Archive for Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center
Thriving — not just surviving — as an adult with esophageal atresia
Willa Barnett has a story to tell — and it’s a big one. At 26, she’s experienced a slew of serious health challenges since she was born with VACTERL association. In this group of growth anomalies, certain parts of the body don’t form properly during fetal development. This can lead to problems with the vertebrae, ... Read More about Thriving — not just surviving — as an adult with esophageal atresia
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, ... Read More about Using her voice: After tracheomalacia treatment, Claire keeps her eye on the ball
From swallowing troubles to doughnuts: How vascular ring treatment helped Everly
By the time she was a year old, Everly Parisee was frequently wheezing. Then she had trouble swallowing foods. Her parents sought help from local pediatricians and specialists, who, in turn, couldn’t pinpoint a diagnosis. It turns out Everly had a type of vascular ring — a rare congenital defect that can constrict critical parts of the ... Read More about From swallowing troubles to doughnuts: How vascular ring treatment helped Everly
An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
It was a late Friday afternoon in April when the call came: A young boy was being transferred to Boston Children’s emergency department after swallowing a button battery. Although his mother had previously taken him to another local hospital when she noticed he wasn’t eating or drinking much, the battery ingestion had been missed until ... Read More about An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia
When I recently brought my son, Eoin, to Boston Children’s for an appointment, we ran into Dr. Farokh Demehri on the bridge from the parking garage. We smiled, laughed, and talked about how nice it was to see each other. It was a simple meeting, but one I had dreamed about for so long: I ... Read More about Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia
Tiny, shiny, and dangerous: What families should know about button batteries
Button batteries may be bright, shiny, and eye catching, but they also have a dark side — especially for kids. Look around your home and you’ll likely find these small discs hiding in plain sight, where they’re used to power everything from watches and scales to remote controls and toys. When curious children encounter them, ... Read More about Tiny, shiny, and dangerous: What families should know about button batteries
After vascular ring surgery, playing and eating are a breeze for Louis
You can’t blame 10-year-old Louis McFaye for eating three hot dogs really fast. Until last summer, he struggled to eat even a single hot dog cut into tiny pieces. That’s because he had a vascular ring, an abnormal formation of the aorta — the body’s largest blood vessel — that compressed his esophagus and trachea. Throughout ... Read More about After vascular ring surgery, playing and eating are a breeze for Louis
Predicting feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia: A proactive approach
Children with esophageal atresia are at risk for developing anastomotic strictures, or areas of esophageal narrowing, following surgical repair. Clinicians have long assumed that such strictures can cause dysphagia and feeding difficulties, but it isn’t clear whether the severity of feeding difficulties is related to the severity of a stricture. Now, findings of a recent ... Read More about Predicting feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia: A proactive approach
From PediaSure to pizza: Benjamin’s journey with esophageal stricture
This fall, Benjamin Hawkins and his family visited a local orchard to go apple picking. It’s a beloved tradition for many people, but this visit was extra special for Benjamin: For the first time in his life, he could take a big bite out of the apple he’d just plucked from a tree. In fact, ... Read More about From PediaSure to pizza: Benjamin’s journey with esophageal stricture
‘They just cared about Levi’: Finding answers for a complex vascular ring
The first sign that Levi Blair Winkler would no longer have problems swallowing was when, only three days after a complex surgery, he wolfed down four chicken nuggets and an apple. Just as encouraging for his parents, Rachel and Gabe, was that he stopped talking about the bug in his throat. That’s how Levi often ... Read More about ‘They just cared about Levi’: Finding answers for a complex vascular ring