For years, Logan Fitzpatrick's parents watched their son struggle with stomach pain, difficulty nursing and persistent vomiting. When they brought him to their pediatrician, the answer was always the same: another stomach bug that would pass.
By school age, his parents had heard that diagnosis so many times it stopped feeling like an answer and started feeling like dismissal. It took years of advocating, multiple doctor visits and parental persistence before an endoscopy at age 5 revealed the truth: Logan had eosinophilic esophagitis, or EoE—a chronic inflammatory disease that makes eating and swallowing painful.
EoE develops when eosinophils, white blood cells involved in allergic responses, accumulate in the esophagus and trigger chronic inflammation. Young children might struggle during meals, fail to gain weight properly or complain about stomach pain. Older children begin avoiding foods, eating with painful slowness or gulping water to force swallowing. Without treatment, inflamed tissue can scar and narrow, trapping food and creating medical emergencies.
Once considered genuinely rare, EoE has become one of the most frequently diagnosed gastrointestinal diseases in children today. Experts estimate it affects roughly one in 2,000 people, with numbers climbing steadily.
"The challenge is convincing the medical system to look deeper," when symptoms persist for months or years, Logan's story demonstrates.
Logan's path to proper care changed when his family found specialized gastroenterology services at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, where he encountered a different treatment model. Under this approach, Logan receives dupilumab, a biologic medication that quiets the immune system's inflammatory response. Regular endoscopies with tissue biopsies monitor inflammation. Nutritionists guide dietary choices, while psychologists and child life specialists help him process the emotional weight of living with a chronic condition.
Logan's mother, Stephanie, learned to advocate fiercely for her son when standard medical care fell short. She began baking elaborate treats—gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free—so Logan could participate fully in celebrations. That effort eventually became the Rare Treats Baking Company, a business dedicated to helping other families managing food allergies and esophageal disorders.
Today, at 11 years old, Logan plays baseball and practices martial arts. He's sharing his story as part of World EoE Day, hoping other families recognize the disease that nearly went undiagnosed.
"If your child's symptoms persist despite reassurance that they're probably nothing serious, keep pushing," Logan's family advises. "Seek second opinions. Find specialists willing to listen. It might be something that requires answers, management, and a medical team willing to treat the whole child—not just the disease."
