Profiling Timmy's food allergy battle

(WTNH) - A traditional Thanksgiving meal is wishful thinking for little Timmy Armstrong, who has severe allergies to every kind of food.

When News Channel 8 first met Timmy all he could eat was deer meat. Soon after, though, that was taken off his plate and he relied solely on a special formula.

However, recently, Timmy is eating again.

Timmy Armstrong can not get enough of playing football. Even his sister Acelynn gets into the game. These days, Timmy is all smiles for another reason. His diet is expanding after months of no food allowed.

Timmy's mom, Stacey, cuts up an apple for him to eat. That's right...an apple.

"They said we could actually try apples," Timmy said. "I was kinda happy."

"He's been eating raw apples without a single problem," Stacey Dionne, Timmy's mother, said. "I can't stress how huge that is, it's awesome."

It is awesome given Timmy's Eosinophilic Disorder which has affected his entire digestive tract, leading to a severe reaction every time he ate food.

Dr. Francisco Sylvester, of Connecticut Children's Medical Center, said "Timmy is one of the most severe cases we have ever encountered."

Dr. Sylvester is Timmy's pediatric gastroenterologist at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. "The very strict diet he has been getting, which is strictly formula through his tube in his stomach, has healed his tissues."

"Sometimes we start optimistically then we have a little bit of a setback," Dr. Sylvester said. "So we are cautiously optimistic at this point."

So for now, it's an apple a day for Timmy and every morsel is savored. "I don't want it to go to waste."

"As soon as I can feel the seeds with my teeth, I keep eating around the seeds," Timmy said. "Then I throw it out."

Still, mom has mixed emotions. "It's nerve wracking because I don't like giving something to him and then take it away, that's my biggest fear because that's been the pattern for the past few years," she said. "But [I'm] excited because I get to watch him eat."

It's certainly a far better picture than the grim one doctors painted just months ago.

"They had no answers, nowhere for us to turn, it's basically, 'it is what it is and you have to accept it' and that's what I was told," Stacey said.

"What happens with this condition many times is that the immune system matures so what used to be toxic for the kids may not be toxic anymore," Dr. Sylvester said.

Dr. Sylvester says the goal is for Timmy to live a normal life within the constraints of what Timmy can tolerate.

And for Timmy, it's one apple at a time. "If my disease went just away, I would feel bad for the other kids with this disease, cause it's not like I'm the only kid in this whole world that has this disease," he said.

Since News Channel 8 spoke with Timmy there is yet another change -- all part of his roller coaster ride.

After five weeks of enjoying the apples, he got sick. Now, apples are off his diet.

Once he recovers, Timmy will try apple sauce. News Channel 8 will keep you posted.