07/23/2026
During Will’s first year of life, since Will is unable to swallow well and depends on G-tube feeding - the only available food option was Pediasure formula. But despite our best efforts, Will simply could not keep it down. Day after day, meal after meal, he would vomit multiple times a day. It was heartbreaking to watch, and after an entire year of this pattern, we knew something had to change.
That’s when Will’s beloved Grandma, Phyllis, stepped in.
Anyone who knows Phyllis knows her passion is good, old-fashioned Southern cooking….shes even won awards for it! With Shana using her clinical background to help calculate calories, nutrition, and balanced food groups, the two of them came up with an idea that would change Will’s life forever. They began cooking real home-cooked meals and blending them into nutritious G-tube feedings.
The results were nothing short of remarkable.
After an entire year of constant vomiting, it all stopped immediately. Will’s body accepted real food, his nutrition improved dramatically, and he began to thrive.
Now, 13 years later, Grandma Phyllis is still faithfully preparing and blending three homemade meals every single day for her grandson. Every two weeks, she transforms her kitchen into what can only be described as “Will’s Nutrition Headquarters,” cooking, blending, portioning, and freezing enough meals to keep him healthy until it’s time to do it all again.
And if we’re being honest… I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if every now and then she sneaks a little of her famous cheesecake or pound cake into one of those blends. Judging by Will these days, I’d say he certainly feels like she does!
These pictures are a glimpse into that labor of love—a routine she has repeated hundreds of times over the past 13 years without complaint, simply because that’s what grandmothers do when they love someone.
People often ask us how Will has done so well. The answer is that he’s been surrounded by extraordinary people who have loved him through action, sacrifice, and consistency.
What will we all do without Phyllis one day?
We truly shudder at the thought.
Until then, we are simply grateful beyond words for every meal, every sacrifice, and every ounce of love she pours into each blender.
