Latest news with #Finley-itis
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Teen with rare unnamed condition can't eat any food, baffling doctors worldwide
A teenager who is unable to eat any food at all has a condition so rare that doctors said they haven't found anyone else with the same ailment. Finley Ranson, age 14, was born with an extreme response to all food, with his body reacting as if it was a virus and causing him to bleed internally. 'I've got a rare condition where I can't have fat into my stomach,' the boy told news agency SWNS. 'It is impacting my life, as I've not been able to eat any food or drink other than water.' The boy's digestive system cannot tolerate lipids, which are fatty compounds or oils that are found in foods. When Ranson, who is from England, was 4 years old, he was taken to a London hospital, 'where a central line fed nutrients and minerals into his heart,' his mother said. 'It was a game-changer. He was happy, bouncing and starting to put on weight.' Finley now regularly receives the lipid infusions via a tube, which enters his chest and goes to the central vein in his heart. He receives carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals three times a day into his stomach via a different tube. He started undergoing the six-hour process every week when he was 4 years old. 3 Finley Ranson, 14, is unable to eat any food due to a condition so rare that doctors said no one else has this same ailment. Rhys Ranson / SWNS For the past five years, it has been twice a week. 'We have to bypass the gastrointestinal tract completely,' Dr. Manas Datta, a pediatrician who has treated Finley since birth, told the BBC. Doctors tried introducing separate ingredients from the tube into the boy's stomach, but 'as soon as they put the lipid in, we took 10 steps back,' the boy's mother, Rhys Ranson, told SWNS. Ranson's condition is so rare that it doesn't even have a name, although he has dubbed it 'Finley-itis.' His condition has baffled medical professionals, who believe he may be one of the only people whose body reacts to lipids in this way. 3 Ranson told SWNS that the disease has impacted his quality of life, mentioning, 'I've not been able to eat any food or drink other than water.' James Linsell Clark / SWNS 'That's the unfortunate thing that we bump up against in medicine with rare diseases that confound doctors,' Dr. Neeta Ogden, an allergist and immunologist in Edison, New Jersey, who is not involved in Ranson's care, told Fox News Digital. Dr. Stephen Tilles, an allergy and immunology specialist in Seattle, told Fox News Digital that Ranson's condition is not the sort of thing typically associated with a food allergy. 'Obviously, it's an adverse reaction to the lipid component of food, but that's not on the list of things that allergists will encounter in their practices,' said Tilles, who is also unaffiliated with Ranson's care. 3 Ranson's digestive system can't tolerate lipids and needs daily lipid infusions, which enter his chest and then make their way to the vein to his heart. Rhys Ranson / SWNS Doctors originally believed Ranson might be allergic to breast milk, but after being fed hypoallergenic milk through a tube, he still failed to thrive, his mother reported. 'His stools were all blood and mucus, and he wouldn't put on weight' when he was a baby, Rhys Ranson told SWNS. She is now being trained to perform the lipid infusions at home, which she hopes will improve her son's quality of life. 'We're unsure what the future looks like,' she said. 'We hope there's a day that comes [when] he can have a normal diet … but if not, as long as Finley's happy and healthy and thriving the way he is, we're happy to continue what life is like for us at the moment.'
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Only person in world with allergy has to be fed through his heart
Finley Ranson, 14, has a rare digestive condition that has yet to be named - his body treats most food as a foreign object and he has to be fed lipids directly into his heart to keep him alive A teenager is living with a 'heartbreaking' digestive disorder that forces him to go to hospital twice a week. Finley Ranson first captured media attention as a toddler, due to his body's ability to digest only one type of food. The 14 year old's allergy prohibits him from consuming most foods. When he does eat, his body perceives it as an alien substance and launches an attack on his digestive system, leading to internal bleeding. It's thought that he's the only person in the world with this condition, which is so rare, it doesn't yet have a name. Currently, he undergoes twice-weekly six-hour sessions at Broomfield Hospital in Essex, where lipids – fatty compounds or oils – are injected directly into his heart to sustain his life. "It's heartbreaking at times," his mum, Rhys Wiseman, 37, confided to NeedToKnow. "People don't see what Finley goes through day-to-day. They see the happy, chirpy young man, but psychologically, he goes through a lot." "The emotional impact has been very tough. He's missed so much time at school due to hospital and illness. Normal things like holidays are tricky, as he has to be in hospital twice a week. "People don't see what Finley goes through day-to-day. "But he has so much great support around him. " Rhys had "no warning signs" after giving birth to Finley. She realised something was wrong when he kept reacting "horrifically" to breast milk. He would scream constantly, didn't sleep, put on any weight and was generally very unsettled. After Rhys transitioned Finley to a free-from diet and hypoallergenic formula, his condition deteriorated, culminating in over 20 operations at GOSH as doctors sought clarity on his mysterious ailment. The medical experts eventually opted for a very uncommon solution: to nourish Finley intravenously through his heart, circumventing his gastro system entirely. Remarkably, Finley still enjoys helping out in the kitchen despite his inability to eat. Rhys explained: "He's always helped cook, we go to restaurants and each year, he has a birthday cake. "He might not be able to eat it, but it's to give some normality as everyone else. There's no one else that we know of that has lipids infused directly in this way. And there isn't a name for what he has, so we call it 'Finley-itis. "Who knows, there may be a time when he is able to tolerate fat. "But if not, we just carry on with what our 'normal' is and go from there. "People don't see what Finley goes through day-to-day. He's remarkable. The most loveable boy who wants to help other people because of what he's gone through. I'm so proud of him." Presently, alongside the unique lipid infusion, Finley's regimen includes a three-times-daily cocktail of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes delivered to his stomach. His extraordinary medical case is due to be documented in a scientific journal. Dr Manas Datta, a consultant paediatrician at Broomfield Hospital who has known Finley since he was born, said: "Finley's condition is unique; we have never encountered a case like this before. "Finley has shown remarkable courage throughout his treatment, and we are committed to ensuring that he can thrive and live life to the fullest." Over the years, Finley and his family have raised £30,000 for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals charity and a further £10,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). He was this weekend set to take on an abseiling challenge down the tower block at Southend Hospital as a heartfelt thank-you to the team who've cared for him, with a goal to hit his £25,000 fundraising target.
