Alex Anson hoping to be able to eat Christmas dinner

Dec 24 2009 The Journal

A BOY who has only been able to eat custard is hoping to change that this Christmas by having his first mouthful of festive dinner.

Alex Anson, seven, has been unable to eat a full meal or swallow solid food after an operation to help his breathing left him prone to sickness-inducing infections.

The youngster, from Denton Burn, Newcastle, gets his nutrients from special milk pumped into his stomach through a tube and pots of custard provide vital calories.

At Christmas, while his sister Molly, five, enjoys her selection box and a traditional festive dinner, Alex will only take a lick of his chocolate before moving back to custard.

But on Christmas Day his parents Debbie, 35, and Grant, 37, hope he will try something new as they are going to encourage him to take his first mouthful of savoury food.

Mum-of-two Debbie said: “It’s true he generally only eats custard. However, he’s now moved on to yoghurts as well, which was a bit of a breakthrough.

“He’s never had a meal in his life. He doesn’t like food, he fears it and custard is the only thing he feels comfortable with.

“This year he told his grandma that he wants to try runny mashed potato and gravy on Christmas Day. We’ll wait and see, but, if that happened it would be our best Christmas present ever.