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Gov. Abbott honors Beeville girl's request

Like any other ten-year-olds Bailee Campbell loves to be outside but hiding severe pain is what she's been having to deal with every day for almost three years.

Beeville (KIII News) — 1.5 million Americans currently suffer from gastroparesis which is a rare, debilitating disease of the stomach.

A 10-year-old Beeville girl has gastroparesis and recently wrote to Governor Gregg Abbott asking him to declare the month of August as Gastroparesis Awareness Month.

Abbott received the letter from declared August as Gastroparesis Awareness Month.

Like any other ten-year-olds Bailee Campbell loves to be outside but hiding severe pain is what she's been having to deal with every day for almost three years.

"I kept on throwing up. My stomach. I couldn't eat nothing," Campbell said.

Campbell's mom Stephanie Kelley said doctors kept telling her it was constipation but her motherly instincts kicked in.

"I kept saying you have to find out what's wrong with my kid, she's in pain 24/7," Kelley said.

At 7-years-old Campbell was diagnosed with gastroparesis part of her stomach is paralyzed making it hard for her body to digest food.

Currently, there is no cure for gastroparesis.

"The nausea, you know losing weight she went to 80 pounds to 63 pounds," Kelley said.

Without treatment, food can sit in Campbell's stomach for hours or even days.

"You see it more in elderly patients with diabetes and all that, but for a child it's rare," Kelley said.

Twice a month the family travels to Houston, so Campbell can see doctors who specialize in her condition.

In May 2017 Campbell had to get a feeding tube and has a nurse five days out of the week who even accompanies her to school.

"It's weird like having a little string looking thing going down my nose back in my throat and I wasn't used to that," Campbell said.

Two months ago Campbell and Kelley wrote to Abbott about her condition asking to make August Gastroparesis Awareness Month and about a month ago her request was granted.

"Happy, shocked and even more happy," Campbell said.

"We are getting awareness out that we need because there's not many doctors that know about gastroparesis or that know how to treat it," Kelley said.

In Septemeber Campbell will have two surgeries including a GJ tube to help her eat.

According to Campbell, she's not scared but happy to make a difference for people fighting her same fight.

"Don't give up," Campbell said.

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