At 3 years old, Avery was always full of energy. So when she began feeling sick and lethargic, her mother, Amy, took her to the pediatrician.
Avery was diagnosed with a sinus infection and seemed to recover after a 10-day round of antibiotics. But then she began having loose stools. She had developed Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a dangerous, fast-moving infection that can be life-threatening.
Avery’s pediatrician prescribed probiotics, a type of helpful bacteria, but once she came off them, her symptoms returned. After that, a strong antibiotic stabilized Avery but also caused severe side effects including night terrors and mood swings. She also became extremely dehydrated and suffered from arthritic aches and constant stomach pain.
Avery’s doctor sought other solutions and told Amy and John about fecal microbiota transplant therapy (FMT).
“We were desperate,” Amy said. “We were pumping our child full of antibiotics that made her feel terrible. The transplant was a more natural alternative.”
In the procedure, human stool—collected through screened donations, much like a blood bank—is liquefied and transplanted via endoscopy or colonoscopy into the patient. This helps rebalance the gut’s healthy microorganisms, shutting out the C. diff bacterium.