Brenda Marie Sampson (nee Pownall)
Born 26 March 1917, died 3 July 2002
This site is dedicated to the memory of the late Brenda Sampson, QSO. A truly remarkable woman, who devoted over 25 years research into the effects of allergy, ADD/ADHD and the pathway to criminal activity and drug abuse.
Brenda did more for the health of New Zealand children than almost any other person. In 1976 she founded the Allergy and Hyperactivity Association and issued the Feingold diet and other information to families with problem children. Some of the letters of thanks and testimonials are published in her book "Happy families." At the same time, in Queensland, research was being carried out on this diet for ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder) and it showed that a side effect is that sick children cease to be ill, throats, ears, bronchitis, asthma, epilepsy all ceased or showed a dramatic reduction when the children went on a no- additive, low salicylate diet for their behaviour. Hence the comment on Brenda's contribution to promoting children's health.
Brenda had a Downes syndrome sister, Alison. Her parents founded the IHC society and fought for the rights of the intellectually handicapped. When Alison turned 18 the first special school was opened.
Brenda trained as a teacher and taught throughout the war years. After the war she became a librarian. The IHC asked her to start a library for them at a time when all they had were pamphlets. Brenda is remembered as a very helpful librarian and was head of the New Zealand section when she retired. On finding out about Dr Benjamin Feingold's book 'Why your child is hyperactive' in 1976 Brenda began to help people by advising on the foods that caused children to be hyperactive and to have learning difficulties. She hosted a doctor from Adelaide to speak when Dr Feingold was unable to come to New Zealand. For the past 27 years Brenda has devoted herself to the cause of the children and adults whose lives were being blighted by reactions to foods, particularly the foods with artificial colours and flavours and those with salicylate but including as time went on, food sensitivities to substances like tyramine and other monoamines, allergies to foods like milk and wheat, candida overload, and all the health problems that result from food sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies.
The visit by Dr Peter Bennett, (1994) the policeman whose research showed that young criminals given a diet without additives changed in their attitude and behaviour and did not become recidivists, was greatly welcomed by Brenda and all those working in the field. This work is even more relevant today.
Brenda's first book (1994) was the 'Anti-stress nutrition programme - to improve mood, health, behaviour and learning.' It fulfils its front cover promise: 'if someone dear to you suffers from ill-health, or attention deficit, or bad behaviour, this book offers a simple, low-allergy nutrition programme to help.' Her second book (1998) 'New Zealand's greatest doctor Ulric Williams of Wanganui a surgeon who became a naturopath' is a marvelous account of the methods and cures of this amazing doctor. One of his pamphlets held in the Turnbull library is relevant today 'Hospitals and hooey or health' (1941). Brenda said in conclusion in this book that the most important thing that she gained from Ulric Williams was his concept of the loving kindness of God; that God's help is always available; that God wants us to be happy. God does not want us to make ourselves sick and miserable with fears and resentment; God wants us to enjoy our life. Brenda writes on page 50 how she loved the way Dr Williams would recline in a chair, completely relaxed, 'letting go and letting God'. The case histories and accounts from health practitioners who knew Ulric Williams make this a fun, very readable and useful book.
The third book (2001), 'Happy families, a book of letters from mothers who have used the Feingold good behaviour nutrition programme successfully' says on the front cover ' Those who deny the relationship between food and behaviour deny children the chance to show their true potential' and 'The little recognised secret of success is enthusiasm'. The first chapter is the report of the Australian study from the Psychology Department of the University of Queensland in cooperation with the Queensland Hyperactivity Association. Relevant to NZ right now was the finding that setting fires was listed among the reactions improved by the Feingold programme. Other symptoms aside from hyperactivity that improved were unhappiness, suicidal tendencies, truancy, sleep problems, twitches, epilepsy and learning, including writing with fewer reversals. Some of these symptoms are in fact made worse by the medications now so popular with doctors, parents and teachers. The health symptoms that improved or disappeared completely with the programme were tonsillitis, ear infection, bed wetting, urinary tract infection, stomach pain, leg and joint pain, headache, eczema.
With the letters that flowed in from grateful and amazed parents and even comments from children sent in on audio tapes Brenda found inspiration and joy. In recent years the diet story has been ignored because of the apparent immediate fix provided by stimulant medication that helps hyperactivity (now known as ADD - attention deficit disorder) and the medical approach of surgery and drugs for the health problems. This led Brenda to put together the book of letters, just a fraction of the results that were achieved in the earlier years. But several generations of children have been allowed to fail at school and suffer health problems throughout their lives because of the ignorance of doctors of the role of diet in causing the problems initially. This was a cause of disappointment and frustration for all who had worked in the field since 1976. Approaches to the Minister of Health, submissions to committees, discussions with the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority and the Ministry of Health could not dent the pressure from the economic situation of making money from children's' foods and the subsequent need for drugs and medical care. Brenda never gave up and on the day of her death she was working on her latest book 'The poisoning of New Zealand children'. This will be published soon and will be available through Open Forum for Health Information, Auckland Hyperactivity Association and the Wellington Allergy and Hyperactivity Association.
Brenda would wish all people could experience the peace and fulfillment of one's potential through getting the food right. Her favourite report was a little poem from an eight year old entitled The way I feel: 'Now I am on the diet I feel quiet, I feel light and not to fight.' Another boy wrote 'I never knew how bad I felt until now when I know what it feels like to feel good.' A girl wrote 'I feel happy all the time now' and another aged four said 'I have a motor inside me and it won't stop, even when I want it to because I am tired. Now my motor is stopped and I feel pink and still. Before I always felt black.' Brenda was totally dismayed by finding that the additives that were causing these children to be overactive, aggressive and miserable and to have so many health problems had never been tested before being introduced into the food supply.
Perhaps the reminder of the results of her 27 years of service in this field will revitalize the movement to have safe food. Brenda's Queens Service Order (1989) and Wellington Citizen of the Year Award were small recognition for her generous devotion to helping families achieve health and happiness.
Patricia Holborow PhD MSc BSc Hons Dip Soc Sci Res
