Teenager Raises Awareness About Rare Stomach Disorder That Leaves Patients Unable to Eat
A 17-year-old girl identified as Emma has opened up about her life with Gastroparesis, a rare and debilitating digestive condition that has left her unable to eat since birth.
In a TikTok video posted in July—now trending under her username emmakok—Emma revealed that she has never eaten a proper meal in her life. Instead, she depends on feeding pumps and tubes to survive.
“Hi, my name is Emma. I am 17 and I have a chronic illness called Gastroparesis. Gastroparesis simply means my stomach is paralyzed, it doesn’t work. Because my stomach is paralyzed, it can’t digest any food. Which also means I’m not able to eat any food and that is why I have two feeding pumps,” she explained in the clip.
Emma added that she has lived with the condition since infancy, relying on two feeding pumps connected to her stomach and intestines. “I have had these two feeding pumps since I was a baby, so I have never eaten anything in my life,” she said.
While she can occasionally tolerate small amounts of honey, tea, or water, Emma stressed that she has never tasted common meals such as hamburgers, chocolate, or spaghetti. “Food is such a big part of life, and not being able to eat makes everything harder,” she admitted.
The teenager also highlighted the emotional toll of living with a little-known disease. “Gastroparesis is not a well-known disease and that makes it hard for us patients. We’re not very well heard in hospitals. Doctors often call it anxiety or stress, which makes us feel dismissed and misunderstood.”
Emma concluded her message with a heartfelt plea: “I am making this video to share this illness, to spread awareness, to be heard. So please just listen.”
What Is Gastroparesis According to the American College of Gastroenterology, Gastroparesis is a chronic digestive disorder that causes delayed stomach emptying without any physical blockage. In a healthy digestive system, the stomach contracts to crush food and move it into the small intestine for further digestion. In Gastroparesis patients, these contractions are weakened or absent, leaving food trapped in the stomach.
The condition can be triggered by nerve damage, diabetes, viral infections, or complications from surgery. However, in many cases, the cause remains unknown.
Symptoms include: Persistent nausea and vomiting of undigested food
Abdominal bloating and pain
Feeling full quickly after starting a meal
Malnutrition and weight loss
In severe cases, like Emma’s, patients are unable to eat at all and must rely on feeding tubes or intravenous nutrition.
While there is no known cure, treatment options focus on symptom management. These include dietary modifications, medications that stimulate stomach muscles, surgical interventions, and, in some cases, gastric pacemakers.
Globally, Gastroparesis remains underdiagnosed and misunderstood, with many patients reporting that their symptoms are often dismissed or mistaken for psychological issues such as stress or anxiety.
