Girl, 12, with extreme food phobia that left her severely malnourished and in-and-out of hospital will enjoy her first Christmas dinner in years after conquering fear
A 12-year-old girl who stopped eating due to a rare but extreme food phobia can eat her Christmas dinner for the first time in five years.
Ella Witrock from Pennsylvania developed a medical condition that left her afraid of choking or vomiting her meals and only eating small pieces of food.
She even eschewed her favorites like macaroni and 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 under 18.5 is considered underweight.
Christmas was a particularly traumatic time of year for the family, as they couldn't enjoy a holiday meal together or enjoy Christmas classics like turkey and pumpkin pie.
But this year Ella is starting to recover 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) when she was 7
Within a few weeks of starting therapy, Ella overcame the malnutrition and now eats about 2,800 to 3,200 calories per day
Carolyn Witrock, Ella's mother, said: 'We have plans to spend Christmas with family at a restaurant. We're so looking forward to it.'
Ella has Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a new but increasing eating disorder that affects as many as 16,000 Americans. It causes patients to eat only very limited or small amounts of food, depriving them of essential nutrients.
Although the exact cause is unclear, it usually stems from having other gastrointestinal disorders or undergoing a traumatic event that involved vomiting or choking.
It usually occurs in children, although adults can also have the condition. The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that up to five percent of Americans have 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 an infection. This caused a chain reaction and led to 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 would vomit a lot and develop a total fear of being full,” Ms Witrock said.
'Ella thought that if she became full, she would be more likely to vomit, and that caused her to eat less over time.'
Ella eventually eliminated foods from her diet that she used to love, including macaroni and cheese and pizza.
Her family had to pick her up from school because she couldn't handle being in the lunchroom.
When Mrs Witrock took some time off work in August, she noticed that Ella was shaking uncontrollably at night. At 6 feet tall, she weighed just 62 pounds.
“That was very, very concerning,” Ms Witrock said. 'She became seriously malnourished. We couldn't say 'get sick' or 'vomit' around her. She was so scared of it, even just the word.”
Ms Witrock contacted Focused Approach, an organization that specializes 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 specialist nutritional therapist to improve symptoms for the child and facilitate behavior change for the whole family.'
'It is important that medical professionals recognize the difference and help the child/family access the right care.'
Mrs. Kelly gave Ella a choice of food and implemented a reward system. Every time she ate, she received a heart, and once she collected enough hearts, she could use them to get a new doll.
Within a few weeks, Ella went from being hospitalized to 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 challenging with the holidays due to Ella's ARFID and anxiety, so we haven't been able to go out to a restaurant or enjoy a normal holiday with food,” Ella's mother, Carolyn (pictured here with Ella), said. 'We have plans to celebrate Christmas with family in a restaurant. We are so looking forward to it'
“Her anxiety decreased tremendously once we got past the initial stage of malnutrition,” Ms Witrock said.
“She was so motivated that she started trying foods again — and once she saw that she wasn't getting sick, she was able to keep eating foods again, and more and more.”
“She eats things 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 now we're so excited to do things we haven't been able to do in years this holiday season.”
This results in patients being able to eat only small amounts of selected foods and not getting enough vitamins, minerals and calories.
The condition 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 US.
ARFID can lead to significant weight loss, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, slowed heart rate, fatigue, a weakened immune system, and patients eating fewer and fewer types of foods over time.