Joe'Von is like most kids his age. And that's what makes him remarkable.

He likes to watch cartoons, play in the yard and pick on his twin sister. In that much, at least, he's a fairly typical preschooler. You wouldn't have imagined it, though, had you met him the day he was born.

Joe'Von came into this world at 28 weeks and with short bowel syndrome, which means he didn't have enough intestinal length to properly absorb nutrients. Doctors believed he'd never eat like the rest of us, in other words, that he wouldn't be able to sustain himself with food.

He couldn't eat or even look at pictures of food.

Joe'Von's aversion to eating kept him not only from the kitchen table, but from being able to watch people eating on television or looking at photos of food in magazines. It also meant TPN and g-tube feeding directly into of his stomach. Long term, that could mean liver failure.

PHS has kept him out of the hospital so he can grow up at home.

Our private-duty nurses, infusion therapists, dietitians and other highly trained in-home caregivers have given Joe'Von the opportunity to thrive where's he's most comfortable—home.

So far, he's doing great. With PHS nursing care 12 hours a day, seven days a week, Joe'Von is slowly being weaned off TPN; he's learned to walk, run and play; he's gaining weight; and he's even beginning to experiment with food—putting grapes in his mouth, though not yet eating them. It is hoped, however, that he'll eat on his own someday and grow up like any other kid around.