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Hi, this is my son Bryce Floyd and he is now 10 years old. He has an identical twin and they were born with little complications 7 1/2 weeks early on December 26th. They never had to be intubated since I had taken steroid shots to develop their lungs for several weeks and they were home in only 2 1/2 weeks. Our life had been busy since they have 3 older siblings, but it was great until one terrible day. Bryce was in an accident on September 8, 2001, at the age of 3. He was playing outside with his dad and went to come across the road to where I was. The driver didn't see him until it was too late and our lives changed in just a matter of seconds. Bryce is doing really good and is recovering from his injuries very well. He had a very mild brain injury and he has no problems from it. He has just had his cast removed and is learning to walk again. Learning to walk and his airway problems are the only health issues he has left from the accident. The Lord truly blessed us because he had no permanent brain damage or injury from the accident and has recovered fully other than learning to walk and dealing with his trach. 

Ten days after his accident the doctors talked to us and we were told they were going to have to do a trach on Bryce. I was devastated! I was definitely not prepared for that because I kept expecting him to wake up at any time. Two days later they did his trach and he was off the ventilator the next day. The only problem was that we couldn't get a straight answer as to why he couldn't breathe without it once he woke up. One doctor told us his vocal chords were swollen and possible paralyzed due to his brain injury (which I knew all along was wrong), but boy was he wrong!! I called a friend who worked for another ENT doctor and got a referral to a pediatric specialist in Chapel Hill. We met with the specialist once in November and were told that she wanted to do a scope of his throat and it was scheduled for a couple of weeks later. In December of 2001 we went back to Chapel Hill for his scope and found out that he had a grade 4 subglottic stenosis just below his vocal chords. This came from being intubated twice (they used the wrong size tube the first time) in an emergency situation at the accident. Surgery was scheduled for March 21, 2002, and the wait began. We are so grateful to have met Dr. Amellia Drake and that she was able to find out what was wrong and to be able to fix it for us. It was not an easy wait either. Bryce's trach got plugged several times and I even had to change it in an emergency situation once by myself. After that Dr. Drake made sure that he had a pulse-ox for nighttime. What a relief to me. Finally, it was surgery day!! Of course, things couldn't be as easy as first thought. Along with his subglottic stenosis he also had a band of scar tissue connecting his vocal chords together. The doctor took out a section of his trachea and pieced it back together. Then she released the bands connecting his vocal chords. A stint was inserted to keep his airway open during the healing process. He was kept sedated for a week so he wouldn't move around. The following week Bryce was taken back into surgery and the stint was removed. His airway was open and we had the best possible senario. I even got to hear that whisper of a voice for the first time in seven months say MAMA! What a blessing!! We were sent home with our trach still in to wait and see how things heal. We go back to Chapel Hill on April 24th for another scope and if everything looks good, she will remove his trach then. I will update you after we get back from that appointment.

Update November 2002
Since April 2002, Bryce has been back for two procedures in Chapel Hill at this time. We have also been to Philadelphia to the Shriner's Hospital. They confirmed that Bryce does have a spinal chord injury and there are some problems with his bladder due to that. We are now also seeing a specialist in Chapel Hill for urology as well as his ENT doctor. When we returned in April to see the ENT, his throat from his reconstructive surgery had healed very nicely, but he had developed a subglottic web connecting his vocal chords. In an act of desperation, the doctor dilated the scarring and packed it with dissolvable gauze and gave him a shot of steroids. Bryce started to develop his voice again in just a couple of days. He has continued to improve and is learning to walk again and has started going to preschool. He is thriving there and doing really great. We just went back to Chapel Hill on October 16th to have another scope and dilation procedure. The doctor was very thrilled because Bryce's throat was still open from the procedure in April. It wasn't a large airway, but it was there. She dilated his airway again and packed it with the gauze and gave him IV steroids again. Now we wait to see if this works again. If this continues to work over the next few procedures, we might possibly be able to get his trach out by next summer. We hope for this next procedure to be in February/March and then another in July. We are so looking forward to the day that he will be running and playing again, but for now we are just so grateful for the blessings we have received so far. We can see the Lord's hand in our lives everyday and know that we have a modern day miracle in our home.

Update October 2003
Well, it's now 2003 and Bryce has been back a few times to see the ENT in Chapel Hill.  Dr. Drake is very encouraged by his progress.  We had an appointment scheduled in June to go back for another scope and possible decanulation.  This never happened because we found out on our last trip to Shriner's Hospital that he needed surgery on his hips and left foot.  So no decanulation for at least a year.  I am just so grateful that he has reached the point to actually talk about taking his trach out.  We are going back to see her this fall and have another scope done in December.  She may do some laser surgery at that time just to make sure his airway is super clear. 

He has had his surgery at Shriner's and is doing really well. He actually was home within a week and they have never had a child do this before with this surgery. It was really funny to watch them "freak out" over taking care of a child with a trach. We even spent one night in PICU just because of his trach. I tried to explain that he had the most stable airway of any child there, but they were still nervous. We are suppose to get his plates off his hips in 6 to 12 months and after that we should be able to possibly get his trach out after we know all is well. Our family is just grateful to be to this point.

Update November 2005

Finally after four years and numerous surgeries and scopes, Bryce was decanulated on September 7 and so far he has suffered no setbacks.  It seemed as if it would never happen, but we worked on building up his strength and after wearing a passy valve for a couple of months, Dr. Drake decided to try and see how he would do.  When he woke up from his procedure to check his airway, he felt of his neck and looked at me and said "No more trach Mama".  He was really excited and I was really nervous.  I had learned to care for a child with a trach, but I knew nothing about caring for a child that had been decanulated.  After we stayed in the hospital for a couple of days to monitor his progress, we were able to go home.  I made his sleep with a pulse ox monitor for a few months, but finally realized that he was going to be okay.  I even put him back in his own room after two weeks.  Bryce has only 50% of his airway, but it has sustained him as long as he doesn't wear himself out.  He has even been able to play on a handicap baseball team.  We went back to check his airway this summer and Dr. Drake said that everything went great and come back again next summer.  He has to get checked this winter just to make sure he is doing okay.  He will probably have laser surgery to open his airway some more next summer.  We are just so grateful for all the blessings that have been bestowed on Bryce and our family.  I fell that we have come so far and am so grateful for Bryce's attitude through it all.  I have grown right along with him and learn more everyday.  I am even sending him to Victory Junction Gang Camp this summer.  It will be the first time he has ever stayed off with no family since he was born.  

• Gender: Male
• Demographic Region: North America
• Siblings: More than three, Twins
• Medical Conditions: Subglottic Stenosis

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3 years 40 weeks

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United States

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North Carolina