‘I have never eaten in my life’: 17-year-old Emma speaks on living with Gastroparesis
A 17-year-old girl named Emma, known on TikTok as emmakok, has shared her experience of living with Gastroparesis, a rare condition that has left her unable to eat since birth.
In a video posted in July, which recently began trending, Emma explained that her stomach is paralyzed and cannot digest food. As a result, she has never eaten a proper meal in her life and survives through two feeding pumps connected to her intestines and stomach.
Emma revealed that while she can tolerate small amounts of honey, tea, or water, she has never tasted ordinary foods such as hamburgers, chocolate, or spaghetti. She described this as one of the hardest parts of her life, because food is such a vital part of the human experience.
She also spoke about the difficulties faced by people living with Gastroparesis, noting that the illness is poorly understood. Many patients, she said, are dismissed by doctors who attribute their symptoms to anxiety or stress, leaving them feeling unheard and invalidated.
Emma concluded her video with an appeal for awareness, saying she wanted her story to help people understand the reality of this rare condition.
Gastroparesis, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, is a chronic disorder in which the stomach empties slowly without any blockage. In healthy individuals, the stomach contracts to grind food and move it into the small intestine; however, in Gastroparesis, these contractions do not function properly.
The condition may be caused by diabetes, nerve damage, surgery, infections, or may remain unexplained. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting of undigested food, abdominal pain, bloating, early fullness, and weight loss. Severe cases may require permanent feeding support, as in Emma’s case.
Emma’s story is not only a reminder of the silent struggles faced by children with rare conditions but also of the child’s right to health. Every child deserves timely diagnosis, compassionate medical attention, and access to the care they need.
No child should feel dismissed or unheard when their symptoms are real. Emma’s courage in sharing her journey underlines the urgent need for greater awareness, understanding, and action to protect this fundamental right.
