Parent Testimonial | Parents of Callie

Due to complications at birth, we brought our daughter Callie home with a gastric-tube after seven weeks in the NICU. During the next four and a half years we attended occupational and speech therapies to help her progress in her feeding skills. Most involved food play and we achieved little to no progress, and in one case we even experienced regression. Adding to the challenges was the pain she was constantly in due to constant leaking around her gastric-tube and the pressure the tube placed on a nerve.

Finally, after two nationally known children's hospitals and three local therapy experts, we were referred to Carol Elliott in Richmond, VA by an acquaintance who had a child with similar challenges.

When we arrived for treatment, our daughter was four years, nine months old and completely dependent upon her feeding tube. At that time Callie was able to drink water from a glass, refusing all other liquids, and would occasionally eat a few goldfish crackers or potato chips. To say the least, we were desperate for help when we arrived for our first treatment session.

After six days of intensive treatment she ate an ounce of applesauce, and from that point on the progress was nothing short of a miracle. Within eight weeks of intensive treatment Callie was taking all of her calories orally and we were only using her feeding tube to supplement her water intake. Within another four weeks after returning home we were no longer using the tube at all. Her gastric-tube was finally removed after six months of consistent oral feeding.

Callie was no longer in pain for the first time in her life, and she was so much happier and outgoing. We continued work with Carol via telehealth on Callie's chewing skills and slowly moved away from pureed foods. We are forever grateful for the help and education we have received.

Parent Testimonial | Mother of Joshua

During therapy services at a feeding program in Richmond, Virginia, my son made significant improvements and acquired the skills to feed himself. He looked forward to the sessions with Carol because she made the tasks seem effortless. 

Carol has the right mix of professional strategies and fun to meet the needs of children who require feeding therapy services.

As my son’s primary therapist, she directed feeding therapy in collaboration with the rest of the medical team. She readily coordinated and obtained nutritional information, meal preparation, and mealtime routine with team members both in and out of the program. She served as an intermediary between medical providers, private therapy services, and my son’s school.

My son also greatly benefitted from her support when she reviewed feeding protocols with his caregivers. I was so impressed that he achieved functional progress toward therapy goals working with her. 

Parent Testimonial | Mother of Ben & Grace

Carol treated both my children in the intensive day program at Children’s Hospital of Richmond. When we entered the program. My 18-month-old daughter was nearly exclusively breastfed (“dream feeding”). And, my four-year-old with eosinophilic esophagitis was dependent on gastric tube feeding for the past three years. Within nine weeks, we were able to leave the program with the baby ready for weaning and the child totally weaned from tube feedings.

I believe that Carol’s hands-on experience as a feeding therapist cannot be matched: from chewing, utensil placement and food consistency to childhood dietary psychological stigmas, she is the best.

Over the course of the program, she developed great rapport with my children, such that she was able to effectively continue teleconferencing with us to ensure our continued feeding success. Throughout our journey, we had seen a multitude of therapists with diverse methods and philosophies none of which worked.

I highly recommend Carol as a pediatric feeding therapist, whose methods work.

Parent Testimonial | Mother of Coby

Carol is my miracle therapist. My 2-year-old son has Cerebral Palsy. He has seen multiple feeding therapists in VA and in NJ.  His doctors were beginning to push for a feeding tube as he was zero percentile for weight and refused purees and sometimes his bottle. 

Since finding Carol, my son packed on the weight plus some!

No more talk of a feeding tube.

He primarily takes purees now; no more whipping his head and refusing. He voluntarily opens his mouth wide for his next bite – this was unheard of before finding Carol. I wish I could keep Carol as our own personal feeding therapist all day every day, however, she is only a text/call away. I have been able to message her plenty of times when we face small hiccups on our path, which has been convenient and reassuring.  

Not only is she professional, organized, and on time, she is also compassionate and friendly – she cares about my son.  I love that she comes to our home and helps me in the kitchen preparing my son’s food.  Carol has truly found her calling in life.  I am thankful we have found her and are continuing our journey with her.