Emma is a seventeen-year-old girl who has been living with a rare illness called Gastroparesis. This condition has left her without a working stomach since the day she was born.
Emma decided to share her story on TikTok under the username emmakok. In her video, which quickly went viral, she opened up about what life is like when you cannot eat food the way most people do.“I have never eaten a real meal”
Emma explained that her stomach is completely paralyzed. Because it doesn’t work, she cannot digest food at all. Instead, she survives with the help of feeding tubes.
“I am seventeen and I have a chronic illness called Gastroparesis,” she said. “My stomach is paralyzed, so it can’t digest any food. That’s why I use two feeding pumps one for my stomach and one for my intestines. I have had them since I was a baby, so I have never eaten anything in my life.”
Emma added that while she can sometimes sip a little honey, tea, or water, she has never tasted common foods like hamburgers, spaghetti, or chocolate. For her, this is one of the hardest parts of living with Gastroparesis, since food is such a big part of daily life and social experiences.
A condition that is often misunderstood
In her video, Emma also talked about how lonely it can feel to live with a condition most people have never heard of. She said many patients with Gastroparesis are not taken seriously in hospitals.
Gastroparesis is not well known, and that makes it hard for us, she explained. We have real symptoms, but doctors sometimes say it’s just anxiety or stress. That makes us feel ignored and misunderstood.
She ended her video with a heartfelt request to simply be heard and to spread awareness about this hidden illness.
What exactly is Gastroparesis?
Gastroparesis is a long-term condition where the stomach cannot move food into the small intestine the way it should. Normally, the stomach muscles contract to crush food and push it forward for digestion. But when someone has Gastroparesis, those muscles are too weak or paralyzed, even though there is no physical blockage.
The illness can be linked to nerve damage, diabetes, surgery, or infections. In some cases, the cause is unknown. Symptoms may include nausea, bloating, vomiting, stomach pain, weight loss, and feeling full after eating just a little.
In mild cases, patients may manage with small, soft meals and medicine. But in severe cases, like Emma’s, eating is not possible at all, and feeding tubes or intravenous nutrition become necessary.
Raising awareness: At the moment, there is no permanent cure for Gastroparesis. Treatments only aim to make symptoms easier to manage. Despite this, many patients still struggle, not only with their health but also with being misunderstood.
By sharing her story, Emma hopes to raise awareness and give a voice to others living with this rare and invisible illness. Her message is simple: “Please just listen.”
