Seeing your child suffer from an illness is gut-wrenching for a parent. After their son Liam was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 3, Meaghan Doherty and Andrew Vital reached out to the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Mass General for Children. It was the first step in a long journey that has resulted in a lasting remission for Liam.
An expert in inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn's disease occurs when there is redness, swelling, and sores along the digestive tract. It is part of a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The symptoms of Crohn's disease may come and go throughout a lifetime.
Liam began having troublesome symptoms as a newborn. At age 2, he had a couple episodes of bleeding. Soon thereafter, tests found he had Crohn's disease.
Following the diagnosis, a family friend recommended seeing Christopher Moran, MD, at the Pediatric IBD Center. While patients come to him with a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) concerns, he mostly sees those with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis—the two main types of IBD.
"As a medical student, I had a rotation in pediatric GI and found IBD to be fascinating. It affects a lot of kids at a vulnerable age, so treating it would allow me to create these long-term relationships with families," Dr. Moran said. "Ever since I finished my fellowship, I've tried to live and breathe IBD. It's been my absolute focus from the start."
Liam in the hospital.
Parents are part of the care team
At the Pediatric IBD Center, each child's care is led by a primary gastroenterologist like Dr. Moran and an IBD nurse. They are part of a larger team that may also include a nutritionist, psychologist/psychiatrist, social worker, pediatric surgeon, radiologists and pathologists with expertise in IBD—and the parent(s).
"It really is a team approach in which the parents play as integral of a role as my colleagues and I do in making treatment decisions," Dr. Moran noted. "Meaghan, Andrew, and the rest of us are all in this together, trying to act in Liam's best interests. And as Liam gets older, he'll get a louder voice in his care."
There is no cure for Crohn's disease. Treatment options span various medications and nutritional therapy. At first, Dr. Moran recommended dietary changes to address Liam's symptoms. Over time, he prescribed different oral medications, which had a limited impact.
An ongoing challenge in Liam's care has been his tender age. People typically are diagnosed with Crohn's disease as young adults. Many of the medications that have emerged in recent years have been tested and approved for use in adults but not in children.
Dr. Moran has been tireless in exploring viable alternatives for Liam, according to Meaghan. "He's shown a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and ordered a lot of extra testing in an effort to tailor the next option for Liam," she said. "He's taken a very scientific approach, always with a consideration of my concerns and Liam's input on what would be best for him."
Liam receiving treatment.
A calming presence in the infusion unit
Over the course of several years, Liam was cycled through oral medications, antibiotics, probiotics, and steroids. Upon being prescribed a drug given by infusion, he made a new friend: Angela Ventura, RN, an infusion nurse at Mass General Brigham Healthcare Center (Waltham).
"She's great. She's so good with Liam and at finding ways to distract him during infusions," Meaghan said. "He has no anxiety about going there at all. It's really quite remarkable—and all because of people like Angela and the care that he gets there."
"Angela is kind and gentle. She's very good at calming kids," Liam added. "I also like that she lets me put the tubes (into the venous catheter). I don't know about other kids, but that makes it better for me."
After about a year on the first drug given by infusion, Liam was switched to another one. Five months later—during the spring of second grade—his symptoms began to go away. He has remained in remission for two years running.
Between monthly visits and plenty of emails, Meaghan and Andrew have gotten to know Dr. Moran well over the past six years. They are grateful for his patience and dedication.
"He never makes you feel rushed. You never feel like he's got other things to do or other places to be," Meaghan said. "I'm so appreciative for the amount of time he must have spent responding to all my questions and concerns and for his thoughtfulness in exploring possible risks and benefits before moving forward with a new treatment."
Liam practicing taekwondo.
Thriving in fourth grade
Today, Liam is a bright, talkative, and articulate 9-year-old who loves playing with friends and takes taekwondo lessons twice a week. The fourth grader is doing well in school and enjoys extracurricular activities like the math team and chess club.
Having spent years living with dietary restrictions, Liam now has what Meaghan described as "a health-conscious but basically normal diet." On the treatment front, he continues to go to Mass General in Waltham for infusion therapy every six weeks. He also sees Dr. Moran every other visit.
Liam at Boy Scouts.
Dr. Moran expects Liam will continue to receive treatments for the foreseeable future to ensure symptoms don't return.
"We're still trying to find a cure for Crohn's disease," Dr. Moran said. "I'd certainly plan on him being on treatment throughout his childhood and into college. The good thing is, he's on a medicine that's working well for him."
Reflecting on the past six years, Meaghan shared high praise for Dr. Moran.
"I'm a physician, and I know he's gone above and beyond for Liam," she said. "There were many times I was completely distraught, and he'd respond, offer reassurance, and turn things around for me. It's definitely a next level of support."
