A schoolgirl who lived on chicken nuggets for a decade has finally overcome her food phobia.
Jessica Thompson, 11, from Swindon, Wiltshire, has spent her life eating nothing but chicken nuggets after refusing to try new foods when she was 18 months old.
Her mother, Julia Cain, 49, a graphic designer, has no idea what triggered the anxiety and panic around the food – but after seeking professional help, Jessica was diagnosed with a Avoiding Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in September.
People who have suffered from ARFID develop a phobia about the texture of certain foods, the general appearance of smell and will refuse to try them.
Now, after just a few weeks of working with her hypnotherapist, Jessica can finally enjoy a full roast dinner, as well as plenty of fruit and veg in her home.
Jessica Thompson, 11, from Swindon, Wiltshire, has only been eating chicken nuggets since she was 18 months old after developing a food phobia known as restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
Her mother Julia, right, said Jessica would rather starve than eat anything but chicken nuggets
Julia said, “She ate all of her baby food and she tried a lot of new foods.
“Then it stopped and she was only eating chicken nuggets.
“She had about three or four with fries for a meal, but usually didn’t finish it.
“In her lunchbox, she just had plain bread, nothing on it or in it.
The avid poultry enthusiast, pictured, saw a hypnotherapist after her diagnosis and finally ate her first roast in her life.
“As a family, we never fully attended a Christmas dinner because Jessica would refuse to even try one.
“She would have a plate of nuggets and a year, she would have had a slice of dry bread.
“People always said, ‘She will grow up’ or ‘If you don’t give in, she will be hungry and eat what you give her.’
“The problem is, Jessica would literally rather starve than eat certain foods.
“Sometimes she would crawl in a ball to get away from the food.
“We knew she was more than picky, but we never thought she would spend a decade of her life eating chicken nuggets.”
Jessica, pictured, ate normally until she was 18 months old, but then refused to eat anything other than nuggets
The 11-year-old, pictured, must listen to relaxing songs and keep an achievement board in order to overcome her food phobia.
Doctors have told Julia for years that Jessica is just finicky, and well-meaning people have told mom not to give in to Jessica’s fuss.
Jessica has been called a “picky” by doctors over the years, and over the years, she’s stuck to beige foods like nuggets, plain bread, and fries.
Julia said: “They would all say she’s just fussy or has tummy issues.
“As a parent, all you want your child to eat.
“People really don’t understand that it’s a disease, not just a fuss.”
Julia eventually contacted hypnotherapist David Kilmurry, who diagnosed her with ARFID.
After only three weeks with him, listening to relaxation MP4s before meals and using a dashboard, Jessica can now enjoy a family roast.
He said: “Julia contacted me worried and concerned about the limited foods her daughter Jessica was limited to, just chicken nuggets and very little else.
“Chicken nuggets are not a complete food group and Jessica came to see me extremely sick, lethargic and anxious.
“Trying to get Jessica or anyone with ARFID to consume is like trying to hold a spider by an arachnophobe.
“It sends panic through the body of a person who is gagging, gagging, and vomiting – just at the thought of a new or dangerous food.”
For Julia, a relieved mom, Jessica’s success means for the first time in 10 years that the whole family can sit together and enjoy a meal.
Julia said: “It is nothing short of a miracle that Jessica can eat a full plate of food now.
“We haven’t had a family meal in years, and now we can.
“She has tried 24 new foods, and while she didn’t like them all, it’s a huge step forward for her.”
Proud mother Julia, left, said Jessica has tried 24 new foods since being diagnosed with ARFID in September
Desperate Julia, right, admitted the family hadn’t eaten a meal together in years due to Jessica’s eating habits
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