Listening to Tanner: Finding help for a functional gastrointestinal disorder

For most families, movie night is simply an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company while soaking up some mindless entertainment. But for Tanner Chung and his family, a trip to the theater was life changing. As they watched the tale of a young girl with a mysterious illness play out on the big screen, they were struck by the similarities to Tanner’s own story. The film was the 2016 drama Miracles From Heaven, which is based on the true experiences of a girl who was treated by Dr. Samuel Nurko at Boston Children’s Hospital for a motility disorder. “We had been hoping for some guidance, some help, for Tanner,” explains his mother, Michelle. “The movie was full of signs.” She and her husband, Quincy, decided to reach out to Boston Children’s. Within a day, they had a return call from practice liaison nurse Tracy Myers. “She asked me for details about Tanner’s situation and I told her it was really complicated,” says Michelle. “She told me she had all day. That was the first time I felt like someone really listened to us.” A few weeks later, Tanner had an appointment with nine clinicians at the hospital’s Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Center, including Dr. Nurko, and the family flew east from their home in Idaho. “It’s very real”  At a recent appointment, Tanner appeared healthy and happy as he joked with his care team. But his vibrant exterior is misleading. Now age 9, he’s struggled with chronic joint and gastrointest...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Dr. Samuel Nurko Dr. Travis Matheney functional gastrointestinal disorder Miracles from Heaven Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Center Source Type: news