A remarkable breakthrough has transformed the life of a five-year-old boy whose diet was previously restricted almost entirely to Greggs sausage rolls, crisps, and garlic bread. Greyson Theophanous, who is autistic and selectively mute, would become extremely distressed when presented with other foods, screaming and crying if his parents attempted to introduce anything new to his plate.
A Family's Struggle with Extreme Selective Eating
For years, Greyson's parents, Jennifer and Alex Theophanous from Wallington, Surrey, faced immense challenges during family meals and social occasions. The situation became so severe that they were spending hundreds of pounds each month purchasing frozen Greggs sausage rolls from Iceland supermarkets and fresh ones from local shops to satisfy their son's limited dietary preferences.
Jennifer explained the background: "He was never really into food. When he was around eight months old, he was diagnosed with a cow's milk allergy and he lost so much weight. The doctors said he might have associated eating with pain as a result of that."
The Turning Point with Specialist Intervention
In desperation, the family contacted David Kilmurry, a specialist in obsessive eating conditions. After just one two-hour hypnotherapy session, Greyson experienced what his mother described as "nothing short of a miracle." The young boy, who previously would shake and cry at the sight of unfamiliar foods at birthday parties, tried ten different items during that single visit.
Jennifer recounted the transformation: "He tried spinach, lime, grapefruit, pomegranate seeds, blue Doritos, mince pie, orange, grapes, salad and apple on the first visit. He gave the grapefruit 10/10 and for the first time in his life he went to school with fruit in his lunchbox."
Beyond the Sausage Roll Routine
Before the intervention, Greyson's eating habits followed a strict pattern. At his peak, he consumed two Greggs sausage rolls daily—one at nursery and another at home for dinner. Nursery staff reported they had never seen a child so fearful of eating lunch. While his consumption improved slightly when he joined school nursery, allowing him to eat some crisps at lunchtime, sausage rolls remained his primary sustenance.
The hypnotherapy session proved particularly significant given Greyson's communication challenges. Jennifer noted: "Greyson is selective mute and has autism - I was so worried that he wouldn't speak to David. But straight away, David made him laugh and feel comfortable."
A New World of Food Possibilities
Since the breakthrough session, Greyson has continued to expand his dietary horizons, trying pineapple at home and regularly consuming spinach, grapefruit, and pomegranate seeds. This represents a dramatic shift for a child who couldn't tolerate the smell of different foods and would become visibly distressed when confronted with unfamiliar meal options.
David Kilmurry commented on the significance of this development: "Lots of children with autism have a fabulous fuel intake and now he's trying food other than sausage rolls, the world will open up for him. Well done superstar Greyson. I am so honoured to have met and worked with Greyson and his mum."
The family's experience highlights how specialized interventions can address extreme selective eating in children with autism, potentially transforming not just their nutritional intake but their overall quality of life and social experiences around food.
