A SCHOOLBOY who “dines like a king” on double breakfasts and large portions is still at risk of being malnourished due to a rare condition. Oliver Goss had the majority of his small intestine removed at birth in a desperate bid to save his life. Very few people live without this vital part of their digestive system , and the 11-year-old now struggles to absorb the nutrients his body needs from his food.
His mother, Nicole, 31, has dedicated her life to feeding Oliver the most nutritious and healthy diet possible. On an average day, Oliver eats two breakfasts - a large bowl of strawberries, bananas, kiwis, and chia seeds, followed by scrambled eggs or porridge with honey. He takes high-calorie prescription drinks to school, along with snack bags of nuts and seeds, fruit pots, carrot sticks and hummus, and dairy- and soya-free biscuits.
In the evening, Nicole prepares an after-school snack for Oliver, followed by substantial portions of healthy meals such as spinach and egg wraps, chicken or fish with sweet potato and vegetables, or lentil curry. At times, single mum Nicole, from Burgess Hill, said her son “feels like a human grow bag.” “Even the doctors don’t know what to do with Oliver,” she explained.
“When he was born, they didn’t expect him to live, so now he’s 11, we’re in uncharted territory. Most read in Health “He’s small for his age and he’s still in size eight to nine clothes. "He’s about to start puberty, which means another growth spur.