Parent's Report
Dear Professor Marguerite,
Thomas arrived home safely, and was glad to be back with his sister, and amongst his toys. The Community Nurse came to the house on Friday to weigh him and recorded his weight as 9.69kg.His food intake this week averages at 400 kcals, with Tom having good days ,and eating 500 kcals, and not so good days and eating 300 kcals. Kevin, and I remain calm ,and happy, add cream and butter where we can, and go at Tom's pace. His drinking of milk, and water continues to improve, approximately 100 mls per day, though he is spitting some food out, though not in quantities to affect his eating. As promised here is a short essay about Tom's experience for your web page, Hello, my name is Tom, and I am two and a half years old, I live in Yorkshire ,England with my Sister, Mummy, Daddy, two cats, and two gold fish. I was born with Downs Syndrome, and a big hole in my heart and had a Nasal Gastric tube inserted up my nose, and down into my tummy since birth. I wanted to eat like all the other boys, and girls, and so Dad and Mum organised with the hospital at Graz for me to go and see all the nurses, doctors and therapists and for them to help me get rid of my tube, and eat just like Mum and Dad.
We flew into Graz and stayed at a Hotel near the hospital, we walked to the hospital each day, passing a playground were I played on the swings. Every day I saw lots of people, a Speech Therapist who massaged my face and mouth, and who helped me swallow, an Occupational Therapist who I played lots of games with, and who made my time in Graz happy. I played with food a lot, we even had a special picnic every day were I got really messy, and had fun touching and tasting all sorts of different foods. All the while my intake of milk down my tube was reduced and by day four my tube came out and on day five I decided I wanted to eat. I have been eating ever since and I drink milk and water too. Now I am like all the other boys and girls thanks to professor Scheer and all her team.