How Did A Ham Sandwich Nearly Kill This Healthy Teenage Boy?

Ideally, food nourishes us and keeps us healthy. And at least, it shouldn’t cause horrible injuries.

But for 14-year-old Alec Hebblethwaite, a sandwich-caused throat injury put him in the hospital for months. And it revealed a rare terrible disease. Hebblethwaite, a soccer player, has fought back against his challenges. Seems like his road ahead will be tough.

But Hebblethwaite’s successes will inspire you.

Meet Alec Hebblethwaite

In many ways, Alec Hebblethwaite is your typical 14-year-old American. The Missourian teen goes to high school, plays soccer avidly, and spends quality time with his family. However, Hebblethwaite also deals with a rare, debilitating disease that sees him regularly in ICU units.

And it all started with a simple snack.

First Visit

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During a soccer practice, Hebblethwaite ate some crackers for a snack. Alarmingly, he began choking and “throwing up blood” on the field. He was rushed to the ER, where doctors said he likely scratched his esophagus. He was told to stick to soft foods for awhile. Unfortunately, this benign diagnosis was far from the the truth.

Esophageal Tear

One month after the cracker incident, Hebblethwaite’s mother Kasey Hunter took him to Walmart in between soccer games for a ham sandwich. Hebblethwaite immediately began chocking and experiencing severe chest pains.

He was rushed to the hospital where the worst was confirmed — his esophagus was ripped open, and the wound was infected.

Surgeries

“That was really scary because they were supposed to go in and fix his esophagus, but when they opened him up there was so much infection that it became very touchy for a few days,” said Hunter. Hebblethwaite then spent several agonizing months in ICU units undergoing various surgeries and dealing with various painful infections.