Trusting their instincts: Family finds help for laryngeal cleft

For some kids, the hospital can be a scary place, where even doctors with the best intentions poke, prod and serve up yucky-tasting medication. But for three-year-old Jack Steinberg, a visit to Boston Children’s Hospital is worth the trip from his home in Great Neck, New York. “No, it’s really fun,” Jack’s mother, Jessica, recently overheard him telling his older brother, Henry, who isn’t a fan of doctor visits. “They give you toys and stickers there!” Jack’s cheerful attitude seems at odds with his recent health challenges. In fact, says his father, Noah, “If you saw him walking down the street, you’d never know anything was wrong with him.” Yet just a year ago, mealtime was traumatic for Jack: He had begun gagging and vomiting when he tried to eat or drink. He wasn’t sleeping well, was irritable and had started snoring. Friends suggested his problems might simply be behavioral. “But my mother’s instinct kicked in,” says Jessica. “I just knew something wasn’t right.” On their pediatrician’s recommendation, Jessica and Noah brought Jack to their local medical center for evaluation — but a clear diagnosis still eluded them. “Jack needed to see several different experts, but we had to figure out which ones to see and when. There wasn’t any kind of coordination,” explains Jessica. “It wasn’t very efficient — or reassuring.” Finally getting answers for laryngeal cleft Having grown up in Massachusetts, Jessica was familiar w...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Center for Airway Disorders Dr. Reza Rahbar laryngeal cleft Source Type: news