I really don’t know where to begin. We met Barb probably 8-10 years ago. My mom found PEDS in the yellow pages for Ellis. Through all of these years, Ellis has ALWAYS trusted Barb. He doesn’t listen to many people, especially where his weight is concerned. Barb always talked to Ellis. She wanted to know how he was feeling, if he felt her options would work for him, what his goals are/were. She was never an alarmist and was always reasonable. She would suggest plans and goals that were attainable. Her options would fit a child’s or teenager’s lifestyle. If he wanted pizza, that is fine but try and eat thin crust and X # of pieces. Want a burger, fine, but try and leave the cheese off. She let him know that he wasn’t going to diet prison and he still could have the foods he liked, but in moderation. It was a very tough time for Ellis.
About 3 years ago, it finally clicked for Ellis. He lost about 60 pounds in about 1 year. Through all of it, we continued to go to Barb. She really is amazing. She was and is so positive and supportive of Ellis. She is much, much more that a nutritionist to Ellis. She is a wonderful role model and mentor. She has been an extremely important part of Ellis’ and my life. She has had to talk to me many times about my poor eating habits and how I am sabotaging Ellis’ success. She always talks so calmly, composedly, knowledgably, but firmly.
Ellis struggles every day with his weight, but is so committed. Everything that goes in his mouth goes in with thought. He works out several times per week. He truly has made a lifestyle change. Thank you, Barb. You are our hero!!!
(Jodi from Chesterfield, MO)
Barb was such a steady person for us in a very unsteady time. Our daughter had an unspecified disability from birth. Part of that, for her, was her inability to feel hunger and overall apathy when it came to eating. It was a very frustrating time for us. Barb had so much compassion and so many great ideas for us to try. Even when a g-tube seemed imminent, Barb made sure that we had all of the facts. But, with Barb’s help and Finley’s mastery of the suck, swallow, Finley has taken off and left the thoughts of g-tubes far behind!! Thanks so much for everything, Barb!
(Katie from Webster Groves, MO)
Thanks to all the help we received from Tara, my son not only gained the necessary weight to keep him healthy, but we as a family also got the benefit of learning the important vitamins and nutrients he needed. Could not be happier with the results… we have a happy, healthy, heavier kid!
(Meg from Webster Groves, MO)
Kathryn Helling was my son’s dietician for 2 1/2 years and supported my family in making sure he was getting enough calories for growth while we fed him a healthy and typical diet. He took a long time to learn how to eat typical foods so it was a struggle to get enough calories in him but Kathryn was so supportive and provided excellent guidance. He was my first child and as his mother, I had a great deal of anxiety about his weight but Kathryn taught me that he has a responsibility to eating as much as I do to providing him with a healthy diet. She alleviated a lot of anxiety for me and for that I am so thankful. My son is now an incredible eater and a healthy little boy and I thank Kathryn for taking the stress and anxiety out of meal time for my family. (Amy from St. Louis, MO)
The quality of service I receive from Barb at PEDS is wonderful! She has helped me navigate the ins and outs of my son’s many food allergies & sensitivities since he was a few months old. She has helped me figure out what he can eat & what he can’t. We go over how he is responding to foods, and which ones to eliminate for a while. We make a goal to try a food, and adjust as necessary. My son’s primary doctor does not have the specific knowledge to help with this. I never would have know how long to keep him off of foods, and when it was safe to try them again if it wasn’t for Barb. Having someone to help me with this has saved my sanity!
(Vicki from Eureka, MO)
Our experience with PEDS has been great. Cathy Raney, our son’s dietitian, started working withus when he was under a year of age (through First Steps). He is eight now and thriving.She got us to the point where we are comfortable with his tube feedings and what he can have by mouth, and we feel confident and self-sufficient for the most part–a satisfying feeling.
Not having anyone but our son in our care, we didn’t have another child to compareour son’s growth with. Cathy’s help has been very comforting to us. There were many times wehad to call her with questions when he had GI issues and we needed to know how to proceedwith the amount and rate of his feedings. She was pleasant to approach, acknowledged ourconcerns, and coached us through. One time we ran out of his type of food, and sheput some on her porch for us.
Our son hasn’t had GI or feeding problems in years. “Everyone” comments on how great helooks, how well he’s growing, how nourished and content he looks and “the integrity of his skin.”Regarding growth he looks like a typical child his age.He has polymicrogyria, a brain malformation that includes epilepsy. He’s awake all day and sleeps all night. He smiles, attends school, is as active as possible for his condition and enjoys life.
Cathy is an excellent advocate to have on your side when it comes to school needs and alsoswallow studies. I value her guidance and opinions. She’s experienced and supportive and will “go to bat” for her clients and their parents.
PEDS, Inc. has been a breeze to work with. As a busy parent of a child with many special needs,I greatly appreciate having automatic payment set up. There aren’t pestering phone calls either. Receipts are mailedto us.
I will be happy to help anyone by answering any questions you have.
(Michelle from Arnold, MO)
We were helped in numerous ways over the past two years. Shortly after coming home and adjusting to a brand new world of g-buttons, weight checks, and constant therapies and monitoring, we met our Kathryn. She was amazing from the start. She was MADE to do this and that is what I wanted when we began our journey. I wanted people who knew this, and who had a passion and love for helping our little boy. That is exactly what we got. The individual attention to every nutritional need exceeded our expectations. Every visit was full of great ideas/advice on what to do to encourage oral feeds, yet provide our son with the proper nutrition for brain development. Even when I could not breastfeed any longer, and went to donor breast milk, I felt supported and empowered to be able to give him the best start possible. Our son is now 2 years old, g-button removed, and self-feeding everything in sight! It is THE most amazing transformation and I know that our dietician had a hand in that by giving us the right education and knowledge of what to do for him. When I was all out of ideas on what to do next, or what amount/ounces to move to, I knew I could call or email Kathryn and she would have a plan for us by the next visit! When our son was born and the g-button placed, we were so worried that he would not gain proper weight, or never learn to eat. That is a worry no more, he is up to 30+ pounds!
I could tell you 2 whole years worth of stories, so please let me know if you need anything more specific. The overall quality of service could most definitely not be compared to any other. It was such a blessing to find this service and gain the understanding we needed to care best for our baby. I am so thankful for Kathryn and I do not want to stop seeing her. She has become part of our team and we love it!
(Michelle from Florissant, MO)