Travelling with a Feeding Tube: Real Stories & Travel Tips

*Scarlett Ward having fun in the sun at Myrtle Beach*

This tube-feeding trio are getting around. Here’s how.

Five-year-old Scarlett Ward has racked up some miles. From Deep Creek Lake in her home state to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach and all the way to Disney World in Florida – always in the company of a little, teal-blue travel buddy.

A Moog Infinity feeding pump goes everywhere with Scarlett, who has gastroparesis and relies on nutritional formulas fed through her gastrojejunal (GJ) tube. And she’s just one of countless others who are making moves – big and small – while on nutritional support.

Feeling the overwhelm and doing it anyway

“The first time we planned a trip with Scarlett’s feeding pump, I was completely overwhelmed,” says her mum, Kelsey, from their family home in Baltimore, Maryland. “The endless ‘what ifs’ made travelling feel intimidating and, if I’m being honest, we were hesitant to go anywhere at all at first.”

Early on, the Wards made the decision that they’d never let Scarlett’s tube-feeding determine what she could or couldn’t do. “And that starts with us choosing not to let fear hold us back, either,” says Kelsey.

*The Wards at Disney World, Infinity pump in tow*

Rima Manomaitis also has a GJ tube. She’s been tube-fed for nearly two decades, since she was 17. Like Scarlett, she also uses an Infinity feeding pump. “I was pretty overwhelmed when I first got mine,” says Rima. “Frustrated – and disheartened that I even had to have one.”

With cystic fibrosis and pancreatic insufficiency, Rima has always struggled to gain and maintain weight. Remarkably, her treatment has included two double-lung transplants – the second one in March 2025, due to chronic rejection of her first.

“It took a while to recover from the second transplant,” says the Colorado local, freshly returned from a trip east to Maine and Massachusetts, where her parents live.

*Rima pumps up her hydration before heading on hikes*

“I was fatigued every single day… but I started hiking again in August last year – my first hike since the transplant – and I’ve built up to 40 hikes now.”

Overcoming fears and fatigue is one thing. Facing the world with feeding tubes on show is another.

Responding to those stares

In Palm Coast, Florida you’ll find four-year-old Luca George, another Infinity feeding pump user who’s been anything but tethered since he got his gastrostomy (G) tube at age one, with two airplane trips under his belt just this year.

“He’s G-tube fed due to developmental delays from a genetic condition called SPATA5L1 disorder,” explains mum, Mariah.

“I think one of the hardest things to be okay with is feeding in public. You know what needs to be done, you take the supplies, but it can feel daunting at first. Will people stare? Will people ask? Sure, maybe. But he needs to be fed!”

Scarlett’s mum, Kelsey, shares that while they’ve been travelling as a family, they’ve had their fair share of “ew, what’s that?!” moments. “And if I’m being honest, it stings every single time,” she says.

“No parent wants to hear someone react that way to something their child depends on. But as much as the mama bear in me wants to step in, I’ve learned that how we respond teaches Scarlett how to respond.

“When the opportunity is there, we try to turn those moments into opportunities to teach people what a feeding tube is and why they are so important. We also let Scarlett take the lead in explaining it in her own words, which helps her build confidence.”

Prepping and packing like a pro

Back in Colorado, Rima’s recent hikes have included trekking through summer wildflowers in the mountain town of Crested Butte. Next, she’s off for some overnight camping at trailheads in Wyoming’s Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest.

“I’m bad at staying hydrated, so I’ve actually filled the pump with water before – or one time, with Gatorade – to hydrate through my tube,” she says. “I rely a lot on electrolytes, especially with the elevation and heat.”

For local trips, she’ll often get her fill on the way in the car. “I usually need something to hang the bag on, so I’ve used coat hangers,” says Rima. “But with the Infinity pump, I don’t necessarily have to hang it above myself at all — I can just lay it next to me and it’s fine.”

*Rima has her tube-feeds set and sorted*

Kelsey, Scarlett’s mum, also has two older sons. She says travelling with kids in itself is stressful, but travelling with medical supplies is “an entirely different level”.

“Even if we are going on a short trip, it often looks as if we are packing our whole house,” Kelsey laughs. “We always pack three extra days’ worth of medical supplies – this covers you in case of malfunctions, flight or traffic delays, formula mishaps, and any additional bumps in the road that may be thrown at you.”

This family takes advantage of the Infinity pump’s long battery life. “It’s also on the smaller side, which makes it easily packable if needed, or it just goes right in Scarlett’s tubie bookbag without weighing it down,” says Kelsey.

Meanwhile, Luca’s mum Mariah has quite literally got the hang of wrangling a feeding pump while on the go.

“Get some kind of hanging carrier,” advises Mariah. Hot tip: both she and Kelsey love the Flying Squirrel from Etsy. “And keep an extra button with you at all times. You never know when that bad boy might pop out.”

Taking to the skies

Rima has travelled by air just once with her feeding tube, pump and supplies – to North Carolina, for her lung transplant program at the Duke University Hospital.

“I got medical notes and travelled with the cartons of formula. You need a special note and extra time at security, because they do a wipe-down to check for residue,” she says. “I’ve never had much trouble, although they have cracked a few cartons open, which was annoying.”

Dealing with airport bureaucracy does add another layer of complexity, as Luca’s mum, Mariah, will tell you. In recent months, their family has flown both to Boston and Charlotte – experiences she describes as “a bit chaotic”.

“Driving is a bit simpler because you can pack everything you need easily,” Mariah explains. “I’d say if you’re flying, just make sure to pre-register with TSA Cares. You can take all your food through TSA with no issues. Also, never check any important equipment – like the pump! Keep it in carry-on.”

Embracing the blunders

Hiccups are going to happen while holidaying – and Kelsey says she and Scarlett have encountered plenty of “uh-oh” moments.

“From accidentally feeding the bed instead of Scarlett to spilling syringes full of formula in the car,” she recalls – and her family has learned to roll with the punches.

“Accidents are part of everyday life in the tubie world, whether you’re at home or hundreds of miles away. Just like in everyday life, things don’t always go according to plan. We’ve learned to adjust as needed, clean up the mess, laugh when we can, and move on. Some of our favourite family memories have come from trips that didn’t go ‘as expected’!”

*The Wards hit the slopes at the Poconos, Pennsylvania*

Mariah has her own bed-feeding stories – “before we had ENFit tips,” she clarifies. She’s also learned a very handy trick to silence Luca’s Infinity pump – both at home and away.

“He just gets water overnight and I definitely don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to turn it off when it’s done. So, we turned the alarm off! Now when it’s done it just stops and doesn’t alert us,” she says.

Why they keep going

Last month, Rima hiked up to 12,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. “It was a really cool feeling, looking back at how hard it used to be to walk even a few steps, or sit up in bed,” she says.

In the spirit of inspiring others to start adventuring, feeding pumps in tow, she points out that medical advancements and technology have come a long way in her 20 years of tube-feeding.

“It’s more portable now, and new things keep coming out that make you more mobile and get you out there. Battery packs, backpacks… Planning ahead helps a lot too – doing your feeds before you go, or after, or in the car, plugging in where you can. Finding loopholes, basically – ways around it,” she says.

To other tube-feeding families, Kelsey says, “take the trip – because it is so worth it!”

“Scarlett absolutely loves to travel. Every time we come home from a trip we always say, ‘We need to do this more’. The endless packing, the checklists, and the double and triple checking is certainly overwhelming but once we realised that it was worth it, the fear of travelling no longer held us back.”

Consider yourself cleared for takeoff. Now go make some memories worth spilling formula over.

This story was made in partnership with Moog Medical. Explore their range of feeding pumps here. Find their resources for travelling with enteral feeding supplies here.

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