Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Blymiller.
Hi Shawn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My son Theo was diagnosed with autism in 2018 and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune NeuroPsychiatric Disorder) in 2019. I was in denial for about a year before I finally accepted that this was not just a stage but a real challenge that we had as a family. My wife was spending hours and hours on PubMed and Google to research all that she could find for Theo. She even started a mom’s group on Instagram where all of the kids were diagnosed with autism around the same time and the Mom’s were trying to find the best treatments and support for their kids. It wasn’t until my wife asked me to change Theo’s diet to gluten free, sugar free, casein free that I finally committed to contributing and participating in the research. At first, I thought she was crazy and it was hippie logic that food would impact my son’s development. But one day I came home from work and my daughter asked me and my wife why her little brother didn’t love her. We responded “of course he loves you, why do you say he doesn’t love you?” She told us that all of her friends little brothers play with them and laugh with them. That broke my heart and I turned to my wife and I told her that I would try her diet protocol for 2 weeks but I didn’t want to hear anything after that if it didn’t work. A week into the protocol, our daughter comes running down the hall and she says : “Mommy, Daddy did you hear that? Theo is laughing with me. He is playing with me.” That changed me forever. I was fully in to whatever my wife thought we should do next. Fast forward about a year and after working with a Functional Medicine doctor I decided to complete a wellness coach certification through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. After completing the certification and loving every bit of the content I started advertising my services to parents of kids with autism. However, I felt guilty for charging these families who are spending all of their extra money and resources on their kids. That is when I decided to convert it to a 501-c-3 nonprofit so I could raise money through corporate and government donors. Now we run Mom Retreats in August every year at a beautiful home that is donated to us at Sundance and we run monthly events for Dad’s to bring this community together. Having a child with a severe diagnosis can be extremely isolating. Parents and siblings try to understand but they can’t comprehend the realities we live. We want to help create connection so parents feel supported. Creating this community also allows us to come together and find the best tools and solutions for our kids and our families.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I completed the Functional Medicine Coaching Certification in 2021 and I was able to convert the business to a federally recognized 501-C-3 in February 2022. We have ran 3 retreats, 2 for moms and 1 for dads. Dad’s are far more reserved when it comes to retreats and that is why we are doing more monthly events for Dad’s in 2026. We have plans on attending a Jazz game, and doing fun activities just so dad’s can be vulnerable and have fun. We also teach about mindfulness exercises and healthy eating for families on all of our social media handles. We have learned a lot about our community in our first 4 years and now we want to deploy more services for our community.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pure Living Family Foundation?
There have been a lot of wellness gurus pop up over the last 5 years. We have done a deep dive into the new healthcare model that we are seeing emerge which is functional medicine and integrative medicine. We live what we preach. We know what works and what doesn’t. Wellness is looking at the whole person, not just their limitations or their diagnosis. Conventional medicine treats a disease, when Functional Medicine and Integrative Medicine treat the body, mind, and soul of an individual. We are not made up of isolated parts, we are made up of a complex web of interconnected parts and it is important to understand how all systems interrelate. Social Connection is at the core of wholeness and wellness and we start there to bring us together to learn and grow together. We have integrative and functional medicine practitioners that we work with and refer people to.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My wife Angela is the inspiration behind the brand. She was sharing our story from the beginning on social media with no expectations of getting anything in return except to find answers for our son. She has connected families across the globe and I saw this as an opportunity to create a public program that can serve for generations. Also, we have an amazing board of special needs parents that believed in this mission from the beginning. None of this would be possible without them. The Family in the name has real meaning, the adopted family. The family of individuals that live a shared reality and this binds us. We are a community that depends on one another. I also owe a lot of credit to Rising Health Specialty Clinic in Holladay, Utah. Anne Bowden the medical director taught me a lot in the year that I worked with her at the clinic. Her and her mom Sharlene have been practicing this type of medicine for the last 10+ years. I was able to get a Master’s level training working with them for a year. Carrie Welter a Family Nurse Practitioner has become a really close friend and guide in the building of this service as well. I have also been working the last 2 years with Dr. Robert Glover and one of his top coaches Sidharth Agarwal. That community has held me up. Lastly, I have to give a shout out to Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum the founder of the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. She has put so much hope into me.
Pricing:
- $85/hr for a coaching session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purelivingfamily.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purelivingfamily/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PureLivingFamily/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnblymiller/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh-zdWIcxZ8XZpcVuoAPHZg
