It is essential to receive and process nutrition for a healthy life. But what if you or someone you love has a condition that renders traditional eating difficult?

This is where feeding tubes come into play. For those who can’t eat or aren’t able to, feeding tubes can be a great option.

Feeding tubes are used by people of all ages around the globe. The Feeding Tube Awareness Week helps remove some of the mystery surrounding the devices and the people who use them.

Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation began Feeding Tube Awareness Week as an annual event in 2010. It was intended to educate people about feeding tubes and the role they play as life-saving intervention.

This holiday also helps to dispel some of the mystery surrounding why someone might have a feeding tube and the challenges faced by those who use it every day.

The Foundation’s holiday helps families unite and connect people who are going through similar struggles, so that they can enjoy the benefits of an active support network.

To eliminate the need to use enema-based nutrition supplementation in medicine, feeding tubes were created. After the introduction of surgically implanted feed tubes in 1800s, the enema process was gradually eliminated. However, the actual use of the tubes is much the same nearly two centuries later.

Feeding tubes can be used to improve the quality of life for patients who have advanced dementia or suffer from paralysis.

There are many ways to celebrate Feeding Tube Awareness Week. The best way is to raise awareness about feeding tubes. Patients and parents often share their stories about how they deal with the difficulties of being a patient with a feeding tube.

Some promote via social media, posting photos featuring their feed tubes and even creating videos to share on these platforms. Are you a school-age parent?

To help students and faculty learn more about feeding tubes, arrange a presentation at school.