Zach fights back – living with Eosinophilic Esophagitis

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Zach Blair is among the most competitive 11 year olds on the baseball field, and on the basketball court, which is incredible because he has a disease so rare you would struggle to pronounce it.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis is a digestive disease caused by a toxic white blood cell, and most foods can cause severe pain and damage to Zach’s esophagus.

Zach gets his energy from formula, which is his primary food source.

“There’s not enough research and there’s not enough knowledge,” says Zach’s mother Susan, “they just know that currently there’s no cure.”

Zach says he gets tired of drinking the formula, and that it’s hard when he sees his friends are eating all of the foods he used to like. He puts all his problems behind him by playing his favorite sports, from basketball to soccer to baseball.

“I feel he does an amazing job just trying to change his attitude, says Susan, “keeping himself busy and find himself something he likes to pursue.”

Zach is one of the stars of his Boca Raton little league team , making friends along the way, and being an 11 year old boy.

“Mostly what I love about sports is that it helps me get over my disease, ” says Zach, “it’s really frustrating because I want to know how to cure this disease.”

– John Evenson (source CBS 12)