Vienna Mother Pleas For Formula To Feed Son, Community Responds

Vienna VA

24 February, 2022

11:10 AM

Description

VIENNA, VA — Because of severe food allergies, Claire Rowan's son Will has relied on a hypoallergenic formula brand as his main source of food for several years. When Rowan learned the EleCare Jr. that her son relies on was recalled, the Vienna mother turned to the community to help. Rowan told the Washington Post her son Will is allergic to most food, uses a feeding tube and eats about 10 cups of the EleCare Jr. formula each day. When he was 7, Will's growth halted, and he was soon diagnosed with Crohn's disease, eosinophilic esophagitis and gastroenteritis. Rowan told the newspaper introducing formula through the feeding tube helped his growth start again. On Feb. 17, manufacturer Abbott announced a voluntary recall of three powdered formulas, including the EleCare brand. According to the Post, there were four reports of bacterial infection hospitalizations and one death. The recall applies to formula manufactured at one of Abbott's facilities with an expiration date of April 1, 2022 or beyond. When the recall notice came out, the family had 62 cans of EleCare Jr. All of the cans were impacted by the recall. That's when she put out a call for help. "I just checked and all 62 cans we have are recalled. As of now, he has no food. None," Rowan wrote last Friday. Rowan asked if the family could buy cans of the Elecare Jr. formula from anyone and said they were willing to "drive anywhere" for it. She said without the formula, Will would either have no food or likely face anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, from other food. The response to Rowan's plea was overwhelming. Hundreds of comments appeared on Rowan's post with offers to send cans of the formula. The post had been shared in various Facebook groups, including the Vienna VA Foodies group, and Reddit. "Nobody asked what's wrong with him. They just asked, 'What can we do?'" Rowan, also a Madison High School music teacher, told the Washington Post. After the overwhelming response to help Will, the family now is helping other families who need the formula. One of those recipients is Elizabeth Coco, an Alexandria mother whose 4-year-old son's rare diseases cause allergic reactions and relies on formula. Like Rowan, Coco had cans of formula on hand that were impacted by the recall. WJLA reported that Coco has been receiving shipments of formula from around the U.S. and Canada. On Sunday, Rowan wrote a message of thanks to the Vienna VA Foodies group and noted she was collecting cans of formula for other families. She has spent several days delivering cans of formula to families and covered shipping costs for families outside the area, according to the Washington Post. "It was amazing to see the kindness of strangers and the gratitude from worried families," Woman wrote in the Vienna VA Foodies group.