A Magazine from Akron Children's
The year 2024 didn’t start out with a bang for Sophia Adkins of Williamstown, West Virginia. Age 15 at the time, she had unexpected weight loss with abdominal pain. She got sicker as the months progressed. “We thought she had a stomach virus, and she just never got better,” her mom, April, recalled. “We took her to an adult-focused doctor, who said she was constipated and sent her home.”
Sophia plays softball for Williamstown High School.
April trusted her mother’s intuition and kept searching for answers. She took Sophia to the Memorial Health System Emergency Room in Belpre, Ohio — which is now staffed by Akron Children’s experts to care for babies, kids and teens. Sophia ended up being admitted to Akron Children’s Hospital in April 2024 to find out the cause of her increased nausea, vomiting and pain.
Lab and imaging tests didn’t show any definitive answers, so the Akron Children’s Adolescent Medicine team evaluated Sophia for a possible eating disorder. “They ran multiple tests on Sophia’s blood, which showed an elevated marker that pointed to Celiac disease,” April said. “The doctors decided to go ahead and do a colonoscopy and endoscopy in July 2024. Sophia didn’t have an eating disorder; the tests confirmed the Celiac diagnosis.”
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, which is when the body mistakenly attacks its immune system instead of defending it. When someone with Celiac disease eats gluten — a protein found in foods containing wheat, barley or rye — damage to the
lining of the small intestine occurs. “This damage leads to malabsorption of nutrients like fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals,” said Breaunna Williams, certified nurse practitioner from Akron Children’s Gastroenterology in Marietta. “This likely contributed to the weight loss Sophia experienced.”
After months of not feeling well, Sophia was relieved to get a diagnosis. “If you don’t feel right, keep telling your parents and your doctor. The more they know about how you feel, the better you’re going to get,” she said. “You know your body better than anyone else. Just keep going, no matter what.”
Sophia met with an Akron Children’s gastrointestinal nutritionist and then started seeing Breaunna regularly. “Breaunna has provided great care,” April said. “She explained what Celiac disease is and what Sophia would have to face for the rest of her life.”
A strict, lifelong gluten-free diet is the only way to manage Celiac disease. “Most patients with Celiac disease begin to feel better within weeks to a few months after removing gluten from their diet,” Breaunna explained. “Sophia improved within the first few months of maintaining a strict, gluten-free diet. She took increased responsibility in managing her condition, including actively checking food labels to ensure items are gluten-free.”
It took Sophia a while to get used to the gluten-free diet. “I already ate fresh fruits and vegetables, so I didn’t have to make any adjustments there. But it was weird at first because the gluten-free foods like bread weren’t as good,” she recalled. “We kept trying different things until we found stuff that tasted OK. I like to bake, so it’s been fun to experiment with making gluten-free desserts and cheese crackers.”
April is grateful her daughter regained weight, feels better and enjoys life like a 16-year-old should. “Sophia is now a sophomore at Williamstown High School. She plays softball and is on the school kick line/dance team,” April said. “Celiac disease has not kept her from being active and participating in extracurricular activities.”
April is also thankful to Akron Children’s for bringing pediatric primary and specialty care to southern Ohio. “For us, it’s a two-hour drive each way to Akron,” she explained. “Now, we see Dr. Tina Smith at the Akron Children’s Pediatrics office in Marietta — plus our appointments with Breaunna at the Marietta specialty office. Having these resources 10 minutes away gives us peace of mind and saves hours of travel time.”
Not only is Akron Children’s convenient, but the staff members are caring. “I’m pleased with every doctor and every nurse we’ve encountered who is associated with Akron Children’s,” April said. “Breaunna is very caring and nurturing; she’s just wonderful. For anyone in our area with a child who is having issues, we tell them to go to Akron Children’s. They’re going to help you.”
Sophia’s back to being an active, healthy teenage with help from Nurse Practitioner Breaunna Williams.
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, pleaseTM magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
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