NEW HAVEN, Conn. —  A 6-year-old Plainville, Conn., boy is suffering from a rare food allergy and deer meat is the only solid protein the boy can stomach, according to his family.

Timmy Armstrong has eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition in which food allergies trigger an intense inflammation of the esophagus, according to a report from WTNH News Channel 8.

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In addition to venison, Timmy is able to stomach small amounts of natural oats, salt and sugar, according to his father, Tim Armstrong Sr. Timmy is fed through a tube.

The disease is relatively new but on the rise, so doctors do not know what the long-term effects will be. Dr. Jeffrey Hyams at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center told WTNH that the disorder has become widespread in the last 10 to 15 years and that doctors are seeing an average of two new cases a week.