| But Jay Moloney, who is not quite two-years-old, has had more operations than his mum Leanne Simpson can remember. He was born with a rare condition that meant some of the plumbing between his throat and stomach was missing.
Jay can’t swallow and is fed a nutrient boosted milk through a tube inserted into a surgically fitted access point in his belly, which his family call his “button”.
Before his birthday, when everybody but Jay will be eating cake, the toddler will be back in Edinburgh’s Sick Children’s Hospital for yet another operation.
Jay went through major corrective surgery when he was just months old to close a gap between his oesophagus and his stomach. The infant was on the operating table for more than seven hours on that occasion.
Born in Ninewells Hospital, Jay was transferred to Edinburgh the very next day and didn’t get home from the Sick Children’s Hospital until he was nine months old.
Leanne and her family were taught how to care for him at home, tube feeding him every four hours and monitoring the “button” in his belly that is his only route for nourishment.
“He is hyper and wants to do everything that every other little boy does but I am scared the button comes out,” said Leanne.
The little boy’s recurring problem is a narrowing of the oesophagus caused by stomach acid burning the tissue there.
“He has to go back to Edinburgh every six weeks to get his oesophagus stretched because it narrows and he can’t swallow properly,” said Leanne.
Not being able to swallow properly not only causes eating difficulties but crucially, means the child could choke if he can’t clear fluids.
“When he was born he had a tube in his nose constantly to collect all his saliva because he couldn’t swallow,” said Leanne.
Though still a very vulnerable tot, Jay is showing improvement and the hope is he will eventually be able to eat normally and not require to be tube fed.
“He used to have to go to Edinburgh every two weeks to have his oesophagus stretched,” said Leanne. “Then it was every four weeks, five weeks and now every six weeks. He is really brave. Hopefully when he is older he will be able to chew and swallow.
“When I give him crisps at the moment he just licks them. He sees other kids eating crisps on the bus and wants to do the same, but he can’t.” |
