A Photographer's Giving New Meaning to the Term "Fed Is Best" With an Inclusive Photo Shoot

"Her name is Hailey, but we call her Bug. She's a delightful little 5-month-old! She was born full-term, but from the get-go had issues with nursing and even taking a bottle. Weeks led into months of her not eating correctly due to an improper swallow, dairy, soy, and coconut allergies, and reflux issues. She failed a swallow study and then had a severe case of oral thrush so she had a nasal tube inserted. She has an Nasojejunal Tube, meaning she gets fed by pump continuously into her intestine rather than stomach because she has a history of aspirating. Since then, she's failed a second swallow study; in fact, the second one was worse than the first, and she no longer takes anything by mouth.

We're working with Vanderbilt hospital to do tests in order to find out the cause of her swallow problems. We're also working with feeding therapy to encourage her to learn how to eat and drink eventually, and will be adding physical therapy to the list, too. Our journey is just beginning and we have a long way to go, but she's a fighter!"

"Katherine is 6 months old! Since birth she has had difficulties with swallowing and severe reflux. She struggled with constant vomiting, leading to poor weight gain. When she was 3 months old, the doctors placed a feeding tube through her nose, down into her small intestine. At this point, Katherine was taking no food by mouth. For the next two months she was fed at a slow rate over 20 hours a day. She began to gain weight and we focused on how to manage her reflux and improve her swallowing abilities.

After many doctors visits and a second opinion, we ended up having her treated at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN. With an amazing medical team, we have made huge strides in her health. Thanks to Nissen Fundoplication surgery her reflux is now managed and she is off all medications! This was a very intense procedure with life long side effects, some of which being the inability to vomit or burp. She is now thriving with her G-tube and is going to be mobile before we know it! Her swallow reflux is improving and she is loving being able to eat baby food! She is definitely the happiest baby I know!"

"Bellamy is an ordinary 2-year-old spunky dude, who is about the size of the average 1-year-old. Bellamy is considered failure to thrive, due to being an overly-picky eater. His food choices are limited to fruit, chicken nuggets, Nutella, and breastmilk — plus some various other options — and he doesn't get enough calories orally. He also has allergies and acid reflux, which make his tummy hurt after eating. After trying food therapy, calorie drinks, and many other methods for many months, he ended up needing a G-tube. In just 3 weeks, he has already gained 3 pounds. He is now thriving instead of surviving."