Sid Roth - Autistic Boy Receives Amazing Gift from Heaven
Sid Roth: Hello, Sid Roth here. Welcome to my world where it's naturally supernatural. I don't know about you but I have been breathing the air of heaven, and I love that atmosphere. What happens when a Jewish doctor has an incurable illness staring him in the face and the mother comes in and says, "A miracle happened. My son is healed"! And this Jewish doctor says, yeah, with his own words, we have it on tape. We'll let you view it in just a couple of minutes. He says, "This is a miracle". Karen, when you had James, he was a healthy little boy, the first 15 months or so, tell me about him.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Oh, he was wonderful. He was born right on time, happy and healthy. He was one of those you could just pass to anybody, very calm. Everything was perfect, he was right on track.
Sid Roth: But at 18 months, something very weird started happening.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Something very weird happened. We had taken him to his 'well' check, and literally, he started running to the same place in the hallway, and would stand backward against the wall, and slam his head back into the Sheetrock. I thought, "I don't know, maybe this is what little boys do, maybe this is being in the terrible 2's". But after about a month, he literally with his head broke the Sheetrock open. There was a hole in the Sheetrock.
Sid Roth: But then he started doing things even worse, bizarre, such as eating the Sheetrock.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Absolutely. He would start picking away at the Sheetrock. He started eating the rubber backing off our bathroom rugs. He ate the lining, the rubber lining out of the door of our cars.
Sid Roth: Now she's not just talking about something. I got the bills here. There's an $1,850 bill for Sheetrock repair.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Right.
Sid Roth: He would bash his head in the wall, to get the Sheetrock to eat it.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: He was obsessed with putting things in his mouth and chewing. He would eat a flip flop off your shoe, he was eating bark off a tree. He was just obsessed with putting stuff in his mouth and eating it. Things that were not food.
Sid Roth: When the doctors finally diagnosed this condition, what was it?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: It was classically autistic. There are 16 markers that make you autistic, and he had all but one of them.
Sid Roth: What's the cure rate for autism.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Oh, there's no cure: it's incurable. There is no treatment, and there is no hope, and you have it forever.
Sid Roth: How prevalent is it in society?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: It is what I would call pandemic: it's 1 in 150 births.
Sid Roth: 1 in 150 births?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: 1 in 150-and some cities it as high as 1 in 98 births.
Sid Roth: So how did you cope with this situation?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: I coped, in every way wrong. I coped with drinking, and eating, and overworking. And I couldn't believe I was in this long nightmare. This is not what I prayed for, this is not what I wanted. I wanted a little boy to be the captain of the football team, and a daughter to be a cheerleader. I didn't want this rabid child in my house with no way to control him. And any professional we went to, doctors, specialists, they all said the same thing. "This is what he has, there's no treatment, there's no cure. He'll always be like this, and at one point you have to put him in a home".
Sid Roth: Now, something good came into your life. I mean the way it was headed, it was pretty bad. I mean, did you really face the fact that you would have to institutionalize your son someday?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: It took me a long time to come to terms with that. But I think woman instinctively know things are getting better or worse. And because he was so big for his age, I knew that I could not handle him. Because when he got upset, his rage, was off the charts. He could not be controlled. When he was little you could give him a toy, or redirect, but as he got to be 4 and 5, he was much bigger and much older. And we had another child, and he was beginning to be, of a danger to her, so, I knew that my options were limited and it was more than I could keep him. I loved my child, I adore him, but I had no idea what to do with him. I knew that we would have to put him in a home.
Sid Roth: So you were desperate, you turned to drinking. You were so desperate, you went to a prayer group that helped you a little bit.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: What did they do for you?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: We were directed by a friend of ours to a deliverance team called gospel Revelation ministries. I signed up for personal deliverance. I didn't know what that was. I grew up in a denominational church, but I knew that I needed to do be the person God wanted me to be, so I could raise this handicapped child. So I thought, "This is what God wants me to do. He wants me to be this great handicap mother, and raise this child, and that's what I'll do". And so I went through deliverance and where it identifies what's operational in your life, where there have been some curses, some things that happened to me by other people, my own actions, and words, and God just set me free from all the things that bind me up. And I was going now to raise this child that God had given me.
Sid Roth: They also gave you direction on some things to do at home to benefit your son.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Absolutely. In the beginning, it wasn't time: God didn't say it was time to take James through deliverance initially. But they did tell us to always play praise music continually, praise music is something the enemy cannot stand the presence of, and that immediately changed his temperament. And I believe our children are tortured the most at night when they sleep. And also to anoint him with oil, and to pray with him and seal this vessel, that nothing could attack him or torture him while he slept. And that initially really changed him.
Sid Roth: And then one day, they said something that staggered you.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: About James, your son.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes, they said they believe they could take James in deliverance for autism. And I said, "Oh, that's not possible. If that was possible, that would be on national TV shows. That would be on the news. Nobody's ever healed of autism". And they said, "That's what the Lord said". And so, who am I to argue with the Lord? And so, in January of 2000, they called me and said, God said, "It's time now". And I said, "Time for what"? And they said, "To take James through deliverance for autism, and so he could be completely healed".
Sid Roth: Now, was your faith level that something good was going to happen? Or were still pretty skeptical?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: My faith level was that of my experiences, and my experiences were, and I'd been in churches. We had been on staff in churches, my experiences were most of the Christians I knew were sad, unwell, and disappointed their whole lives. I didn't know Christians that walk in freedom and wholeness and wellness. But a little tiny glimmer of hope that just maybe, not for me, but maybe for this boy. That God would show up and do what he said he would do.
Sid Roth: Okay, let's find out what happens when they dragged James for a deliverance session. And I mean, this really should be a movie, karen. We'll be right back after this word.
Sid Roth: Hello, Sid Roth here with, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and your son James,had autism.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: And it was-tell me how bad it was.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: It was...
Sid Roth: Tell me some of the worst things you remember.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: I remember, one of the worst things were the words other people used. I remember his special ed teacher, who was wonderful, but she said, "He was a monster". He was so bad, that he had to have his own aid just for him in class. We had: 'any baby can' took him for a day a month. Mhmr in Texas, we had 20 hours of straight respite: he was out of control. He would make himself vomit up to 50 times a day.
Sid Roth: Was he verbal, did he speak much?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: No, probably 20 words. Mostly, pointing, and "Cup", "Hot", "No", you know, 2 years old.
Sid Roth: And did he have tantrums?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Oh yeah, he had tantrums all the time. He was inconsolable, unsuitable, there were never beginnings or endings to his tantrum. You never knew what would cause them. And so we did everything to pander to him to keep him calm, keep him happy. We played videotapes nonstop an hour, but he was eating our house. He pulled up the carpet: he ate the foam under it. He pulled the wallpaper off the bathrooms and ate that. And you know, you began to live in this bubble that becomes your truth. And it becomes this little war zone, and you want to protect it because it's your family, but it was unbearable.
Sid Roth: Well, let's take a look at what his doctor had to say about it.
Doctor: I saw James the first time a few years ago, about 3 years ago when he was about 3 old. I got to tell you, it was a little shocking to me. Because I see a lot of various diseases, conditions, behaviors, but little James, I got to tell you, took the cake on this one. He was exhibiting erratic behaviors, uncontrollable, inconsolable, frantic, attacks, tantrums, he was quite pale, non-verbal, grunting noises, total lack of attention. I always like to believe that I feel there is unlimited hope for people in their conditions. But with James, the severity of his condition, the bazaar behavior, I mean I couldn't help it. I thought, this guy is going to be institutionalized for life. And nothing can be done for him. Of course, then I felt, well, maybe some tests haven't been done. Maybe, he's got an electrolyte balance, maybe there's a tumor in his head. Something, that could account for these unusual conditions. But I got to tell you, at the onset, there's no hope for this guy...
Sid Roth: Sid Roth here with, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and we're discussing your son, James. And a group of people that pray for spirits to come out of people, demons to come out of people, said to you, "It is time". What did you do about that?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Well, I moved on that. They're good, they have a specific gifting, and I believed them. I believed in their anointing from God and so we took him in, February 17th, of 2000. It was a Thursday at 4:00 to our church, and we were just in one of the Sunday school rooms. And James on the floor began to rock, and he wanted to go: and go, go, go, kept running to the door. And so the team had my husband pick him up and hold him. And they just laid their hands on his back and prayed that the 1st demonic curse would go, and in Jesus name, they went to the dry places never to be here again. And my son reached his hand back and screamed, "Come back, come back, come back, come back, come back!!"!
Sid Roth: When you were watching that, what did you think?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: I thought, I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this just happened: it was so real. He never said the word "Come" or "Back". And he was screaming out.
Sid Roth: That's right, he wasn't verbal.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: No, he was screaming for the thing, begging for that thing that was leaving him, to come back. And at that moment, we were all changed. The manifested presence of God was so heavy and so humbling. And I believe that God did that, because he had every intention of healing him, and he is completely healed.
Sid Roth: But immediately, I know there were gradual things that occurred. But immediately, could you tell a difference, and what was it?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: He was marked different, and the first thing he was, was peaceful, (which is part of the kingdom of heaven). And there was a calmness about him. And that's the child, that purposed for my life. Not an out of control rabid animal in my house. And from that day, he got better and better, and better, and God has continued to restore his mind daily.
Sid Roth: Well, how would you like to see James. Don't go away, we'll be right back after this word.
Sid Roth: Hello, Sid Roth here with, Karen Mayer Cunningham. We're discussing her son James who your doctor, who is no longer with us, but we have a videotape of what he had to say about James: actually called him a miracle. Tell me about James today.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Oh, James is wonderful. He's 14 years old, he's 6 feet tall, he's an athlete. He bowls in a league. This year he played football, basketball. He's now throwing the discus, he just plays a track meet: he's just a wonderful young boy.
Sid Roth: I mean the newspapers are writing him up as an athlete.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes, lead score for his section of the C-team. So, he's doing phenomenal: you know, academically, he's still behind a few years. He lost 5 years of his life, he's about on a 5th-grade level, but he's in 8th grade. He's in 3 resource classes, but all the other classes, he goes to regular classes with inclusion help. And so you know, God continues to make up for that time the enemy stole from us.
Sid Roth: I understand that he can even move in the gift of prophecy now.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: Someone that was non-verbal.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: That used to chew the plaster boards, and he would knock his head against the board.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: And then he would eat it.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Eat it.
Sid Roth: Which I have the bills for.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes, he would eat it. He was eating our house.
Sid Roth: I mean when you were drinking, and desperate, and realizing that you were going to lose your son to an institution, I mean you must have been as hopeless as a human can be.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: : I didn't, I didn't know there could be anything worse, I didn't think you could be worse and be alive and not literally in prison, and you know God has turned all of that around. A couple of years ago we were at church and his Sunday school teacher came up to me and she had tears flowing down her face and she said, "I just talked to James and he gave me a prophetic word about the sixties and just very gently told her that God wanted her to forgive this person she had kept bitterness for", and then just went back to playing or whatever they were doing, and that, you know he has a call on his life just like all of us do. Not to eat the Sheetrock, that is not God's purpose for his life, God wasn't trying to punish me or teach me something, but he has destiny on his life and we have to stand and believe for our kids, our family, our loved ones to have everything that God has ever planned for them.
Sid Roth: Let's take a look at the doctor actually, there's a Jewish doctor actually calling this a miracle.
Doctor: from the reports I see now, it's nothing short of a miracle. I mean, this young boy is now vocal, verbal, appropriate, responsive, eating nicely, healthy. So, you know it's just one of those situations you have to chalk up to something maybe higher than we have in the medical field.
Sid Roth: That's pretty good for a Jewish doctor that doesn't know the Messiah! To say that about James.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: Well, tell me a bit about James today. In fact, I'll tell you what. Better than you telling me a bit about James today, you've already done that. Let's have James talk about James today. From the very start, the enemy: he tried, and tried, and tried to steal the very gift that God has given to you. So the world could find, you cannot be silent: no. You cannot be quiet so: no. But you are healed. You've got the words that the world needs to hear. You are healed. You were made to shine. You were made to shine. You were made to shine. You were made to shine. You were made to shine... Well karen, are you pretty proud of your son James?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: He is the light of my life I am absolutely so proud of him.
Sid Roth: And what I understand is when people hear your story, how many people have been healed of autism just by listening to your story?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: We know of seven families.
Sid Roth: But what are people saying when they read your book, it is not just for people that have children that have autism.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: No, absolutely not, it is about bringing hope to people that have lost hope, they have no more faith and they believe that they are stuck in this situation and the word from their doctor or from their situation or from their finances or from their relationships, and Jesus said that "By his stripes, we were healed". Thirty-nine stripes for thirty-nine strains of diseases, every disease disorder and situation comes from thirty-nine groups. And we can be healed from all that. But we have to 'stand' and 'believe' and 'receive'. And so that is what this is, for people to know they can be healed from anything, whatever it is, broken physically, emotionally, spiritually.
Sid Roth: What I was told by my staff is they wanted their children to even read this more than one time. Why would someone want to read this more than one time?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: I think because it really touches on different areas of your life, you know initially I thought it would help people with special-ed kids, but there are so many parts in our lives that are broken, that aren't whole or well. And that God wants to get in and heal every single part of them.
Sid Roth: You know what I was thinking: now you know James today, we know James a little bit today from what we have seen. But it would have been so easy if you had known what was wrong with him to abort him.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: You know, I would have never done that. You know when you walk out what God gives you he gives you the strength to walk it out and the reason you walk stuff out is so somebody behind you can go, "Oh Sid walked that out, karen walked that out, I can walk that out too". And there is a purpose in it.
Sid Roth: Well there are some people that want to do more than walk it out with a purpose. They want to walk out of it!
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Right.
Sid Roth: Would you look at them and talk to them?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes...
Sid Roth: And pray for them?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes, I just want you to know whatever situation you are in. Whatever, however, you come in today, whether hopelessness or despair. Is that God is ready to meet you wherever your need is. His hand is not shortened because of your condition, disease or disorder or situation. And don't stand and believe the report of the doctor, but stand and believe the report of the Lord. Because that is what we are supposed to stand upon. And if I can just pray for you. Father we just thank you, we thank you for your healing powers, we thank you that your name is Jehovah Rapha. That you are the God that heals. That if it is in your name and in your will. And father we just thank you ahead of time for open doors, open eyes, open minds, to show each and every family, whatever their specific situation is. How to walk it out and to walk into their destiny with freedom and wholeness and healthiness. And to be a light to this world. To know that God is the God who delivers us from all of our oppressions, obsessions, and possessions. Father God, we just thank you ahead of time for these good reports that are going to come in: whole children, well children, purpose lives, full lives. We thank you ahead of time in Jesus name.
Sid Roth: Now one of the things that you said to me is that even before your son had his deliverance you played praise music and you could actually see improvement in him.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes, yes, praise music is so important, you know worship is ushering in the presence of God. And so as they sleep as it is in the room that brings in the presence of God. And when you have that there the enemy must flee: he must flee. And as adults we have to stand in the gaps spiritually for our children that are under eighteen years of age. We have to do that. We have to know, that whatever comes into their ear or eye gate, is permeating their spirit and we have to be responsible for that.
Sid Roth: What other things did you do practically beyond the praise music in this process, in the healing of James?
Karen Mayer Cunningham: We had to not give in to James. James behavior had run our lives for so many years. We had to stop, you know, pandering to him. We had become the child and he had become the parent. And so you know the enemy had to flip the script on us and we had to go back into our correct roles: that we were the parents and he was the child. And when we said something it stood. And when we said there would be discipline if this happened, then it stood. Not just always giving in to him because of his situation or his condition. And that set up a system of structure and discipline and order. And we serve a God of order, and our house was out of order...
Sid Roth: I'm reminded of the words that Karen was told, "It is time". That's pretty profound words.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: First you had a concern.
Karen Mayer Cunningham: Yes.
Sid Roth: And you worried about, how could deliverance help your son? But you know something? "It is time". Heaven is drawing so close to planet earth. Things that you have been believing God for in the past, that you have been standing and standing and standing. Well, I have a word for you. "It's time" it is 'your' time: "It is time". Forget what happened in the past. A brand new beginning: it's time for you to know God. It's time for you, to have the joy. It's time for, it is plain time for you to have peace. There is a Hebrew word for peace: it's "Shalom". Shalom radiating out of every fiber of your being. Not fearful of anything. Not fearful of sickness. Not fearful of death. I mean if you are not fearful of sickness, you're not fearful of death, not fearful of financial problems, you would be at peace. Not fearful of relationships because you know God. You have such intimacy with God. God is telling me that people's backs are being healed right now, and necks: pain, of all kind is just lifting off of you. But I want the biggest pain to lift off of you. The pain of carrying the sins of the wrong things that you've done. If you believe that the blood of Jesus washed away these sins: "It is time", for you to take those sins off of you. Say, I believe the blood of Jesus has washed me clean. It's not something you do: it's what he has done. You just receive what he's done. And if you will say out loud, "I make Jesus my Messiah and Lord". Do it right now. It may seem insignificant, but my whole life was transformed when I did it. So will yours. Do it now.