How the Lightning Process gave my daughter her life back

“My daughter was seven years old and couldn’t sit upright for more than an hour a day,” Anna recalls. “My husband and I watched our active little girl become a shadow of her former self. As medical professionals, we knew how limited the treatment options were. It was one of the worst things that could have happened, we were told there was no cure and from the very start we felt hopeless.”

Rebecca was unable to attend school and spent much of her time lying on the sofa, her body too weak to function. “As parents, you dream of seeing your child thrive,” Anna says. “Watching her suffer and not being able to help was heartbreaking. We were desperate.” 

Anna also has a son, three years younger than Rebecca, so trying to juggle the needs of a younger child, her work as a GP and looking after a child who required constant care and support, unable to do anything for herself was deeply traumatic. The family tried everything to make Rebecca well: all the treatments available on the NHS, osteopathy, and counselling, but nothing brought hope. Then, a friend of a friend mentioned a technique called the Lightning Process (LP). 

The Lightning Process (LP) is a training program that teaches individuals how to use the brain-mind-body connection to influence their health and well-being. Research shows that it can be helpful for a wide range of conditions and has no side effects. It combines elements of neuroscience, psychology, and movement. Delivered through a series of guided sessions, participants learn practical tools to use their brains to switch on pathways that improve their body’s health and switch off ones that can worsen chronic conditions. 

“I was sceptical—as a doctor, I always leant towards traditional medicine and forms of care. But we had nothing to lose,” she says. “After carefully exploring the research and finding out all we could, we decided to give it a go.”

“It took years to trust that she would stay well”

Rebecca was 10 by the time Anna heard about the Lightning Process, and had lived with her debilitating condition for two and a half years. Before taking the 3 day seminar she could manage only 30 minutes of home tutoring at the most, and the idea of attending was daunting. “But we kept an open mind,” Anna says. “By the end of those three days, everything changed.”

Eight weeks later, after a huge amount of work and determination, Rebecca was back at school full-time, thriving in Year 6. It was transformative for the whole family. “We feel so grateful we didn’t give up,” Anna says. “It took years to trust that she would stay well. For a long time, I was on edge, waiting for everything to come crashing down again, but it didn’t. Today my little girl - who lost years of her life to one of the cruelest illnesses - is a determined young woman, training to be a vet and preparing to run a marathon. We’ll never take for granted how she’s flourished.”

In 2020 Anna decided to become a Lightning Process practitioner herself. She is now committed to supporting more children with CFS, and people facing other debilitating conditions. “Every parent just wants to see their child out of pain and living a full life. I know how isolating it is,” she says. “Your life is on hold, you are watching someone you love more than anything in the world become a shadow of themselves.”

For Anna, the journey has reinforced the power of hope and the importance of keeping an open mind. “The Lightning Process gave us our daughter back,” she says. “It made me realise there are things we don’t fully understand, yet innovative techniques can work. It doesn’t suit everyone and not everyone recovers, although, in my experience the vast majority do.”

“You gave her her life back”

Dr. Chellamuthu’s Lightning Process clients come from varied backgrounds. Her youngest was just 10 years old, while her eldest was aged 75. They include professionals, students, and people who have been out of work for years. Many live with chronic fatigue caused by conditions such as CFS/ME or Long Covid, and according to Anna feel trapped, and want to get well and restore normality back to their lives. She explains, “The people I see want to have a fulfilling and active life, but they have been robbed of doing the things they love. Many are house-bound. Some cannot care for their young children as they would otherwise wish to do. The children who have these conditions cannot attend school and everything feels hopeless to them.”

Over the past four years, Dr. Chellamuthu has guided 100 clients through the Lightning Process. The transformations she has witnessed have been nothing short of extraordinary.

“We often shy away from being proud of what we do, but I am proud. As a mum, I saw my own child suffer every day and every night before she got the right help. So when I was told by one parent that their daughter was doing her GCSEs, at synchronised swimming competitions and musical theatre shows, I knew how they were feeling. They told me ‘You’ve given her her life back’, which was really special. “I know what it is like to think there is no hope, so for me watching people get back to life is incredible,” she says. “Even for those who take longer to see results, their eventual success is so rewarding.

“It’s a privilege to be part of someone’s journey to recovery,” she adds. “Helping people regain their health and their lives is the most rewarding work I could ever do.”