“Even when he’s not feeling his best, Liam still manages to smile or say something to make those around him smile,” says Tamara Neiderer, the CHoR team member who nominated Liam for our 2016 TidBits Calendar.

Tamara is a certified occupational therapy assistant and part of the Feeding Program team that helped Liam develop the skills he needed to eat by mouth. Liam was a micro preemie and, because of many medical complications, he developed an aversion to anything or anyone coming near his mouth including food.

According to his mom Shannon, when Liam began day patient feeding therapy last summer he was completely dependent on his feeding tube for nutrition. “Liam spent two months with the fabulous Feeding Program team, and after a lot of hard work he was able to eat almost 75 percent of his calories by the time he graduated,” Shannon explains. “We continued regular outpatient appointments, and now a year later, Liam is eating almost entirely by mouth. He loves helping me cook and choosing food at the grocery store.”

We are thrilled that Liam agreed to share his well-known and engaging smile for this month’s calendar article on trampoline safety.  In addition to being a proud and happy Feeding Program “graduate,” he can now add helping spread the word about important safety issues to his list of accomplishments.

“Liam’s been able to accomplish so much in his five years of life,” Tamara adds. “It was not only his happy-go-lucky energetic personality that made me want to nominate him, but realizing what a little miracle he is having been born at 24 weeks weighing less than a pound.”

More about Liam – Fun Facts

For fun: Swimming, bike riding, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite food: yogurt
When I grow up: TV star
Favorite CHoR memory: Graduating from the Feeding Program (he loved getting the superhero cape, pictured right)

Editor’s Note: This “Meet our Calendar Kids” blog series highlights children featured in CHoR’s 2016 Tid*Bits calendar. We’d like to thank all patients, siblings and parents who participated this year. Join our mailing list to receive future issues of the Tid*Bits calendar and newsletters. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Liam, our featured patient for June 2016.