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Meet the 6-Year-Old Boy Who Can Only Eat Pizza, Mac ā€˜nā€™ Cheese, and PB&J Jelly Sandwiches
New York Daily News ^ | MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2013 | Rheana Murray

Posted on 06/04/2013 4:02:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway

When it comes to food, Tyler Trovato is allergic to almost everything. The St. James, N.Y., first-grader suffers from a rare condition and can only eat a handful of foods.

It might be a kid’s ideal menu: nothing but peanut butter & jelly, mac ‘n’ cheese and pizza.

But that’s strangely all 6-year-old Tyler Trovato can eat — he’s allergic to nearly everything else. The rosy-cheeked first-grader from St. James, N.Y., suffers from a rare condition called food protein-induced entercolitis syndrome (FPIES). His body rejects most foods — including many fruits, vegetables and meats.

“The main problem happened when we started introducing the baby foods,” Tyler’s mother, Jennifer Trovato, told ABC News of how it all began. “He was vomiting, sometimes 15, 20 times. He would lay there; he was lethargic. I would hold him in my arms, and I just didn’t know what to do.”

As a baby, Tyler endured several emergency room trips and allergy tests that all came back negative. Puzzled, the family turned to specialist Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, who finally diagnosed Tyler with FPIES when he was 16 months old.

He took part in strenuous hospital testing — the only way to find out if he was allergic to a food was to try it and see if his body rejected it. “Bad” foods caused vomiting, diarrhea and even hypovolemic shock, when the body loses too much blood and fluid.

Now Tyler is stable at home but with a strict diet of only a handful of foods.

"He's come a really long way," his mother said. "He can eat wheat, cheese and milk products, plus corn and apples."

Luckily, Tyler’s condition will fade as he gets older, Nowak-Wegrzyn said.

“As far as we can tell, there are no long-term consequences,” she told ABC News. “So it is hard in the beginning, but you can get your child safe and healthy.”


TOPICS: Food; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 06/04/2013 4:02:10 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

That’s pretty much the voluntary diet of my son!


2 posted on 06/04/2013 4:05:18 PM PDT by littleharbour ("All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree. ~ James Madison)
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To: nickcarraway
I can do nuts, dairy, gluten, fructose, and tomatoes -- but that's it.

Color me skeptical.

3 posted on 06/04/2013 4:08:44 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: nickcarraway

Actually PB&J isn’t that bad nutritionally if you use whole grain bread and quality ingredients. I’m pretty nutrition conscious since I work out a lot and I’ve got to admit I’ve been eating PB&J from home for lunch at work (brown bagging it) every day for longer than I am inclined to admit. I love em.


4 posted on 06/04/2013 4:09:59 PM PDT by circlecity
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To: nickcarraway
Peanut butter and jelly jelly sandwiches? Nice title-writing, NYDN.
5 posted on 06/04/2013 4:12:55 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: circlecity

Peanut butter is one of the worst, most cancer-inducing foods to eat.


6 posted on 06/04/2013 4:31:16 PM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: kabumpo
Peanut butter is one of the worst, most cancer-inducing foods to eat

BS! I would have been dead years ago. I need to gain 30 pounds and PB is one of my helpers. I've gained 23 lbs in 2 months, not bad.

7 posted on 06/04/2013 4:37:08 PM PDT by chesty_puller (Viet Nam 1970-71 He who shed blood with me shall forever be my brother. Shak.)
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To: kabumpo

“...Peanut butter is one of the worst, most cancer-inducing foods to eat...”
-
I call bullshit on that.


8 posted on 06/04/2013 4:46:25 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: kabumpo

What a bunch of cr@p! Produce your evidence.


9 posted on 06/04/2013 4:57:08 PM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: kabumpo

What silliness! Food freaks running amok on FR.


10 posted on 06/04/2013 5:00:14 PM PDT by miss marmelstein ( Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: circlecity

Actually PB&J isn’t that bad nutritionally if you use whole grain bread and quality ingredients.

***
That would be PB without sweeteners and jelly without high fructose corn syrup.


11 posted on 06/04/2013 5:19:26 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! -Ps80)
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To: miss marmelstein

I thought name-calling was what the Dems did.


12 posted on 06/04/2013 5:43:33 PM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: chesty_puller

And my great aunt, who smoked like a chimney since she was 17, lived to be 93.


13 posted on 06/04/2013 5:45:37 PM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: kabumpo

If cancer comes to get you it will get you peanut butter certainly will not enhance your chances.


14 posted on 06/04/2013 5:45:48 PM PDT by angcat
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To: NoGrayZone

Look up Biehler, and Willam Donald Kelley.


15 posted on 06/04/2013 5:47:09 PM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: kabumpo

No, you look it up and post it. We’ll take it from there.


16 posted on 06/04/2013 6:49:26 PM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: nickcarraway

Let’s see: Mac and cheese: can’t be eaten by those with milk allergies, lactose intolerance or who have sprue (problems with digesting gluten).

peanuts are also high on the list for causing allergies.

I suspect it’s not an allergy or immune system problem but a behavioral one.

The usual diet for immune allergies starts with white rice, green beans and chickens that don’t have a lot of antibiotics or chemicals.

But it’s probably high in protein and if he takes some vitamin C on the side he’ll do well.


17 posted on 06/04/2013 6:54:22 PM PDT by LadyDoc (T)
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To: Bigg Red

“without high fructose corn syrup”

Aw jeez, not this %&@# again. Sugar is sugar, your body doesn’t care if it is sucrose or fructose.


18 posted on 06/04/2013 8:06:59 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: littleharbour

Pizza (garlic, anchovie, onion, sausage) and all kinds of Szechuan food would keep me happy for all my remaining days.


19 posted on 06/05/2013 3:00:48 AM PDT by billyboy15
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