Yesterday, my nephew, Jaxon, turned six years old. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with autism, and one of the biggest challenges has been his ability to eat. At six years old, Jaxon has never eaten solid food. He only consumes yogurt and yogurt smoothies. To ensure he gets enough calories and maintains his weight, my brother and sister in law mix toddler formula and heavy whipping cream into his yogurt. Unfortunately, this has affected his digestive system, causing him to throw up frequently. Throwing up has become so normal for him that he sometimes doesn't even tell them; he just uses a bowl in his room and goes back to playing, and then they start the feeding process all over again. You can imagine how stressful this can be at times.
Jaxon has been in feeding, occupational, and speech therapy for the last four years, going four days a week. Anytime they go on family outings, we carry a cooler with his yogurt, and he packs yogurt for school as well. They’ve heard all sorts of advice: "He’ll eat when he's hungry," "He'll grow out of it," or "Have you tried this?" Yes, they have, and no, it doesn't work.
Today, Jenny and Jaxon are driving to Florida for an intensive feeding therapy that will last eight weeks. Jaxon will attend therapy from 8 AM to 4 PM each day, and we are all hopeful and believing that after this, he will have the skills and ability to finally eat solid food. We look forward to Jaxon being able to enjoy the little things, like birthday cake, snacks with his classmates during holiday parties, or treats with his tee ball team after games and just thriving in general. This is a big change for my brother and his family, with Jenny being away from home and living out of a hotel for the first time, and Jonathan being the one at home with our two oldest. Insurance does not cover this intensive therapy not to mention hotel costs, food and gas etc. Any amount is appreciated and if you can’t give, you can pray ❤️
