Austin, TX
Texas teen shares battle with rare digestive condition
AUSTIN, Texas — Camilla Latshaw loves food, but she can’t enjoy a normal meal like most people.
“I’ve cried because I want to eat so bad,” Camilla said.
She says her family and doctors knew something was wrong ever since she was a baby.
“I remember being like six or seven waking up in the middle of the night throwing up and having pain in my stomach at school,” she said.
That was usually after eating a meal.
Camilla remembers the pain was sharp and nagging, but as she’s aged, it’s become more of a diaphragm pressure and fullness with stabbing pain episodes.
She says doctors would dismiss it as a stomachache.
“I’ve seen so many (doctors),” Camilla said. “They always thought it was anxiety, or that I was a teenager that didn’t want to eat.”
Things took a turn in 2020. She remembers eating a chicken sandwich. The experience was so bad she turned to eating things like crackers with broth or macaroni and cheese.
She became so weak she ended up in the emergency room. She was given nausea and acid reflux medications and sent on her way.
In 2021, Camilla says another doctor gave up on her, which led her to a dark place mentally.
“I honestly thought that was it for me or something,” Camilla said.
She started art therapy to cope with what had been a long journey, with no answers.
“It’s just been a long time,” Camilla said, holding back tears. “All I ask from doctors is that I just wanted my normal life back.”
As her tears dry, she can tell you today what has been causing her pain all this time.
“Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome is a really rare disease and has a 33% mortality rate,” Camilla said.
Camilla was diagnosed with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome or SMAS with the help of Dr. Edgar Navarro Garza and his team at Harbor Health.
“I say all the time I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for him,” she said.
SMAS is a digestive condition that happens when a portion of the intestine that’s connected to the stomach is squeezed by blood vessels. The blockage can cause pain, fullness, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
0.3% of the world population is estimated to have SMAS, according to smasyndrom.org.
“It’s that case that you’re going to see once in your life as a clinician,” Navarro Garza said.
The pediatrician worked with many medical specialists to come to Camilla’s rare diagnosis.
“As a clinician, you need to be humble enough to know when you need to redirect the care of a patient to someone else,” Navarro Garza said.
Harbor Health is helping Camilla manage her condition. She has undergone surgery and is on Total Parental Nutrition or IV nutrition. Camilla tries to eat every day but says it’s only for taste. She still can’t tolerate food, so it drains out through a tube.
“We should have the best interests of our patients, trust in what our patients tell us, and advocating for them, especially in the pediatric world,” Navarro Garza said. “It’s a lot of advocating for patients and their families.”
Camilla also receives emotional support through a health coach.
“I stepped in to do a lot of care coordination, referrals, check in on Camilla when Dr. Navarro is busy with other patients,” Karla Jurado said.
Camilla sees Jurado differently, acknowledging that seeing her in person is like seeing a friend for the first time.
Their communication is primarily virtual.
Camilla remains under evaluation for other possible medical issues and is still looking for answers for her SMAS diagnosis. The 2024 high school graduate is now looking towards a brighter future.
“My dream is to be in the medical field because I would love to help other kids like me,” Camilla said.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
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