Sam came to St. Mary’s Center for Pediatric Feeding Disorders due to difficulty with his eating habits and nutrition. At the time of his admission, Sam was extremely restrictive in what he was willing to eat and would rather go without food altogether. As an aspiring professional soccer player, Sam would run out of energy on the pitch from not eating properly. His family and pediatrician were very concerned about Sam’s malnutrition.
After just 6 weeks of feeding therapy at St. Mary’s, Sam’s attitude towards food had completely transformed. He has since tripled the number of foods he is willing to eat, maintained all the new foods he added to his diet, and has learned how to talk about specific foods and what he likes and dislikes about each food. He has even started asking to try some new foods on his own!
For Sam and his family, the Feeding Program at St. Mary’s has been life-changing. Before he was discharged, Sam was known around St. Mary’s as “the kid with the soccer ball”. His ball went everywhere with him, and his time between feeding sessions was spent practicing his skills (as well as giving his main feeding therapist a hard time for supporting the “wrong” NYC soccer team!). Sam’s new balanced diet and regularly scheduled eating times are keeping his energy up and his mood even, allowing him to concentrate better in school, excel on the soccer field and give his family a greater peace of mind.
