Feeding therapy helps Benjamin grow by ‘leaps and bounds’

For the first two years of his life, Benjamin Marks needed a gastrostomy (G) tube to make sure he received his nutritional needs.

Now, after completing feeding therapy, he eats independently; tries to steal food off plates; and enjoys a variety of foods like pizza, fruit and ice cream, just like other children his age.

For Ben, feeding therapy gave him another opportunity to demonstrate the resilience that has marked a life of obstacles since he was born prematurely to Dan and Rachel Marks of Easton in December 2023.

Ben’s story started in 2020 as a frozen embryo with three other siblings during the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process, Rachel said. His first parents donated their remaining embryos after completing their family, and Rachel and Dan were matched with Ben on May 5, 2023.

“It was Cinco de Mayo,” Rachel said. “We gave him the nickname ‘Baby Taco.’”

According to Rachel, summer 2023 was full of lab work, medication and a positive pregnancy test, which was followed by appointments to prepare for Ben’s birth.

“All was going well until I had to go to the hospital at 23 weeks with complications,” Rachel said.

An ‘overwhelming’ period

Nearly three weeks after entering the hospital, Ben was born via emergency C-section at 25 weeks and five days and immediately rushed to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He was 12 inches long and weighed 2 lbs., 3.6 oz. at birth.

Ben experienced several challenges during his four-and-a-half month NICU stay.

He pulled out his ventilator, encountered breathing setbacks, and needed surgery for a hernia repair and to insert the G tube, Rachel said.

“At one point, he even coded after a cardiac arrest,” she said.

Another challenge was slow feeding and, as his family prepared to take Ben home, the doctors helped set up outpatient feeding therapy.

“They recommended Good Shepherd to us for feeding therapy,” Rachel said. “He began that as soon as he came home.”

Once home, Ben remained on his G tube. Feedings took place every four hours with the pump running for two hours at a time at one point.

“It was very overwhelming as far as the G tube,” Rachel said. “It was a continuous, around-the-clock schedule. It was quite an experience learning the whole process, connecting and cleaning things, and sometimes having to fix it.”

Rachel took Ben to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation – Hyland Center in South Allentown, where he received outpatient feeding therapy.

Growing stronger

Starting as an infant, initial treatment focused on helping Ben develop the strength, coordination and endurance needed for bottle feeding, all while trying out different bottles to learn what worked best for him.

Rachel said Ben was not interested in the bottle for a brief time; however, they continued working and pushed through that temporary setback with the help of his feeding therapy team.

“[The therapists] have always been so encouraging,” Rachel said. “They were always very patient with Ben, observing him and assuring us that this was only a season.”

Once it was time to begin introducing solid foods, therapy remained focused on developing Ben’s strength and coordination to chew and swallow food safely.

Adventurous eater

Ben saw his feeding volumes on the G tube gradually reduced as his feeding skills improved and he grew stronger. At the same time, therapists introduced him to different foods and textures to feel more confident and comfortable around food.

“He could manipulate things in his mouth, like taking off the skin and eating the middle of a blueberry,” she said. “He was willing to try so many things.”

Ben stopped receiving supplemental feeding through the G tube in January 2026 and successfully completed six months without using it. He can now eat independently.

In July 2026, after two years and two months, Ben had the G tube removed and graduated from feeding therapy.

Today, Ben is nearing his 3^rd birthday and is an adventurous child with a love of eating.

“He has grown by leaps and bounds,” Rachel said. “He definitely likes pizza and ice cream and loves snacking throughout the day on foods like yogurt, cheese, and little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He especially wants to try what his dad or brothers are eating and likes to eat off someone else’s plate instead of his sometimes.”

Moving forward with a new level of independence, Ben is looking forward to attending preschool two mornings a week and returning to activities at church.

“There has been a lot in this journey that we were not prepared for or expecting, but God has been there and had His hand on Ben the whole time,” Rachel said.

The Marks are grateful for the support they have received from family, friends and the team at Good Shepherd.

“You should definitely choose Good Shepherd,” Rachel said. “They are a great support for our family and Ben and his progress. We are very thankful for Good Shepherd and their encouragement. Even now, I will send them a picture of Ben, and they will keep up with him. It has been a blessing to work with Good Shepherd.”