A 12-year-old girl who stopped eating due to a rare but extreme food phobia will be able to eat her Christmas dinner for the first time in five years.
Ella Witrock of Pennsylvania developed an illness that caused her to fear choking or retching her meals and eat only small pieces.
She even gave up her favorite foods like macaroni, cheese and pizza.
Ella had been in and out of hospitals since the age of seven and was more than 40 pounds underweight with a body mass index (BMI) of just 12.5. Anything below 18.5 is considered underweight.
Christmas was a particularly traumatic time of year for the family, as they were unable to enjoy a holiday meal together or enjoy Christmas classics like turkey and pumpkin pie.
But this year, Ella is slowly recovering and her family is looking forward to a “normal” Christmas with turkey and all the trimmings.
Ella Witrock, a 12-year-old from Pennsylvania, developed avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) at age 7.
Within weeks of starting therapy, Ella overcame malnutrition and now eats about 2,800 to 3,200 calories a day
Carolyn Witrock, Ella’s mother, said: “We are planning to spend Christmas with the family at a restaurant. We are really looking forward to it.”
Ella suffers from avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a new but growing eating disorder that affects up to 16,000 Americans. This results in patients consuming very limited or small amounts of food, depriving them of important nutrients.
Although the exact cause is unclear, it is usually due to other gastrointestinal diseases or a traumatic event involving vomiting or choking.
It occurs mostly in children, although adults can also be affected. The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that up to five percent of Americans suffer from it.
Ella’s ordeal began when she was seven years old and contracted a virus that sent her into septic shock – the body’s extreme response to infection. This caused a chain reaction and resulted in her being hospitalized with organ failure.
Although she recovered, the ordeal left her afraid of vomiting, which contributed to her developing ARFID.
“The experience really affected her. “Every time she got sick, she vomited badly and was completely afraid of being full,” said Ms. Witrock said.
“Ella thought that when she was full she was more likely to vomit, and this led to her eating less over time.”
Ella ended up cutting foods from her diet that she loved, including macaroni, cheese and pizza.
Her family had to pick her up from school because she couldn’t stand being in the cafeteria.
Then Ms. While Witrock was taking a leave of absence in August, she noticed that Ella was shaking uncontrollably at night. At 6 feet tall, she weighed just 62 pounds.
“It was very, very concerning,” Ms Witrock said. “She was severely malnourished.” We were not allowed to say “get sick” or “vomit” to her. She was so afraid of it, just the word.”
Ms Witrock contacted Focused Approach, an organization specializing in conditions such as ARFID.
Dena Kelly, a licensed professional counselor and founder of the organization, told the family that Ella had severe ARFID and recommended therapy.
“ARFID is often mentioned in the same breath as anorexia and bulimia, but it can be dangerous to be treated the same way,” says Kelly.
“ARFID requires a specialized nutritional therapist to improve the child’s symptoms and facilitate behavior change for the entire family.”
“It is important that healthcare professionals recognize the difference and help the child/family receive the right care.”
Ms Kelly gave Ella a choice of food and introduced a reward system. Every time she ate, she got a heart, and when she collected enough hearts, she could use them to buy a new doll.
Within weeks of a hospital stay, Ella was eating about 2,800 to 3,200 calories a day and trying new foods, including holiday favorites like cookies and strawberries, as well as vegetables.
“The past four years have been a big challenge for the holidays because of Ella’s ARFID and her anxiety, which means we haven’t been able to go to a restaurant or enjoy a normal holiday with food,” Ella’s mother, Carolyn (pictured here) with Ella), said. “We plan to celebrate Christmas with the family in a restaurant. We’re really looking forward to it’
“Their fears subsided tremendously once we got past the early stages of malnutrition,” Ms. Witrock said.
“She was so motivated that she started trying food again – and when she saw that she didn’t get sick, she was able to eat food again and eat more and more.”
“She eats things that my husband and I could never get her to eat, like broccoli and cauliflower. She went back to eating the foods she originally enjoyed, like macaroni and cheese.”
“We went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving and are now so excited to do things this holiday season that we haven’t been able to do in years.”
This results in patients being able to consume only small amounts of selected foods and not receiving enough vitamins, minerals and calories.
The disease usually develops in childhood, but can occur at any age. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, it affects only 0.5 to 5 percent of children and adults in the United States.
ARFID can cause significant weight loss, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, slow heart rate, fatigue, a weakened immune system, and cause patients to eat fewer and fewer types of food over time.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
