By Dr. Jemille N. Smith

Islamic Post Staff Writer

Although psychiatric illness is generally an issue that affects adults, recent trends show an alarming increase in mental illness in the pediatric population. Readers of the Islamic Post know that many articles have been devoted to El Gilani Methodology (EGM), because the dire state of mental illness today requires this curing modality to be known the world over.

As a proponent of EGM, I am presented with cases all the time from the general public. One such instance occurred the other day when my brother asked me if I was going to help “that little girl on Oprah.” After minimal query, I found that he was talking about Jani Schofield, who appeared on the October 6, 2009 episode of Oprah Winfrey’s daily talk show. Unfortunately, she is a seven year-old girl afflicted with schizophrenia. This psychiatric illness rarely affects children of this age. A hallmark of schizophrenia is vivid hallucinations and, in fact, this was the principal symptom in this case. Having recently been asked about hallucinations, this forwarded me the perfect opportunity to present this topic.

According to Jani’s parents, she was a child who required constant attention and was always seeing things that weren’t apparent to everyone else. Starting at the age of two, her father says that he began meeting her imaginary companions and over the course of her condition, he has encountered over 200 imaginary people and animals, many of which have names.
Now she sees and interacts with rats, cats, dogs, and even other little girls. As reported by her father, these entities have become her “constant companions” and she often refers to herself as someone she is not.

At first, her father attributed all that was going on to her having a remarkable imagination; but, as this progressed, he knew something was out of the ordinary. It was when the hallucinations turned violent that the parents knew something was “terribly wrong.” She would say that some of these entities encouraged aggression, and if she didn’t comply with their wishes, they would harm her. Furthermore, there were times where she even attempted to harm herself. Her symptoms became so severe that she required hospitalization.

In the subsequent years, she has been to many doctors and has had her fair share of hospital stays—all of which have yielded negligible results. During interviews with Oprah, and an associate producer from the show, the child colorfully describes the world of Callilini which she says is an island that is on the border of “her” world and “our” world. It was also noted –during a week stay with the family– that she has actual conversations with, and interacts with, these beings, as she would with another human.
The associate producer also commented on how surprised she was to note that the child was so aptly aware of her condition, telling her that she could see things that others could not. This case is so severe that her psychiatrist, Dr. Mark DeAntonio, says that he has not seen anything like this in the 20 years of his practice, and that it is “very disturbing.”

This situation has had deleterious effects on the Schofield household. Concerned for the safety of her younger brother, the parents moved into separate apartments, splitting the household into two. This remains the current arrangement today, as the family tries to stoically deal with this condition.

What do we make of this condition? Must the family continue to live like this? Is there a solution on the horizon? In part two of this article, I will explain the variations of hallucinations and differentiate it from other similar ideas, like imagination and dreams. I will conclude the series with a discussion and statement of the possible recourse the family has, if they are truly willing to do whatever it takes to rid themselves of this horrible affliction.

As always only from Allah, Glorified is He and the Most High, can we be healed!