A young boy with EoE finds comprehensive care at Children's Health

Just before his fourth birthday, Liam began experiencing some gastroenterological issues. He had trouble keeping his food down and would often choke while eating, an issue his parents were familiar with since Liam had struggled with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, as a newborn.

Liam’s mom, Lori, brought the issue up to his pediatrician. She was referred to a number of specialists throughout the Dallas area until he was eventually diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which is an allergic inflammation of the esophagus. To control the condition, Liam was put on an elimination diet – removing dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, wheat and fish from his diet.

For the next few years, Liam and his family introduced single allergens back into his diet to try to determine what was triggering his flare ups. After several food trials and subsequent scopes, the family decided to take a break after finding just one food that was safe: wheat.

About a year later, when Liam was 6 years old, Lori learned about a new program at Children’s Health℠ focused solely on children with EoE – the Dallas Eosinophilic GI Diseases and Esophagitis Program (DEEP). She quickly made an appointment.

"From our first appointment, I was impressed with their expertise and passion for patients suffering with the disease," says Lori.

An endoscopy revealed that Liam’s level of eosinophils was fairly low, so the team took him off the oral steroid medication that he had been taking for the past three years to determine whether his condition could be controlled through diet alone. So far, Liam is doing well.

As a busy parent of three children, Lori appreciates the collaborative and coordinated care that Liam receives during each appointment.

"We see each of Liam’s providers in a single visit," says Lori. "Not only does this help ensure that everyone is on the same page, it also makes it easier on Liam because he only has to make one trip ‘to the doctor’ to get everything checked out."

The vision of DEEP is to seamlessly integrate multidisciplinary clinical care with leading-edge research. This model benefits patient families by offering an open line of communication among all of the care providers – gastroenterologists, allergist, dietitian and psychologist, all while delivering individualized care plans for each patient.

Learn More

The Dallas Eosinophilic Esophagitis Program (DEEP) at Children’s Health is a multidisciplinary clinic for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Patients receive support from a multidisciplinary team including pediatric gastroenterologists, an allergist, dietitian and psychologist. Learn more about our program and services.