Houston boy with rare digestion condition given 50/50 chance with third surgery

HOUSTON - A Houston family is speaking with FOX 26 about their young son in hopes that sharing his journey helps other families facing complex medical issues feel less lonely. 

‘I just want to be a normal boy’

The backstory:

10-year-old Caleb Escobar is small for his age and tires easily. 

At 11 months old, Caleb was diagnosed with a rare medical issue involving his esophagus. His family tells FOX 26 that they tried to feed him soft foods like mashed potatoes, but he kept spitting them up.

According to his family's GoFundMe, Caleb was born with "esophageal narrowing." Following medical advice, the family tried medications altering Caleb's diet and therapy. 

He ultimately had his esophagus removed, pulling his stomach up to replace his esophagus.

"This will be his life. Balloon dilation after balloon dilation," said Caleb's father, Rian.

"No one in the world has what he has," said his mother, Christine. "There's a lot of times he will say, ‘I just want to be a normal boy.’"

Upcoming surgery

What's next:

According to his family, his doctors say he needs another major surgery that could better help his stomach.

"This procedure we are going to have on December 3rd is a 50/50 chance, so we have to roll the dice."

If successful, the surgery could allow Caleb to pass food in a timely manner and allow the intestines to do everything that's supposed to happen, making his wish of being a normal boy come true. 

If not, Rian says, "Me and his mom will continue to fight for him."

What you can do:

Caleb's mother recently made a GoFundMe to support his medical bills and other needs. You can click here if you wish to make a donation.