Teenage boy told he can never eat again after learning that he is allergic to ALL food

A Utah teen who is allergic to all food has to rely on a feeding tube for the rest of his life after being sick for most of his adolescence.

Alex Visker, 19, a recent graduate from Lehi High School, is allergic to the proteins in food, and even one bite of a meal will leave him with stomach pain, fatigue, hives, headaches and extreme nausea for days on end - and can even send him into anaphylactic shock. 

'I can't even put something in my mouth just to taste it,' he told People, 'and that's hard because I remember what food tastes like. The sight of food and the smell of food – especially something I used to love – can make me crave it. But I don't want to feel miserable.'

Alex, who hasn't been able to eat solid food in four years, started to get sick when began eating family meals as a toddler.

The teen's mother Jodie, 45, said her third of four sons had constant nausea, as well as bone and muscle pain, growing up. 

Alex eventually suffered from stomach convulsions and by the time he was in the fifth grade, she and her husband Kevin were actively searching for a diagnosis for their son's mystery illness.

Until he met with Salt Lake City dermatologist, Dr. Gerald Gleich, Alex was diagnosed with everything from anxiety to constipation as other doctors remained flabbergasted by his symptoms.

Dr. Gleich, who is an allergist, told People that Alex was 'near starving' when he first met him with him. 

While Alex's ailment is rare, and has no name, Dr. Gleich is helping him combat the symptoms with a combination of Xolair, treatment for persistent allergic asthma, antihistamines, formula and medications for Mast Cell Activation Disorder, a condition that makes people more susceptible to facial flushing, itching, and abdominal cramps.  

Although Alex has to live with a feeding tube connected to his stomach to supply him with much-needed nutrients through a high-calorie formula, but he is starting to feel slightly better.

During high school, he managed to keep a 3.6 GPA despite missing more than 300 days of school and spending most of his sophomore and junior years in bed. 

'I'm hungry and I want food all the time, but I know it's not worth it,' Alex noted. 'It's not worth my life. I feel lucky to be alive.'  

His strength and positivity in the face of adversity has inspired his family and friends to support him with a GoFundMe page with a goal of $30,000 to cover the cost of his education and the medications that aren't covered by his health insurance. 

Alex is looking to take online college classes to become a computer programmer, a career he believes he can have even with his illness.

His medications and formula cost about $7,000 a month, while his family’s fundraising page has currently raised more than $8,000 from 98 donors since it was started on July 3. 

Although Alex has to refrain from eating, he cooks for his friends and takes his girlfriend out for ice cream because he said he doesn't want anyone to feel bad about eating in front of him.

Food isn't the only issue of Alex either. Strong smells such as perfume, paint, new furniture and freshly cut grass can also cause him to have a reaction. 

Alex noted that 'everything in our society revolves around food', but he said he feels grateful to be alive and feeling better.   

'I remember what it tastes like. And that will have to be enough,' he said.   

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