Solomon Wickey protege takes over
Perkinson’s
‘Open Minds‘
to fill void left by Wickey’s departure
By
Ruth Wright
Staff Writer
CANAAN, Ind. (February 2003) – Many people in southern
Indiana have heard of the holistic healer Solomon Wickey. A person of
Amish faith, Wickey practiced natural healing techniques in the Madison,
Ind., area for more than a decade.
Wickey recently moved back to his homeland in northern Indiana. Now
his protege, Donna Perkinson, has taken up the practice of treating
ailments through the natural healing methods she learned as Wickey’s
former student.
Perkinson, 50, said she first learned about Wickey after her husband,
Ron Perkinson, was treated by him for severe back pain. Inspired by
the amazing relief her husband had experienced, Perkinson visited Wickey
for the severe headaches she was experiencing.
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Donna Perkinson at her home office. |
Perkinson said that conventional medical doctors had been
unable to help her. However, after one visit with Wickey, her symptoms
disappeared. Much to her chagrin, a couple of months after her initial
treatment from Wickey, Perkinson’s headaches reoccurred. Desperate
for relief, she immediately decided to go back to Wickey.
Perkinson said she almost panicked when she heard rumors that Wickey
was retiring and leaving the area. When she was finally able to see
Wickey, she asked if he would teach her what he knew. He agreed, and
for a whole year Perkinson observed and took notes as Wickey treated
patient after patient.
Some of Wickey’s patients came from as far away Africa and Egypt.
Although he had never advertised or put up any signs, Wickey’s
reputation had spread internationally.
“Solomon told me, ‘If you’re good at what you do, you
won’t need a sign,’ “ Perkinson said.
After studying under Wickey for a year, Perkinson learned that although
he wasn’t retiring. Wickey did intend to move away from the Madison
area to northern Indiana. Wickey, who had shared his knowledge with
several others, told Perkinson that he had planted his seeds and was
moving on.
Perkinson said she knew that Wickey would be sorely missed by many of
his patients, and that there wasn’t anyone else around to her knowledge
who practiced the same techniques. Knowing this, she was inspired to
start her own practice. “I feel like one of his seeds since he
showed me how to do this,” she said.
As Wickey’s protege, Perkinson has been feeling the void he left
behind for a little over two years. At her small office located just
off Hwy. 129 about four miles outside Versailles, Ind., Perkinson practices
the techniques she learned from Wickey. Those techniques include natural
healing, kinesiology and the use of herbal medicines.
Kinesiology is defined as “the use of muscle testing to identify
imbalance in the body’s structural, chemical, emotional or other
energy to establish the body’s priority healing needs.” According
to Perkinson, it’s really all about getting the body to heal itself.
While hard to explain, muscle testing is one of the ways Perkinson determines
the source of the ailment. According to Perkinson, it is how she connects
her body’s energy with the energy from her patient’s body
which tells her what is wrong.
Another method is the lean test. Perkinson administers this test by
asking a patient questions to determine if their body naturally leans
forward, which means yes, or backward, which means no. Perkinson said
she can actually teach her patients to administer their own lean test,
which helps them select appropriate treatments for their own illnesses.
Once she determines, through muscle or lean testing, the source of the
ailment, Perkinson administers the treatment through herbs and/or releasing.
According to Perkinson, releasing is more of a spiritual practice, and
while not tied to a specific religion, requires a basic faith in God.
Releasing requires the laying on of hands, said Perkinson, and a prayer
to request that the illness or bad emotions be removed and replaced
with health or positive emotions.
While unconventional, Perkinson’s natural healing methods, which
she attributes to a spiritual gift, appeal to many people, especially
those who have not found relief for their ailments through conventional
medicine. Her patients claim that she has cured them of everything from
kidney stones to depression.
Judy Feldkamp of Rising Sun, Ind., said she had lost all confidence
in medical doctors when her husband suggested she give Perkinson’s
treatment a try. Feldkamp had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
and had also been on prescription cholesterol medication. Feldkamp said
she was amazed that even after her first treatment, she began to see
results. “I really believe in this health care and know it has
done more for me than any other type of health care I have tried.”
Joyce Thompson of New Castle, Ind., said she started treatment from
Perkinson about a year ago for a bladder problem. “I had three
surgery’s and did not want to have another one. In about two months
my problem was gone,” Thompson said.
Aaron Bright of North Vernon, Ind., is also convinced that Perkinson’s
natural healing methods work. “I had neck and back pain for years
due to bicycle accidents, and after seeing Perkinson several times my
pain has been relieved,” Bright said.
Perkinson said that she feels she is now doing what she was meant to
do and that she will continue to help people as long as she is able.
In addition to treating patients, she also teaches classes to others
who want to learn natural healing methods.
Perkinson shares her office space with Marquita Asher, a certified massage
therapist who specializes in Reiki, massage therapy, aromassage, Chakra,
herbal body wraps and meditation.
• For more information contact Perkinson at (812) 346-1213 or
visit her office at 215 Hwy. 7, Vernon, IN 4782.