REAL LIFE: “After my son had a stroke at age three, we began tube-feeding him. Lewis is now 13.”
"Eating was very difficult for him, if not a dangerous thing to do."
By Sarah Thomas
When my then three-year-old son Lewis suffered a major stroke, life as I knew it had changed forever. Lewis was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and ADHD, a combination of conditions which meant eating was very difficult for him, if not a dangerous thing to do.
Lewis was on and off nasogastric tubes, and I was thrown into the world of tube feeding. It was a massive learning curve for our family, dealing with a huge range of challenges.
One of the biggest challenges was trying to get Lewis to consume enough nutrition to support healthy growth and development.
Sarah with her twin boys, Cohan and Lewis, who are now 13 years old.
I had always been interested in nutrition and I wasn’t happy with the high artificial sugar content of commercially available blends. I started making my own blends at home when I decided to invest in a Vitamix blender and, from there, Wholesome Blends was created.
Lewis and his twin brother Cohan are now 13, and the past 10 years have been the most amazing experience. We have come to know so many beautiful families and the encouragement and support I have received from the Tubie community is incredible.
Sarah uses her Vitamix blender to make all of her tube meals for her son and her business, Wholesome Blends.
There have been many challenges in creating a real food feeding option for Lewis, however having the right equipment means I don’t worry about whether his safety is at risk with his feeding tubes getting blocked or being able to blend the food thin enough to retain healthy nutrients.
With the help of my wonderful Vitamix, I have been able to create smooth pureed meals for Lewis that are healthy and calorie dense, providing him all the nutrients he needs.
I’ve tried many other blenders before and I’ve talked to other tube-feeding families, but nothing has come close to the Vitamix, and Vitamix also offers medical discounts to people who are tube-feeding via the NDIS scheme and has been instrumental in helping many children and adults blend nutritious meals instead of the pre-prepared packaged formulas.
At the end of the day, Wholesome Blends is about providing healthy, high-calorie meals that are easy to store and perfect for busy families on the go. They are shelf stable, easy to transport and cater for most allergies.
After a major stroke when he was a three-year-old, Lewis (now 13), had a tube permanently inserted into his stomach after being unable to swallow properly.
Bringing Wholesome Blends to fruition has been a passion project for me, the tube-feeding community has long needed alternative options to feeding formulas, we are about providing choice for families, and making their lives just a little easier.
We’re always aiming to help raise awareness of families who have opted for tube-feeding, especially during yearly campaigns such as tube-feeding awareness week or attending expos around Australia. The feedback that I get from families is what motivates me to keep going, and I’m so privileged to be in people’s lives, forming relationships with families, and it’s something that I’ll never take for granted.
Feeding Tube Awareness Week from 6-12 February 2022 is an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding in the greater community and highlight some of the challenges faced and day-to-day impact on individuals, carers and families.
