Today we’d like to introduce you to Miriam McParland.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story started when I was in undergrad studying film/video at Columbia College and started waiting tables to pay for tuition and living expenses. When I met Matthew McParland, he was a bar tender at the restaurant while he attended chiropractic shool. Prior to meeting him, I have never heard of chiropractic. So before our shifts began, we used to go in early and eat. After a couple of weeks, Matthew decided to make his way to my table and ask he can join me, I said yes and so it began. I was curious and I would ask him about his schooling and what chiropractic is all about and he would explain that the brain communicates with the entire body through the nervous system and that the nervous system runs through the spine and because of traumas, accidents and injuries the spine get misaligned and chiropractors remove those misalignments we call subluxations. I thought how awesome is that. Of course, he would ask me about my schooling and told me what I was doing was great. I enjoyed talking with him he was interesting and very smart.
Every time we met and ate before our shifts, I would be more interested in what he studied and was amazed at how much he knew, even though my first impression of him was not a good one, surely I did not think of him as intellectual. The other waitress all liked him and he had a girlfriend that would come in every night and sit at the end of the bar while Matt worked. I also had a fiancé for the past two years that Matthew did not know about.
Fast forward to 8 months later, he randomly broke up with his girlfriend and asked me out. I had started to have feelings for him but I was engaged to be married. I did not say no but rather, for him to ask me out following weekend. I wasn’t sure why I said that but later realized that innately I wanted to be with him. So, when he asked me out the following week, I said yes but I had to do something first, which was to break off my engagement, which I did that night and we went out that night and were inseparable doing everything together.
We married four years later in 1991 after he graduated chiropractic college, I graduated with a degree in film/video from Columbia and had children right away. We worked hard had 4 kids and opened and worked endlessly to created a great practice and lived a very simple life.
Our third son Alec was born with challenges and unfortunately passed a day before his 8th birthday which was the hardest thing that our family was faced with, I literally died on the inside. My whole life revolved around my son Alec, he needed me and relied on me for everything. I searched the world for help for him, Mayo Clinic, I took him to Philadelphia, Florida, Minnesota and was planning on visiting a doctor in Brazil just before he passed. I was determined to help him. I wished for death after his passing, I missed him so much, I defined myself as his mother even though I had 3 other kids. Whom also were suffering and my husband Matt was the glue that kept us strong with his light-hearted personality.
All I wanted to do was to die and go visit our son Alec, I would share with Matt every night before bed and he would ask me to stop. I only could fall asleep by placing my head on my husband’s chest every night and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat and it would synchronize with mine. But I prayed every night and cried myself to sleep every night. What I prayed for manifested 12/9/2003, I suffered a heart attack while I was working out at the gym. I felt my chest racing it was like 200 horses running through my chest. I remember some asking me if I was okay in which I would reapply I was fine. I remember realizing what was happening and eventually calling my sister n law to pick me up that I was not feeling well. I had her take me to the immediate care facility in our neighborhood instead of the hospital. By the time, I got to immediate care, I crashed. Nine months after my sons passing at the age of 39. My passing was very peaceful, I saw the white light and felt the peace, non-materialistic weightless ethereal feeling.
Then, I woke up in an operating room with doctors and nurses all around me I felt that my chest was open and exposed, they fractured my sternum and 4 ribs resuscitating me. I heard my heartbeat. I was groggy and listened to the doctors and nurses talk about me as I was not there saying things like, “she is so fit, how did she have a heart attack, she is so young” ” I can’t see anything”. They would look at me then look onto the monitors. I followed their glance and realized that they are looking at my heart on the screen. That’s when I realized that I was alive and started to cry. One of the nurses replied, “don’t cry, you are okay”. I remember I was crying because I did not get to see my son Alec.
But what I did get to experience was the peace I got to know when my son passed. I held onto that and was able to get through life without my son physically with me.
Fast forward 5 years later, my husband Matthew and I are at a chiropractic conference in Costa Rica for the second year in a row where he was taken by an undercurrent and passed while I was at the market getting souvenirs for the family. I remember one of my friends Anne another chiropractic wife running through the street screaming my name telling me to hurry that they just pulled Matt from the water. I held her hand and said let’s pray and walk. I prayed that if God wanted him to be alive and well he will be. From a distance, I can see his body his belly was so dissented filled with water as if he stalled a beach ball. It was then I know he was gone. I knelt next to him and said I understand if you want to go be with Alec I understand. I will see you there someday. I took his ring off and asked my friends to stay with his body until the emergency unit arrived.
There was no first aid or emergency services on the beach, there was no motor boats, defibrillator nothing. My husband’s body was retrieved by his colleagues and they risked their lives to bring him in. That day, my life, my children’s life changed forever.
I was left without my support, my love, the father of my children, my best friend my rock whom without I would not have made it after our son passed. I immediately after Matthew’s passing said goodbye to Matthew and set him free to be with our son. I caught the first flight from Tamarindo to the San Jose to visit the American consultant to get my husband’s body back home. Everything happened so fast, All I wanted to do was get home to my children before they found out that they lost there father.
God is always with me. He saved me after my heart attack. He got me home to my children and I was able to plea to the Costa Rican government to have my husband’s body returned to the USA immediately with a few days, which, normally can take months.
The hardest thing I had to do was go home without my children father, my kids suffered enough with the loss of their brother. I remember my eldest son’s face when he saw me walk through the door unannounced without his father. “Where is Dad?! I hugged him and I can hear his shriek till today and feel his nails in my back. “Not again Mom, not again!” I love my kids and feel their sadness till today I can see how they think of their dad and brother.
I still had to go the office we had for 20 years and let all our patients know that their beloved doctor Matt was gone. With the help of his colleagues, we hired another doctor to take care of our patients and who also purchased the practice later on. Because I was not a doctor, I was the office manager I had to sell our practice because only a doctor of chiropractic can own and operate a clinic.
I was fortunate to find a doctor to take care of our patients and I continued on for 1 year in the office to transition and make sure everyone was good. Finally, I was able to step away and mourn, so I took a year off to manage my life, finances, children, home, etc… there was a lot to do.
After 1 year time, I began to feel like something is missing inside me and I needed to do something more in my life. So, I did what I always do when I am in search of light and direction. I asked God. What should I do? God replied, What do you love? What do you find yourself talking about the most? Immediately I thought and said CHIROPRACTIC, simultaneously I was passing the church where both my son and husband had their masses and the bell began to ring. I took that as a sign that I am on the right path. So I called National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL where Matthew received his doctorate and asked them what do I have to do to become a chiropractor?
They stated that I had to have my pre-med and that they offered the program there I was so excited and wanted to start right away. The administrator said that semester started last week. I begged her to let me start that I would catch and promised her I would do well. She said NO! I asked when is the next semester start? When she told me the date, January 11, 2008, I knew it was meant to be because he was the 2 year anniversary of Matthew’s passing. God works in mysterious ways.
I had a degree in film/video, so I had to go back to school and get my pre-med perquisites and then I can start Chiropractic school. I did my 2-year pre-med in 1 year and took a full load in chiropractic school was able to complete it for 4 years. I had my clinic in Orland Park built out and ready to go before I even graduated. I used the money from the sale of our practice in Northlake to start our new practice in Orland Park where I am helping people regain their lives through holistic, natural chiropractic care.
I missed chiropractic, I did not miss running the office I missed the patients, I missed seeing people bring their sick crying babies that have not gone to the bathroom in a week and after one chiropractic adjustment, they are having normal bowel movements. People would literally crawl off the street and walk out 1 hour later. Matthew accommodated everyone and worked tirelessly to help everyone he can reach their health potential without drugs or surgery. I missed seeing people getting the care they so desperately sought. I missed their joy after feeling better. I missed watching people be able to play with their kids, being able to walk to the end of their driveway to get their mail. With Matthew being gone, I felt I need to pick up where he left off.
Now, I get to adjust and help give my patients their life goals. I have the pleasure of helping men feel better so they can work and provide for their families, play with their kids, golf, swim etc. Women in our clinic are on fewer drugs and exercising feeling younger and more energetic. Kids are thriving and functioning better in school and home. I get to witness great things daily in my practice and I have been blessed and carry with me angels that inspire me to help and heal.
My hope is to inspire people going through a difficult time that life can be fulfilling again if they only trust the Devine.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. I was left with 3 children 6 boy Danny, 12 girl Mimi, & 15 boy Matthew, mortgage, car 3 payments, investment properties, practice, house, being alone to manage all of it on my own.
Financially, we lost a large amount of money monthly with my husband gone the income was now gone.
My son Danny was only 6yo when his dad passed and he had a really hard time and we struggled and still today we are working on all he endured with the loss of his brother when he was 2 and his dad 5 years later. It’s difficult to be mother and father. He struggled with school and was not disciplined and I had to eventually send him off to military school. He is home now and is taking classes at community college and plans on attending chiropractic school when he graduates.
I also struggled with not having Matthew around. He treated me really great, we had an awesome relationship. We did everything together, travels, played racquetball every Wednesday, Date nights every Friday at 4 pm, leaving Saturday and Sunday for family time. It was difficult because that all changed the day he died. I couldn’t imagine anyone ever being this kind and good to me as Matthew. He was everything I ever wanted in a person. Great father, friend, doctor and now I was without him.
I also struggled with my health was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 5 years ago and I have been in remission for the past 3 years through protocols I have developed.
Please tell us about Integrated Health Solutions.
I own and operate Integrated Health Solutions. It is a Integrated Health and Wellness office where we offer our local and surrounding suburbs and even have patients come from as far south as Indiana and Northeast as Highland Park seeking health and wellness initiatives through chiropractic care, massage, nutrition, exercise, rehabilitation, nutrition, laser therapy, decompression, workshops, blood work and so much more. Our goal is to provide our practice members with all that they need under one roof so that they can avoid drugs and surgery.
We specialize in women and children health, non-surgical treatment for disc herniation, headaches, neck pain, temporal-mandibular dysfunction, shoulder, knee injuries, metabolic syndrome and more.
I am most proud of the fact that we offer more natural and holistic services in our office than any other practice in our area. It is also very easy for patients to make appointments. A lot of our patients always comment on how great they feel when they enter our office.
What sets apart from others is that we integrated all aspects of health, Structure (chiropractic, rehabilitation, laser, decompression, acupuncture, massage, x-ray), Chemical (blood work, diet, and nutrition), Emotional (meditation, massage) an array of services that no other office does in our area. This allows us to address the entire body and provide solutions for better health. Our practice members are all ages newborns and patients well into there 80’s and 90’s.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up, I was the first generation and my parents did not speak English I was playing out in the front yard I was about 12yo. when my mother opened the door and yelled for me to hurry and come to help her with my father he was red and having difficulty breathing. He accidentally in jested a topical medication and was having a terrible reaction his face was red and he had a hard time breathing and he was on his knees. I asked my mom in Arabic what did he do she gave me a bottle and said he drank that, she gave me the bottle. I read the bottle and it was meant to be used topically.
So, I called the physician on the bottle told him what happened and he gave me directions on what to do to help my father. I hurried, cracked two eggs and discarded yolks and had my father drink the egg whites and then put my fingers down his throat making him throw up and called 911.
After he was fine, the doctor told me I save his life. I liked that I was able to save my father. My father was my hero and my inspiration whom without I don’t think I could have done what I have done.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10751 West 165th Street, Unit 100
- Website: integratedhealthsolutionsop.com
- Phone: 708-403-5075
- Email: drmcparland@gmail.com
- Facebook: integratedhealthsolutions@drmcparland
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