Gavin Achilles is an active little boy enjoying life. He is kind to everyone he meets. Gavin’s favorite thing to do in the entire world is swim and float on his back. Nearly 4, Gavin loves T-ball and soccer.

When Gavin was born, he was unable to eat. “It was just horrible,” recalls Gavin’s mom, Erin. “He was very ill and failing to thrive.” Once Gavin met Steele Center pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan, he diagnosed Gavin’s condition as “EG” (eosinophilic gastroenteritis), a painful GI disorder that causes nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and choking.

“Under Dr. Ghishan’s care, Gavin began to immediately improve,” says Erin. Gavin was placed on a feeding tube for 5 months. His parents began to slowly introduce solid foods into Gavin’s diet. “Now, he’s able to eat almost anything, and he just loves cheese, strawberries and orange popsicles,” says Erin. “It’s great to see him enjoy food!” Gavin continues to receive care from Dr. Ghishan at the Steele Center’s PANDA Children’s Aerodigestive Disorders Center.

Danny Lochhead is a bright and energetic 10-year old boy who loves to build model airplanes and has dreams of flying his own someday. When he was six and a half, Danny was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma (pediatric bone cancer). After a year of treatment that included surgery to remove a tumor on his ribs and numerous intense chemotherapy treatments, Danny is now in remission.

“We are grateful to the Steele Center for all the care we received from our pediatric oncologists, nurses and technicians,” says Danny’s mom April. “If it weren’t for ongoing research, Danny may not have survived—not only his cancer but his entire ordeal. The funds that support pediatric cancer research at the Steele Center enable investigators to identify more effective ways to treat pediatric cancer patients like Danny.”

Anna and Adam Masciola both have eosoniphilic disorders commonly known as EE and EG that cause tummy pain, nausea, cramping and difficulty swallowing. But these bright, cheerful and energetic siblings are doing well under the care of Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan.“Dr. Ghishan was able to diagnose Anna’s problem within10 minutes of examining her,” says Katherine, their mom. “And it was the same with Adam. I’m very grateful for the dedicated care my children receive. And the research being conducted at the Steele Center will ultimately improve their health through new treatments."