the challenges that led Blick to her destiny
HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO EACH HAD A COMPLEX PROBLEM?
My mother and my younger sister came to help me. In Italy, they suggested that Michael have a conservative treatment of regular antibiotics and routine enemas. In Israel, they suggested the surgical option, which seemed more logical to me. I consulted with Rabbi Firer, who recommended Dr. Hagit Nagar, a pediatric surgeon. Children from all over the world come to be operated on by her. We waited for Michael to get better. We flew to Israel with the three boys for a short visit. I didn't tell Morris that I had made an appointment for a check-up until the time of the surgery. Morris had to return to Milan. I reassured him that everything was fine. The surgery was successful but required a year of treatments and recovery. I decided to take advantage of the time I was in Israel to find out why Johnathan didn’t speak, even though he had a hearing aid. An examination under anesthesia revealed that he wasn’t deaf. Following neurological surgery on his ears, he started to speak, but he shouted.
WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT THAT JONATHAN WAS ON THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM?
When Johnathan was three years old, he went to kindergarten, and the children said something was wrong with him. During a medical examination, they found that he could not hear in both ears. But my intuition as a mother said it was something else. The hearing aids bothered him. I saw that he was getting crazy with the devices, and he calmed down when I took them off. He was even happy and danced. My husband asked me how I could take off a device that was supposed to help him, but something in me told me that something else was wrong.
On re-examination, they discovered that my son had an infection in the facial cavities. If the infection were to extend to his brain, his life would be in danger. We were living in Milan at the time, so I decided to return to Israel, where Johnathan was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.
WHAT DID YOU DO?
From the moment I discovered that Johnathan was on the spectrum and Michael had Hirschsprung ,-a severe intestinal disease that results from a lack of nerve cells in the muscles of the large intestine and weakens the body's immune system, my first impulse was to collapse. But I have a positive attitude toward life, and I said how lucky it is that Michael saved Johnathan. I cried once, and then I told myself that this was the last time I would cry. I started working like a volcano that erupted. I knew I needed tools to take care of my children to help them and make their lives easier. I delved into the subject, gained knowledge and understanding about naturopathy and Chinese medicine. I also added cosmetology and aesthetics studies to them.
WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE PARENTS WHO DISCOVER THAT THEIR CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS?
After the stage where the truth is digested, stand on two strong legs and embark on a journey with a lot of good compared to the difficulty. It's all a matter of perception. We need to look at the positive things, even when everything seems dark, and wrap it with love and sensitivity.
HOW DO YOU KEEP LOOKING SO YOUNG AND RADIANT?
I believe in combinations; our inside and outside are one. It is important to maintain proper nutrition and to be physically active. That combination creates the whole package. Keep that balance. Everyone can find what works for him. And, of course, maintain a combination of facial treatments and a regimen of morning and evening skincare products. And drink a lot of water.
DO YOU PLAN TO OPEN BRANCHES IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD?
Definitely. We are already there. In a few months, we will open the first branch in Madrid, and I am very excited. The branch is the result of many customers from all over Europe. I am working on several more locations in Europe and the US.
This article was written in cooperation with Pola Blick