Woman's 'soul-destroying' illness means she vomits every time she eats

Mother of 22-year-old with a disease that sees her vomit every time she eats and has made her weight plummet to under 6 stone says seeing her daughter deteriorate is ‘destroying’ her – and treatment will cost £40,000

• Emma Tucks, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, fell ill ‘out of the blue’ in 2019
• Antibiotics for kidney infection killed 22-year-old Emma’s natural gut bacteria
• For the past three years, she’s been unable to eat without throwing up
• Emma’s family is fundraising £40,000 for a gastric pacemaker to treat condition

The mum of a student who has a rare condition that leaves her unable to eat without instantly throwing up, says seeing her daughter deteriorate is ‘destroying’ her – and that treatment will cost £40,000.

Helen Tuck’s, 63, daughter Emma, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, became ill ‘out of the blue’ three years ago when she developed bilateral kidney stones.

The 22-year-old then went on to develop a kidney infection which was treated by surgery and a course of antibiotics. 

However, this treatment killed Emma’s natural gut bacteria and paralysed her gastrointestinal system – meaning she can no longer digest her food.

Emma Tucks, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, became ill ‘out of the blue’ in 2019 when she developed bilateral kidney stones. Pictured with mum Helen, 63, before her health issues

Emma (pictured on one of several hospital stays over the past three years) has a rare condition that leaves her unable to eat without instantly throwing up

Opening up about the impact it’s had on her daughter’s life, Emma’s mother Helen, said: ‘It just destroys me to be honest. She’s young and she’s just one of the nicest kids.

‘If I’m not very well, she still tries to help me even when I say no.

‘We are quite close because she’s 22 but hasn’t fled the nest and still needs my support.’

Before she developed kidney stones, Emma weighed around seven and a half stone – but dropped around two stone, plummeting to just five and a half stone after getting ill in 2019.

Although Emma slowly managed to get her weight back to where it was, her mother says she will quite often lose six pounds when she gets infections.

As a result, Emma can’t socialise like a normal 22-year-old, as an infection can land her in hospital for months on end.

Emma (pictured at her graduation) can’t socialise like a normal 22-year-old as an infection can land her in hospital for months

Emma developed kidney stones ‘out of the blue’ in 2019. Pictured left on holiday before her illness. Pictured at home with her dog

Helen continued: ‘It’s full on looking after her, because she has a lot of drugs and can’t take anything orally, I have to crush them for her.

What is a gastric pacemaker? 

A device designed to stimulate the stomach (similar to heart pacemaker) is placed into a small pocket made under the skin of the abdomen. 

The device sends electrical impulses to the stomach muscles in order to help them to work more normally. 

The amount of stimulation can be adjusted to suit the patient. 

A gastric pacemaker offers an alternative to patients who have become nutritionally crippled by digestive issues and are at risk of needing a gastrectomy (removal of the stomach).

Source: NHS 

‘It’s tough because she just wants to be normal.’

Earlier this year, the family learned of a ‘life-changing’ gastric pacemaker which means Emma would be able to eat like normal again.

However, it would cost a staggering £40,000 to have fitted.

The mum said: ‘When Emma found out the cost of the treatment, she just burst into tears.

‘I told her we would do whatever it takes, even if that means remortgaging the house or selling our pensions.

‘But Emma disagreed and said it wasn’t right, because she said that we need to live and our pensions are what we have worked for.

‘Then she asked why an alcoholic can have a liver transplant and somebody that smokes can have a heart transplant.

‘She has done nothing wrong in her life and can’t have the treatment she needs.’

Helen is now doing everything she can to raise money for her daughter’s treatment – including setting up a GoFundMe page and breeding puppies.

She said: ‘We bred one of our dogs in COVID, but you can’t breed them until they’ve had two seasons after because it’s classed as puppy farming and that’s not fair.

‘She was able to be bred this year, so we decided to try again to see if we could raise some money and we managed to sell six.

Emma’s family are trying to raise £40k for a ‘life-changing’ gastric pacemaker. Pictured in hospital with another kidney infection

Before her illness, Emma weighed around 50kg. Pictured left on holiday before developing a kidney infection. Pictured right during one of her hospital stays after dropping 15kg

‘We kept one puppy last time and keeping one when Emma was in hospital seemed like a good idea for her because she gets a lot of comfort from dogs.

‘But I was trying to visit Leeds every day while having a puppy at home that needed a lot of attention so that was quite challenging.’

You can donate to Emma’s Go Fund Me here.

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