MEET ELI: JANUARY 26, 2024
Eli was born in May of 2016 after it was discovered that he stopped growing at 35 weeks. At two weeks old he started to have GI complications and at three months old he was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive. Eli continues to struggle with his growth due to food intolerances and delayed stomach emptying. He received an NG Feeding Tube on his first birthday and a G-Tube just before his 2nd birthday. Eli gained his first safe food at 2.5 years old. He currently has about 25 safe foods and is G-Tube dependent for his daily nutrition.
Eli sees numerous specialists at URMC/Golisano Children’s Hospital to address and manage his medical challenges. His daily battles include oral aversion due to a feeding disorder with concurrent medical conditions, delayed stomach emptying, iron deficiency, hypermobility, hypothyroidism, anxiety disorder, and his newest challenge of ketotic hypoglycemia.
A huge thank you to his team at URMC/GCH for helping us with this challenging journey we have been on. We are grateful for his team of doctors who continue to try to find the root cause to all of Eli’s challenges and help us manage his daily needs. It is comforting to have such an amazing hospital so close to home and know that support is there when needed. We could not have made it to where we are today without the support of our family, Eli’s elementary school team, and most importantly his medical team at URMC/GCH!