But she won't get too excited over it tonight. No, instead she'll be
defiant, not laying a finger on the juicy strips of turkey on her plate.
Because she's seen enough of that in this lifetime.
Two-year-old Jordan Hubbard of Rochester has a rare disorder that allows
her to eat only eight foods -- every meal, every day.
Tonight, it's more of the same -- broccoli, turkey, potato and apple.
While food is comfort and joy for some, for others it can be a bore, it
can be the enemy, and for families like the Hubbards, it can shape a very
different approach to eating and living.
Because any contact with banned foods could cause Jordan to react, a quick
stop at McDonald's is off the list. And the Hubbards don't go out as much
as they used to -- skipping movies, camping trips and games with the
softball team -- because sometimes even the most well-intentioned friends
will try to slip Jordan treats she shouldn't have, and a babysitter could
do the same.
"Our social situation's suffered a little bit," said dad Grant. "But
that's OK. We're definitely all right with that."
Jordan's condition is one of a group of diseases called eosinophilic
(e-oh-SIN-uh-fil-ic) gastrointestinal disorders. Diagnoses of the diseases
have been growing rapidly since 2000, partly because doctors are more
aware of the diseases, but also because more people have them, doctors
say.
One possible explanation for the rise is that the disorders, along with
other food allergies, are a product of increased hygiene and less exposure
to bacteria. People's immune systems aren't being trained to work
properly.
The diseases cause some to react violently to foods, starting at birth.
Others develop the condition later, living for years with chronic
heartburn without knowing why.
Some with eosinophilic diseases must steer clear of only a few foods, but
others cannot handle any food at all and must take formula through a tube
fed into their stomach.
Jordan has eosinophilic colitis. Trouble-making white blood cells, called
eosinophils, reside in her colon.
Normally, those cells fight unwanted substances and occur at low levels in
the body. In Jordan's case, they attack the body in response to an
allergen, causing reactions such as vomiting, rashes and aggressive
behavior.
Jordan doesn't have to take any medications, but she supplements the foods
she can eat with a prescription formula to ensure proper nutrition.
Doctors say she has to keep a controlled diet to prevent long-term
complications to her digestive system.
Since Jordan was born, Jennifer knew something wasn't quite right. Her
baby couldn't keep down formula or breast milk.
"I was forever catching vomit in my hand," she recalled one recent Tuesday
evening at the family dinner table.
Jennifer intended to take only a three-month maternity leave from her job
as a manager at Neiman Marcus, but it soon became uncertain when she might
be able to return to work. Knowing she does not plan to put Jordan in day
care, she has quit her job.
Jennifer spent the days after Jordan's birth researching on the Internet,
worrying and working feverishly to care for her baby. She called Grant
several times a day at his job at an executive research firm in Livonia to
talk about Jordan and took her to the pediatrician many times every week.
Even now, recalling the frustration and fear of that time makes Jennifer
choke up with tears.
"It was horrible," she said. "I was a new parent ... and as a new parent,
you don't know what's normal."
Finally, when Jordan was 6 months old, the Hubbards got their diagnosis at
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which other families in
online Yahoo! support groups recommended.
At 1 year old, long past when other babies would have started on solid
foods, Jordan was in occupational therapy learning to chew, because she'd
had only formula for most of her life.
For her first birthday, instead of cake, she had a big bowl of applesauce,
the only food she could handle then.
Through trial and error since, Jordan's parents have figured out what
foods work for their child. Now, in addition to what was on her dinner
plate one recent Tuesday evening, Jordan can dine on pineapple, lentil
pasta, buckwheat and cookies that are free of wheat and gluten.
Packaged turkey contains preservatives that Jordan can't eat, so Jennifer
Hubbard bakes whole turkeys every other month and freezes them. Jordan's
still learning how to deal with chunks and hard food, though.
"She would not know what to do with a pretzel," Jennifer said.
There are setbacks.
Not too long ago, Jordan failed her Swiss cheese trial. For 12 days, Swiss
cheese was the first thing she asked for in the mornings, but she started
acting out and getting rashes.
No more will Swiss cheese pass the Hubbards' doorway. Other no-no's are
bananas, oatmeal, carrots and corn. Jordan's parents carry a cooler of
safe foods with them at all times.
Grocery trips can be extended while Jennifer hunts at different stores for
special food like cream of buckwheat. They also are emotional.
"You see corn (listed as an ingredient), and it's crushing," she said. If
Jordan's getting sick of her food, "that's when she revolts and starts
attacking the fridge," Jennifer said. "How do you explain to a 2-year-old
that you can't eat what's in the fridge?"
So her mom, who says she never cooked before, has learned to be
innovative, making even the same things different.
Dehydrated pineapple, for example, is candy for Jordan. Potatoes can be
mashed potatoes made with her formula or french fries -- sliced potatoes
baked in turkey broth for some flavor and fat.
Her parents say Jordan has become a different person in the past few
months as they've figured out her diet. These days, she looks like a happy
toddler, babbling at the dinner table, mimicking monkey sounds and arms --
"ooh, ooh, ooh!" -- and erupting into inexplicable giggles.
Doctors believe her condition may be linked to genetics, but the Hubbards
say they now are confident they could handle having more children.
"Now it's who we are," Jennifer said with Grant nodding from across the
table. "It's a way of life."
