Meet Matys

A 10 year old sports enthusiast who lives with a feeding tube

Enteral Nutrition support to catch up with growth

Matys loves climbing and playing sports. Due to digestion problems caused by Cystic Fibrosis, he was not able to improve in terms of weight for two whole years.

He started getting Enteral Nutrition support to help him catch up with growth.

Reason for nutritional support
Digestion problems due to
Cystic Fibrosis

Type of support
Drink in between as a snack
Tube feeds in the evening

Duration
2 years

Living with a tube

For Matys, tube feeding was the most favoured option to help improve his nutritional status, taken in addition to the meals shared with the family.

Matys’ mom wants to share their experience to let us know more about this option.

Why was a feeding tube the best option for Matys?

"Matys loves being active. He needs the energy to play sports and continue his treatments."

However, mealtimes were very long and difficult, leaving him frustrated and underfed. Tube feeding gives him a little boost and a chance to be flexible about meals.

What did tube feeds change for Matys?

"He went from 18 kg to 24 kg in several weeks!"

"Now, he can say, “I’m less hungry, I’m eating a bit less, because I know I have the tube which helps me.”"

What would you say to others who may need tube feeds?

"I want to tell them not to worry. Nothing will go wrong."

“A feeding tube doesn’t hinder anything. On the contrary, it helps children to have the energy to do more things they enjoy.”

Matys’ Daily Nutrition Routine

Matys enjoys a Frebini^® ENERGY (FIBRE) Drink every four hours during the day as an extra meal.
At 6 PM, he eats his evening meal.
Tube feeding starts at 8 PM and takes over two and a half hours.
During tube-feed time Matys can sleep or enjoy a movie.

A week with Matys

Matys plays tennis 1-2 times a week, football two times a week, and he enjoys climbing with his uncle. Things are also going well in school. Matys showed his friends a book on gastronomy and informed them about how his tube-feed button works. Now he knows the importance of good nutrition and wants to share his enthusiasm with friends.

Find out more about Frebini^® Drinks, Frebini^® Tube Feeds^* and enteral medical devices