I had known Dave Yeany for about 12 years by the time this happened. I had seen him get divorced from a 40 year marriage and I saw him have enough balls to start over a new family. At this time, he was 65 and had three children ages 2, 4, and 8 from his new marriage, two from previous, and a step-daughter.
Dave’s main concern was to be able to function long enough to establish a stable business for his family to operate for many years to come. His problem was that his knees had been gradually failing for over a decade. By the fall of 2021, he was ready to go into surgery because the injections he had been having for pain relief had “stopped working”.
The reason why I came in contact with Dave at this time was that he is a maple producer – the largest one in his tri-county region in Western Pennsylvania. Back in 2010, my wife and I together operated a chocolate shop and we decided to carry his maple syrup to resell. We personally loved his products and wanted to share them with our selective, quality-oriented customers.
Over the years, Dave and I exchanged numerous conversations. On several occasions, I ran into Dave at farmers markets, food and craft shows, and at our shop when he was making product deliveries. Each time, we’d chat for at least 40 minutes to an hour.
Through our conversations, I learned a lot about Dave. From his humble beginnings as a newspaper delivery boy to securing a job at the local high school to coaching baseball. He talked about his upbringing in a poverty stricken household, family struggles, and his father who never let the kids find out they were “poor”.
Dave talked about his passion for outdoors, his love of trapping, hunting, camping in subzero temperatures, and just being in the woods working on his maple products business until his knees slowed him down.
As time passed, the topic of our conversations shifted from maple production, candy making, cultural heritages to, more recently, the politics of health, racism, and divisiveness. We both relish a quality conversation and we got it when in each other’s company.
On this day in September of 2021, I met Dave for business. I was buying large supplies of his products for my wife’s shop as she got ready for the town’s Fall festival. I saw Dave limping and waddling his way around as he carried cases of maple products into the back of my car.
I wanted to say something but refrained. I had offered my services as an ABC™ practitioner to many acquaintances before only to be quietly ignored.
Earning money has never been in the forefront of my mind when sharing what I do. To me, money is not an end but a means to an end. The goal is to explore the limitless possibilities that life has to offer. To build good life, create experiences, and make stories so I can feel accomplished by the end of my days in this world.
So when I talk to people about my work, my focus is to help them with my knowledge and skills to get their health back. Dave’s a friend. It wasn’t a question of winning or losing a prospective client. It was just this fear of rejection that prevented me from speaking.
Two weeks later, I had to return to his place. As he moved the heavy boxes around this time, I asked him what was going on. He lamented that the injections he had been using for years to avoid surgery didn’t work any more. He was taking even stronger pain-killers regularly just to keep the pain pushed down.
Presently, he was dreading the upcoming winter when he would have to be back in the woods, tapping maple trees, collecting sap, and boiling it. He didn’t know how he was going to be able to do it with feeling “woozie” from the side effects of his pain medication.
I said, “You do know that I can help you out of this situation, right?” He had a blank look on his face.
“I did tell you what I’ve been doing these days at my wellness practice, didn’t I? We spoke at your booth when you were set up for the craft show in Foxburg back in 2018.”
He said he remembered that but never was sure what I really did. I explained to him how I’ve been practicing ABC™ for the previous 3 years as a side-business and how it can help beyond any other body-manipulation discipline out there.
I said, “Dave, I know it sounds strange that somebody who’s been selling chocolates for the past fourteen years could help you with something that your doctor couldn’t even come close to fixing. I get that!”
“In fact,” I continued, “I would have a hard time believing me if I were in your shoes. But it’s true. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results in just a couple of sessions.”
He looked at me as if still trying to process whether to consider what I was saying. His wife was sitting on the porch listening to our conversation with a hopeful smile.
He said, “Well, I would like to leave this planet with all my parts if I could.”
I said, “You’ve got nothing to lose, Dave. Let’s get you started and see where it goes.”
“I would be very surprised if you don’t see any results after 2-3 weeks of treatment but, if that happens, we’ll call the whole thing off.”
“Then at least you’d have given it a fair try and we’d know that ABC™ just isn’t for you.”
“But, if ABC™ is for you Dave, I can promise you, this coming winter will be the best one you’ve had in over ten years!”
That put a spark in his eyes and he decided to get started.
Dave’s business was winding down for the year and he thought he could start seeing me two weeks after. We put a day and time on the calendar and I honestly thought he’d cancel it. But he showed up and, from that day forward, got treated regularly.
After just three treatments, Dave quit taking the strong pain killers he had been taking for months. He wasn’t completely pain-free but chose to endure the residual pain instead of the adverse effects of the pills. By the fifth treatment, third photo below, he had gained a quarter inch height.
I saw Dave 2-3 times a week for the next four months. He drove over an hour to see me and, along with other work and life commitments, he managed getting regular treatments pretty well.
As his treatment continued, he reported the usual – having more energy, better sleep, and improved balance – but the most important result was being able to walk without hurting.
Throughout the winter, Dave shared updates on his maple production – the tree tapping, the sap collecting, and boiling. I heard about the equipment failures, the adverse effects of unpredictable weather patterns, and how he managed his team to stay on schedule for all business activities.
He told me about every single fall he had, which he had a few, and was thrilled to report being able to quickly recover from them.
After one treatment, he commented, “I am just thankful you talked to me about what you do otherwise, with the way my health was going, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to be back in the woods for my business!”
It’s clear that Dave was having the most active winter he’s had in many years, just as I had promised him a few months prior. It’s nice to be able to make a claim and deliver it too!
I think the takeaway from Dave’s experience was not so much how ABC™ helped him get his life back. Of course that’s what happens with a properly delivered ABC™ protocol – there’s nearly four decades of track record to back it up.
The real gem in Dave’s story lies in the process of getting him started. It’s about summoning enough courage to overcome the fear of rejection. To risk humiliation for the possibility of serving our friends, family, and neighbors.
As I carry myself through the world, I feel quite special for having the skills and the fortitude to help someone recover their structural health with life-enhancing consequences. It’s like having a secret superpower that, as I walk down the street, no one around me knows about. A superpower used within the safety of my office, delivering results that most can’t even dream of.
I often tell people, “ABC™ is not a miracle cure, but it’s pretty darn close!” It’s a true joy to see this statement prove itself over and over again.
