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B.C. mom91Ƶs waffle-finding mission for son becomes a 91Ƶcomplex91Ƶ baking adventure

Nature91Ƶs Path gave Jenna Roman the recipe, but it91Ƶs not easy to make at home
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Jerico Roman with a box of the Nature91Ƶs Path Maple Cinnamon Waffles he loves to eat. (Photo: GoFundMe)

A Surrey mother is working hard on her baking skills, now that a commercial waffle maker has given her the recipe to help feed her very discerning son.

Jenna Roman was thrilled when Richmond-based Nature91Ƶs Path Foods sent precise details about how to make their discontinued Maple Cinnamon Waffles, which is the only food eaten by her son, Jerico, other than vitamin-packed smoothies. The nine-year-old has autism, and struggles with extreme oral aversion and complex eating challenges.

In recent months , and now she91Ƶs making them herself.

91ƵThe waffle recipe isn91Ƶt easy to make 91Ƶ it91Ƶs actually very complex,91Ƶ Roman explained. 91ƵThe next step in this journey is to replicate this recipe and tweak it until it91Ƶs accepted (by Jerico). Hopefully it91Ƶs an easy switch-over but the people in the R&D department let me know it91Ƶs not an exact copy, taste-wise and smell-wise, so we91Ƶll have to tweak it as we go here.91Ƶ

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The Guildford-area family91Ƶs story has made headlines across North America in recent weeks.

91ƵIt91Ƶs been amazing, and it91Ƶs good for the awareness around this subject,91Ƶ Roman said about all the media attention. 91ƵThere are tons of families with children and adults dealing with similar challenges, so I91Ƶm glad it91Ƶs being talked about to kind of give a voice to people dealing with it.91Ƶ

People with oral aversion, like Jerico, strongly dislike or are afraid of anything touching their mouth, which can lead to a refusal to eat, drink, be touched or an overactive gag reflex.

Roman started and accounts to document the ordeal, and a has raised more than $5,000 for her to buy more of the waffles and two freezers to store them for Jerico, who turns 10 in April.

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The raves about Nature91Ƶs Path Organic Foods as an 91Ƶamazing company that has gone above and beyond to help Jerico. Without them, I would have no direction or plan on what to do when my stock runs out. This is Jerico91Ƶs lifeline at this point in his life.91Ƶ

The waffle recipe is , along with an explanation that some of the original commercial ingredients are not available at the grocery store. 91ƵWe wanted to be sure Jenna could easily find everything she needed for the recipe,91Ƶ the company says. 91ƵThen the amounts had to be adjusted, but the (research & development) team was determined to get just right! Over several weeks, they repeatedly tested and tweaked the recipe and now feel they have developed a home recipe that tastes just like our commercial Cinnamon Maple Waffles.91Ƶ

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PICTURED: Jenna Roman (submitted photo)

A single mother of three, Roman has had her hands full searching for a waffle solution.

91ƵI91Ƶm trying to make them without Jerico knowing, at night, because he has no idea about everything that91Ƶs happening at this point,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵI don91Ƶt want to create more anxiety around eating and everything about the waffles.91Ƶ

(Story continues below video about ARFID, or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

On social media, Roman said she91Ƶs had to deal with some scornful people who can91Ƶt understand why Jerico won91Ƶt eat other things.

91ƵI try not to respond,91Ƶ she said, 91Ƶbut people don91Ƶt understand, or are even open to understanding. It91Ƶs a severe challenge, and back in the day, kids who had these challenges were institutionalized and just put away, because nobody knew how to deal with it. Some kids will starve themselves, to the point of hospitalization and needing a feeding tube.

91ƵIt91Ƶs an extreme situation that many kids, parents, adults have to struggle with,91Ƶ Roman added, 91Ƶand I91Ƶve been in a situation two times where Jerico almost had to be put on a feeding tube, and that91Ƶs very hard to take as a parent. He91Ƶs been through tons of therapy and therapists, and I91Ƶm hoping that with all this attention, maybe a specialist would want to jump on board and work with Jerico on this situation. He also deals with migraines triggered by anxiety that go with feeding as well.91Ƶ

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Waffle recipe in hand, Roman went to work making them at home.

91ƵIt91Ƶs tricky because replicating a commercial, boxed waffle like that is so much different than making waffles at home with an iron,91Ƶ she elaborated. 91ƵYou have to have right temperature 91Ƶ cool it but not too much because it91Ƶll go soggy when you freeze it, so the timing is key too. They actually gave me two (recipes), and they said I might have to bake them as well before freezing. It91Ƶs all quite a process.91Ƶ

Ultimately, she91Ƶd love for Nature91Ƶs Path to start making her son91Ƶs favourite waffles again.

91ƵI91Ƶm hoping for that, because they91Ƶre very good waffles,91Ƶ Roman said. 91ƵPeople don91Ƶt realize they91Ƶre not making them anymore, so hopefully the company will consider making them again. I don91Ƶt quite understand why they91Ƶre gone. It would save a lot of time and energy for me to create them, that91Ƶs for sure, and I91Ƶm just thankful they were able to go through everything and recreate the recipe because it wasn91Ƶt easy, not easy at all.91Ƶ



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news for Surrey Now-Leader and Black Press Media
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