The toddler refused food at 14 months old.
After losing a lot of weight, he is being fed through a tube.
Doctors haven't been able to come up with a diagnosis yet.
Shannon was surprised by the response to her video about raising a toddler who won't eat.
A 2-year-old boy has been watched by more than 8 million people.
He spits it out and then cries. There are close-ups of the food that she has tried to get him to eat in her video.
The little boy is shown with a tube in his nose near the end of the TikTok.
It is as if he is on a hunger strike.
In her TikTok video, the single mom from Essex, England, doesn't speak, but she does include written observations.
It was only after Harley got so sick that they took me seriously. They had no choice but to take action.
She said that before her son went to the hospital, she was ignored. "All toddlers are picky, it's just a phase, and he'll eat when he wants to."
The mother said that her son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy after he was born at a healthy weight.
At the age of 7 months, he stopped drinking formula and was on track for growth. He would happily eat the typical baby food when he was older.
He ate a lot. Harley was in the 75th percentile for weight. He looked like a fat person.
When Harley was 14 months old, there was a big change. He developed a string of respiratory tract infections. He was coughing up to the point that he would throw up.
It was very nerve-racking to see him suffer.
He was prescribed steroids, but he was worried about his weight loss. She said that he dropped dinners and snacks. I was worried that he wouldn't get enough food.
Doctors gave him a throat spray to make sure the issue wasn't caused by sore throats. She said that nobody knew what to do. He weighed in at the 7th percentile.
He had lost more than 2 pounds. The doctor couldn't come up with a reason for Harley's issues despite giving him a battery of tests.
As in her TikTok video, she made every effort to get her child to eat. He refused to eat pasta, chicken breast, vegetables, purees, bread, and crackers.
She said she gave him every type of food she could find under the sun in hopes he would try it. He would not.
Sometimes Harley, who has sensory issues, could eat a small amount of food. He went off them and we would be back to square one.
She suggested that she was an overanxious and inexperienced mother when medical staff said things like "Is he your first one?" I felt like no one would listen to me.
Harley was taken to the hospital. His weight had fallen. Doctors were still struggling with a diagnosis. The tests came back normal after he had more work done.
Harley was so weak that he slept for 23 hours a day in the hospital. He would lie in the bed and stare into space.
Harley's case was taken over by another doctor who recognized the seriousness of the problem.
A feeding tube was put on the toddler. After gaining weight, he is now a much healthier 28 pounds, but he is still waiting for a diagnosis. Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the leading children's hospitals in the UK.
She noted that Harley had recently shown an improvement in his eating habits.
She said he's got his energy back, and despite the feeding tube, he's stillbouncing around.
She's getting advice from people who have watched her video. One person said to just give him food and leave. He will eat if he wants to.
Most of her followers have supported her, she said.
Parents of children who are just like Harley have contacted me. Our story is worth telling if it helps one child.
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