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Testimonials
What do other families have to say about Clinic 4 Kidz?
When you have your first baby, or any baby for that matter, having them not eat or want to eat is something that would never cross your mind. A baby eats, and if they don't eat, just wait, when they are hungry they WILL eat - right? That's what we heard over and over, but at just 6 months old our little girl was FTT (failure to thrive) - her weight was way below the curve, her height was stunted and you could see her tiny ribs coming out. Like any parent would, we tried everything we could think of to fix the problem, or find out what the problem was. We had several tests done, a swallow study, upper GI, EEG, EKG, Echo, allergy tests, etc etc. In addition to medical tests, as a breastfeeding mom, I did the elimination diet, I visited countless lactation consultations and meetings - anything I could think of, we tried. We just wanted our baby to eat and to not refuse 95% of the time she was at the breast (she would cry, push away, arch her back). It finally came down to the fact that our baby was suffering from silent reflux. I had no idea reflux could cause such aversion to eating, but here we were witnessing it right before our eyes. At 11 months old we were still struggling and it was at this point that our doctor said it had come to the point that we would need to put our baby on a feeding tube as the lack of nutrition would soon start to affect brain development, unless we could get into a feeding program ASAP.
This is when Clinic 4 Kidz came into the picture. Through a divine appointment with a pediatrician who happened to just be filling in on the day we went in for a check up, asked us if we had ever heard of Clinic 4 Kidz - I had not, but it didn't take long for me to be talking to Dr. Patel on the phone. Dr. Patel was a breath of fresh air, it was like everything that was going on, all the refusals both with breastmilk and with solids wasn't this foreign thing, she understood exactly what we were going through and she assured me that they could bring the expertise we needed to get our baby girl eating. By their second visit they had our baby responding to cues to open her mouth and accept a bite. My husband and I watched with our mouths on the floor - how did they do this, and in just 2 days!? There was still a very long road ahead but at least we could slowly start getting some calories into her.
Through hard work, dedication and commitment on Dr. Patel, our case manager, and our parts as parents, we have now, almost 2 years later come to a place where we are on the growth charts, our now toddler is eating many age appropriate foods, and even enjoying some of those foods! We look back and wonder where we would have been without Clinic 4 Kidz, and we imagine a much different life and outcome. We are so blessed and grateful for all the amazing therapists at Clinic 4 Kidz - we will forever be grateful!
This is when Clinic 4 Kidz came into the picture. Through a divine appointment with a pediatrician who happened to just be filling in on the day we went in for a check up, asked us if we had ever heard of Clinic 4 Kidz - I had not, but it didn't take long for me to be talking to Dr. Patel on the phone. Dr. Patel was a breath of fresh air, it was like everything that was going on, all the refusals both with breastmilk and with solids wasn't this foreign thing, she understood exactly what we were going through and she assured me that they could bring the expertise we needed to get our baby girl eating. By their second visit they had our baby responding to cues to open her mouth and accept a bite. My husband and I watched with our mouths on the floor - how did they do this, and in just 2 days!? There was still a very long road ahead but at least we could slowly start getting some calories into her.
Through hard work, dedication and commitment on Dr. Patel, our case manager, and our parts as parents, we have now, almost 2 years later come to a place where we are on the growth charts, our now toddler is eating many age appropriate foods, and even enjoying some of those foods! We look back and wonder where we would have been without Clinic 4 Kidz, and we imagine a much different life and outcome. We are so blessed and grateful for all the amazing therapists at Clinic 4 Kidz - we will forever be grateful!
Basically this story is about two amazing people. That met by chance, luck, or grace. They are Dr. Patel, which I would call a miracle worker my son Maximus which I have called a little conqueror since the day of his birth. In my mind I can see her smiling and saying “ OH PLEASE!”. Maximus was diagnosed with Trisomey 18 mosaic, which is such a rare genetic disorder there is only a paragraph of it in the medical books and all of it very bleak on his prognosis. From birth Maximus was G-tube fed. When Maximus was about 2-years-old my wife and I tried for the next 2 years to have him eat by mouth. We went through 2 highly recommended feeding specialist with minimal results. Maximus was getting older and refusing to open his mouth for drink or food. Because he was getting older transitioning him from G-tube to oral feeding was getting less likely per medical statistics. Until we meet Dr Patel and Clinic 4 Kidz. Dr. Patel sat with us and gave us hope, but made very clear the success on Maximus being orally fed depends on the parent involvement and her methods. Clinic 4 Kidz approach always begins with setting up the child for success prior to meals and adding positive reinforcements during the meal and celebrating success at the end of the meal. In following the Clinic 4 Kidz feeding program under the guidance of Dr. Patel it has brought us to where we are today. A happy boy that now is eating solid food, his favorites are winnie sausages, diced pears, and grilled salmon. One day I was explaining to Maximus what an almond butter and raspberry sandwich was. He just grabbed it out of my hand and started to eat it, like tell me later dad I'm hungry. So basically this is our story, to accidentally or by chance meet an amazing person in Dr Patel and have the good fortune or luck for our son to be in her program. Could only have happen by the “grace” of god.
In Pre-school, my daughter Morgan had to bring something from home that started with the letter Q for a class presentation. She decided to bring Quinoa. I couldn't have been more proud, that she knew this grain began with a Q, and that today my daughter eats quinoa along with many other healthy foods.
Morgan is an ex-preemie, the smaller of twins, and she has had trouble eating and breathing since the day she was born. I carried her around for hours just trying to syringe formula into her mouth. No OT "feeding therapy" ever helped. She then got a feeding tube. Food or drink for my daughter was tantamount to torture. She had pain and reflux and frequent vomiting after every meal. Worse, she sometimes stopped breathing because of the reflux. I didn't think we would ever get our daughter to eat and I didn't blame her for not wanting to try. She turned her head away from any bottle or spoon and cried.
Fortunately, I met another twin mom who had discovered Dr. Patel and her clinic for kids with pediatric feeding disorders. I immediately got on the waiting list and shortly afterwards Dr. Patel came to our home to work with Morgan. By the end of the first appointment she was taking bites from a spoon and drinking from a squirt cup. By the end of our therapy with Dr. Patel, Morgan was eating a regular diet and trying many different foods. I am delighted to say that her eating is NOT "age typical" because her age-matched peers are picky eaters and most of their lunches go in the trash can. Morgan eats what is on her plate, including a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Patel provided a consistent, easy to follow protocol to get Morgan to eat. Dr. Patel was always kind and professional and all 4 of my kids looked forward to her visits. To me, Dr. Patel was a miracle-worker. Not only did she teach my daughter to eat but she taught me how to get the rest of my kinds under control as any distraction would interfere with Morgan's feeding. Our family dinners are now peaceful affairs with everyone eating a well-balanced diet with many different foods.
As a physician and a mother of a child with a feeding disorder, I highly recommend Dr. Patel and Clinic 4 Kidz. It changed our lives.
I highly recommend Dr. Patel and Clinic 4 Kidz to anyone with a feeding disorder.
Morgan is an ex-preemie, the smaller of twins, and she has had trouble eating and breathing since the day she was born. I carried her around for hours just trying to syringe formula into her mouth. No OT "feeding therapy" ever helped. She then got a feeding tube. Food or drink for my daughter was tantamount to torture. She had pain and reflux and frequent vomiting after every meal. Worse, she sometimes stopped breathing because of the reflux. I didn't think we would ever get our daughter to eat and I didn't blame her for not wanting to try. She turned her head away from any bottle or spoon and cried.
Fortunately, I met another twin mom who had discovered Dr. Patel and her clinic for kids with pediatric feeding disorders. I immediately got on the waiting list and shortly afterwards Dr. Patel came to our home to work with Morgan. By the end of the first appointment she was taking bites from a spoon and drinking from a squirt cup. By the end of our therapy with Dr. Patel, Morgan was eating a regular diet and trying many different foods. I am delighted to say that her eating is NOT "age typical" because her age-matched peers are picky eaters and most of their lunches go in the trash can. Morgan eats what is on her plate, including a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Patel provided a consistent, easy to follow protocol to get Morgan to eat. Dr. Patel was always kind and professional and all 4 of my kids looked forward to her visits. To me, Dr. Patel was a miracle-worker. Not only did she teach my daughter to eat but she taught me how to get the rest of my kinds under control as any distraction would interfere with Morgan's feeding. Our family dinners are now peaceful affairs with everyone eating a well-balanced diet with many different foods.
As a physician and a mother of a child with a feeding disorder, I highly recommend Dr. Patel and Clinic 4 Kidz. It changed our lives.
I highly recommend Dr. Patel and Clinic 4 Kidz to anyone with a feeding disorder.
Nicholas could just never transition to solid foods. Even at 2.5 years old, he was still eating only smooth foods, baby food and some pureed foods. We sought help at our local pediatric hospitals, but the therapies provided still could not make Nicholas eat solid food. None of the professionals (and there were many!) could figure out what to do for us. This was, after all, very uncommon in an otherwise healthy child. After he turned 3, we were becoming desperate and did a lot of internet research, where we found the Clinic 4 Kidz and Dr. Patel. She and Jennifer King came out to do their evaluation of Nicholas on St. Patrick's Day, which turned out to be a very lucky day for us. We finally found the hope we needed, someone who understood his problem and believed they could help him. Though we couldn't help but be skeptical.
Two months later, Dr. Patel and Jennifer came to our home (from California all the way to New Jersey) and spent three (7 hour) days working with Nicholas and teaching us how to feed him as well. By the end of day one, Nicholas had eaten 4 solid foods. We were stunned. He did better and better with each meal largely due to the enthusiastic support and affection from Dr. Patel and Jennifer. I thought he would really dislike them because they were making him eat, but he loved them! By the end of day three, Nicholas was eating 12 solid foods (fruits, vegetables, proteins... and pizza and french fries too!).
As they left, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that a miracle had taken place in my home that weekend. That was the only way I could explain if when people asked. But of course it was really an extreme amount of experience, knowledge, patience, dedication and some silliness, that got us through that weekend. As the weeks went on, we continued to add foods all the time using the same protocol that was put in place during our 3-day visit. It works every time! Nicholas can now eat anything we present to him. In fact, I stopped counting how many foods he eats once we hit 40! We still have follow up visits from Jennifer.
It has now been almost 4 months and we are working on self-feeding, which is going well. We have conquered a major battle. Our life feels regular now. They worked so hard to keep his attention and help us through the hard parts, and are there consistently and quickly if we run in to a problem. In my life, I would never have thought I could encounter 2 people who were so dedicated to children and the work they do. Dr. Patel and Jennifer were put on this earth to do this job. If you can relate to our story, then I know you can probably understand the frustration of not being able to just go through a McDonald's drive thru and get your child a meal to go. But with Dr. Patel's help, we have now achieved the "Happy Meal Dream"!
Two months later, Dr. Patel and Jennifer came to our home (from California all the way to New Jersey) and spent three (7 hour) days working with Nicholas and teaching us how to feed him as well. By the end of day one, Nicholas had eaten 4 solid foods. We were stunned. He did better and better with each meal largely due to the enthusiastic support and affection from Dr. Patel and Jennifer. I thought he would really dislike them because they were making him eat, but he loved them! By the end of day three, Nicholas was eating 12 solid foods (fruits, vegetables, proteins... and pizza and french fries too!).
As they left, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that a miracle had taken place in my home that weekend. That was the only way I could explain if when people asked. But of course it was really an extreme amount of experience, knowledge, patience, dedication and some silliness, that got us through that weekend. As the weeks went on, we continued to add foods all the time using the same protocol that was put in place during our 3-day visit. It works every time! Nicholas can now eat anything we present to him. In fact, I stopped counting how many foods he eats once we hit 40! We still have follow up visits from Jennifer.
It has now been almost 4 months and we are working on self-feeding, which is going well. We have conquered a major battle. Our life feels regular now. They worked so hard to keep his attention and help us through the hard parts, and are there consistently and quickly if we run in to a problem. In my life, I would never have thought I could encounter 2 people who were so dedicated to children and the work they do. Dr. Patel and Jennifer were put on this earth to do this job. If you can relate to our story, then I know you can probably understand the frustration of not being able to just go through a McDonald's drive thru and get your child a meal to go. But with Dr. Patel's help, we have now achieved the "Happy Meal Dream"!