Using her voice: After tracheomalacia treatment, Claire keeps her eye on the ball

Claire Kantany is only 10, but she knows what she wants to do when she grows up — in fact, she’s already doing it. Combining an interest in acting with her family’s love of football, she has her mind set on a career in sportscasting. Not only is she reporting on local games from the sidelines, but she’s also caught the attention of her idol, NFL sportscaster Erin Andrews.

But it wasn’t too long ago that Claire struggled to breathe, especially when she was active. Here, she and her mom, Kristin, give us the play-by-play on her journey with a type of airway condition called tracheomalacia.

Delay of game: Sidelined by illness

After Claire started getting sick with frequent respiratory infections as a toddler, doctors near her home in Western Massachusetts prescribed steroids and other medications. But she didn’t improve — in fact, she felt worse.

“I remember being in in preschool and coughing so much,” remembers Claire. “I just didn’t have any energy and couldn’t keep up with my friends.”

Forward pass: A trip to the ER yields a life-changing referral

By the time Claire was 4, she had such difficulty breathing that she turned blue, a frightening episode that prompted a trip to her local emergency room. The doctor who treated her there recommended that she be seen at Boston Children’s Hospital for more specialized care. Kristin made a panicked call to the hospital’s Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Center and quickly secured an appointment.

“They admitted Claire to the hospital and ran all the necessary tests,” remembers Kristin. “The team spent hours with us, doing a deep dive into everything.”

First down: A diagnosis — and surgery

Based on the test results, Claire was diagnosed with tracheomalacia. In this condition, the airway narrows or collapses when a child exhales, making it hard to breathe. Tracheomalacia can also cause noisy breathing, choking when eating or drinking, and recurrent respiratory infections.

The severity of Claire’s case meant that surgery was the best treatment. Later that year, she underwent a tracheopexy to open and support her airway, allowing her to breathe easier.

“I was little, so I knew I was sick but not really why,” says Claire. “But after surgery, by kindergarten, I felt normal again.”

Special teams: A lasting relationship

Today, Claire has the energy to do the things she enjoys — like cheerleading and playing lacrosse. And she still sees the team in the EAT Center, particularly nurse practitioner Leah Frain, who remains the family’s main point of contact, even helping guide Claire’s pediatrician when she gets a cold, for instance.

“Leah has been with us during our whole time at Boston Children’s,” says Kristin. “We really treasure her guidance and look to her for advice on the next steps of Claire’s health plan.”

Frain also helps the Kantanys coordinate appointments with other specialists Claire sees at the hospital, from immunologists to feeding and swallowing experts.

“Sometimes I get a little scared,” says Claire. “But I know I’m in good hands.”

Touchdown! Claire scores a new friend

To learn more about sportscasting, Claire did her research, which included watching videos of Erin Andrews on the job. “I want to be just like her,” she explains. With a mini mic in hand, Claire took a video of herself reporting on one of her brother’s football games. Once uploaded to social media, the video made its way to Andrews, who shared it to her followers with some words of encouragement.

“It just made me feel so good,” says Claire, who still exchanges messages with Andrews and inspired her to raise funds to help support the EAT Center. And Claire has her own words of encouragement for other kids with health challenges.

“I could go on and on, but my key advice is just stay strong,” she says. “When you stay strong, you can do anything.”

Learn more about the Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center.