### ‘Terrified’ Three-Year-Old Refuses Food for Two Years as Family Pleads for Medical Support
A family in Huyton, Merseyside, is enduring a daily ordeal as their three-year-old son, Ronnie McGee, continues to shun solid food, surviving solely on milk for the last two years. Ronnie’s mother, Jess McCormick, has spoken openly of her heartbreak and growing frustration, as repeated attempts to find answers for her child’s mysterious eating aversion have thus far yielded few concrete results.
The distressing pattern began when Ronnie was around 18 months old. Until that point, he had been feeding in a way most parents would expect, taking milk regularly and showing no outward signs of food anxiety. However, almost overnight, Ronnie began to reject meals, and by his second birthday, he had stopped eating solid food entirely.
Jess and her partner have been contending with what she describes as an exhausting cycle of doctor visits and hospital appointments. Despite consultations with their local GP, specialists at Whiston Hospital, dietitians, and the renowned team at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, they remain without a definitive explanation for Ronnie’s dramatic behaviour. “Every day is a battle between hope and anxiety,” Jess said. “All I want is for my son to be able to eat and be well, but at the moment, all I can do is watch him struggle.”
The family’s anxiety intensified when Ronnie developed frequent bouts of vomiting—sometimes up to four times a day—prompting rushed trips to accident and emergency services. However, initial advice often left Jess feeling unsupported, with some professionals suggesting Ronnie’s avoidance might not be unusual for his age. To Jess, the reality feels far from typical. “He looks terrified if food comes near him,” she said. “He won’t go near it, he won’t touch it, and it’s as though he’s physically afraid.”
As Ronnie’s physical symptoms worsened, including bouts of severe bowel pain and irregular stools, Jess found herself reaching breaking point during a visit to Alder Hey Hospital. There, she laid out her concerns to staff, providing photos and detailed accounts of Ronnie’s sickness in a desperate bid for urgent help.
Following this episode, medical staff raised the possibility of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a condition that goes beyond fussy eating. Unlike more commonly-known eating disorders rooted in body image issues, ARFID is marked by the avoidance of certain foods due to intense aversions to tastes, textures, or past traumatic experiences with eating. It is also associated with a disinterest in food. The NHS does acknowledge the condition, but, as Jess discovered, access to specialised ARFID support is uneven across regions.
Although ARFID seems to be the most likely cause of Ronnie’s aversion, obtaining an official diagnosis has proved to be a fresh hurdle. A specialist team focused on ARFID exists in nearby Liverpool and Sefton; ironically, Jess cannot access their services as her GP is registered under the Knowsley area, leaving her feeling stranded.
An NHS Cheshire and Merseyside spokesperson responded to Ronnie’s story, offering their apologies to the family and acknowledging the challenges they face. “We’re sorry to hear about the difficulties Ronnie and his family have experienced while trying to access ARFID services. We know access to specialist support is limited across the region, and we are currently reviewing how families can get the help they need more easily.”
For Jess, the official responses offer little immediate comfort, as she watches her son’s health and happiness hang in the balance while he subsists on nothing but milk. The family’s account highlights not just the emotional strain endured by parents in similar situations, but also persistent discrepancies in NHS support for newly-recognised eating disorders.
The case of Ronnie McGee is a sobering reminder of how rare conditions can leave families isolated, bewildered, and desperate for solutions. As experts continue to explore Ronnie’s condition, Jess’ plea reflects the need for broader access to specialist care, and for families to be met with understanding and more timely support, regardless of postcode.