Boy can only eat seven foods

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —Giles Martin Schanen, 6, from Greenville County has been diagnosed with a chronic disease that has no cure. Because of it, he can only eat seven foods.

“Milk, wheat, soy, green beans, peas, pork and beef. That is all he can eat,” said Giles Martin’s mother, Christine Schanen.

Giles Martin Schanen was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis when he was 3 after eating most foods caused him pain.

Doctors discovered the disease in 1995.

“There is no known direct trigger for the disease. In the vast majority of the cases, it is a food allergy-driven disease,” said Dr. Jonathan Markowitz of Greenville Hospital System’s Children’s Hospital.

Markowitz said the disease impacts people of all ages and there is no cure. Markowitz said each person with the disease reacts differently to different foods.

“We don’t usually consider it life-threatening and our expectation is that somebody who has this disease is going to have the same lifespan of anybody else. It’s really a disease that affects the quality of life,” Markowitz said.

The disease can make meal-time in the Schanen home challenging.

“We have to make a separate meal for Giles Martin. He tends to eat before the rest of us eat just to avoid having to be tempted or look at what we’re having and really be envious of wanting to eat it,” Christine Schanen said.

Local NASCAR driver Jeremy Clements will host an event on Saturday to create awareness and raise money for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. A Valentines and Vegas fundraiser will be held at Embassy Suites Golf Course and Convention Center in Greenville from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. For tickets, go to www.racingforacause.com.

– Staff (source: WYFF4)