Otolaryngology Division Patient Stories
1 - 10 of 17
Unilateral Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant: Abby’s Story
Spontaneous total hearing loss in one ear turned out to be only a bump in the road — not an end of dreams — for Abby, who had a cochlear implant at CHOP at 17.
Oral Teratoma and Cleft Palate: Stella’s Story
An oral tumor formed before birth caused Stella’s cleft palate, but CHOP surgeons expertly corrected both conditions. Now she’s babbling away.
RLN Reinnervation: Kayla’s ‘Anything but Ordinary’ Story
The Pediatric Voice Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia helped Kayla strengthen her voice, and she’s putting it to good use: promoting her own book.
New Type of Ear Reconstruction: Alexis’ Story
An innovative reconstruction surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia gave Alexis a new ear. The ability to hear from the reconstructed ear will soon follow.
Tracheostomy and Decannulation: Steven’s Story
Steven came in to the world facing more challenges than most people face in a lifetime, but after 35 medical procedures and 12 major surgeries by CHOP specialists, the 12-year-old is thriving.
Adenoidectomy: Hannah’s Story
Hannah's failed hearing test led her doctor to discover she had enlarged adenoids. They were removed during outpatient surgery at a CHOP Surgery Center close to home.
Tracheal Stenosis: Patrick’s Story
Patrick had a tough time at freshman baseball try-outs — unusual because he excelled at sports — but it made sense when he learned that he was breathing through a narrowed trachea the size of a Q-tip.
Subglottic Cyst and Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis: Shawn’s Story
At 7 months of age, Shawn had surgery to remove a large subglottic cyst that severely impacted his breathing and feeding. At 3 years, he underwent a recurrent laryngeal nerve reinnervation surgery to fix a damaged vocal cord.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Seth's Story
Diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech when he was 3 years old, Seth continues weekly speech therapy at CHOP Specialty Care Center in Bucks County, PA.
Hearing Loss: Maggie's Story
Diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss at 20 months old, Maggie's family sought help from CHOP's Center for Childhood Communications.