VIENNA, Va. — A Virginia mother whose son relies on a recalled baby formula to eat through a feeding tube said the generosity of people on social media has restored her faith in humanity.
When the FDA announced a recall of Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare infant formulas last Thursday, it left parents scrambling to find replacements.
Claire Rowan's 16-year-old son lives with medical conditions that require him to rely on formula and a feeding tube in order to eat.
He uses Elecare Jr., a hypoallergenic formula that provides nutrition to children with protein allergies.
Not only was Elecare Jr. put under recall but the Rowan family recently received their normal delivery of 60 cans — all 60 cans were unusable.
Desperate for help, Rowan posted her predicament on social media.
"Long shot but I am desperate," she posted. "As of now, [my tube fed son] has no food. None. ... We will drive anywhere… I am working to try to get new cases but everyone in America is too. Our choices are no food or likely anaphylaxis so we are putting this out to our community for any help we can get."
Her post was shared hundreds of times on Facebook and rose on Reddit.
With the help of a friend, Rowan found community members in Stafford who had usable, safe formula for her son to use.
Rowan said she not only got help for her son, but other children too. She was able to connect with an Alexandria mother and provide her six safe cans of formula.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
