When Nathaniel Buff was born, he was diagnosed with several medical conditions, receiving his first endoscopy when he was just three months old.

It wasn’t until he was five years old that he was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

This disease is recognized as a chronic allergic immune condition. A person with EoE will have inflammation of the esophagus, the tube that sends food from the mouth to the stomach, according to American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.

While the exact cause of EoE is still unknown, the general belief is that it’s typically caused by an immune response to specific foods, according to the organization.

Because of this, Buff’s diet does not consist of dairy, soy, gluten, fish, oil, spices and numerous fruits and vegetables, according to his mother, Jessica Lewis.

“When he was eight years old, he had a feeding tube placed in his stomach because he was in the hospital often since he had issues with his diet,” said Lewis.

Photo Courtesy of Owen Lei, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Luckily, the Valencia resident was chosen to undergo a procedure at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles that has the potential to allow him to enjoy different foods and get his full diet back.

After 32 endoscopies, Buff experienced his first unsedated transgastric endoscopy on Feb. 15.

It was the first procedure of its kind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the first on the west coast. Only a handful of hospitals across the country have been able to offer this new outpatient option previously unavailable to kids, according to officials.

“The benefits are especially impactful for CHLA’s roughly 350 Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) patients, like Nathaniel, who have to get multiple endoscopies a year for biopsies,” said CHLA officials in a statement.

Before Buff’s unsedated procedure, food trials would take two months. Now, trials have the potential to cut back to two weeks, according to his mother.

The noninvasive procedure allowed Lewis to be in the same clinical room, not an operating room, as her son.

“The benefits of this is that there’s no anesthesia so there’s no risk for complications,” said Lewis. “We’re very excited because this could make the process speed up.”

Photo Courtesy of Owen Lei, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

During the procedure, Buff was awake and had the opportunity to use virtual reality goggles to keep him distracted.

His procedure was done in less than an hour, like most of these types of procedures, ensuring that he would be able to return to Pinetree Community Elementary School just like he wanted to.

Even though his visit went well, the doctor that performed the procedure says they don’t recommend it for first-time endoscopies since it’s more limited in what it can do. It is an ideal procedure for patients with common gastrointestinal disorders like EoE, according to officials.

In light of his procedure, Lewis invites the community to donate to a campaign she created to find a cure for eosinophilic diseases.

All proceeds are set to be donated to the organization CURED (Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Diseases), which benefits research opportunities within hospitals across the country in hopes of a better treatment and cure.

“Although the disease is being diagnosed at an alarming rate, very little is known about eosinophilic disorder,” said Lewis.

To donate to the research campaign, click here.

“It is our heartfelt belief and mission that CURED can make a difference for the individuals and their families who are touched by this disorder,” added Buff’s mother.

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