An EoE Warrior
Parker Tate was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) after a long, winding road of tests, surgeries, and a process of elimination. He was born early due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and was diagnosed with Small for Gestational Age (SGA) at birth. Parker arrived via emergency C-section about a month before his due date, weighing just 3 lbs 14 oz. He was tiny, but mighty. From the very beginning, he showed us just how strong he was.
Once we got him home, we quickly noticed something wasn't right. Lots of ups and downs continued, and while we could blame some of it on him being a preemie, we knew there had to be more to the story. What followed was months of trying to figure out what was really going on: countless doctor visits, scopes, surgeries, and testing. Watching your baby go through all of that without answers is something I wouldn't wish on any parent. But we kept pushing, and he had an amazing primary care physician who continued to advocate and refer until we got to the right place.
Eventually, we got the diagnosis: EoE, a chronic immune system disease where certain foods cause inflammation in the esophagus. EoE causes slow weight gain, food aversions, and feeding challenges, along with many other symptoms. All of this has led Parker to be smaller than other kids his age. Because of this, he now takes a daily growth hormone injection, something no child should have to do, but he handles it like a champ. 💪
He also follows a strict diet and medication regimen, and is closely followed by both endocrinologists and GI specialists to help him stay in remission. As part of his ongoing care, Parker undergoes routine scopes to take multiple biopsies and monitor the disease's activity, a hard but necessary part of keeping him healthy. In addition, Parker attends therapies to help manage the developmental and physical effects of living with a chronic illness.
Despite everything he's been through, Parker has the greatest heart: always kind, always strong, always smiling. He may be small in size, but his heart, his spirit, and his courage are anything but.
We are sharing Parker's story not for sympathy, but to raise awareness: for the parents still searching for answers, for the kids silently struggling with symptoms that don't always make sense, and for the hope that one day there will be a cure for EoE.
