My daughter Ashly Young has severe tracheomalacia, tracheal stenosis, broncheomalacia, laryngromalacia, subglottic stenosis and vocal cord dysfunction. In the past 6 years ashly has been to cincinnati children's hospital 13 times and has 3 airway reconstruction surgeries and other procedures to save and extend her life. She was doing really good until the last several months when she began choking on her food and having airway difficulties associated with her eating. In the last month she has been admitted to the hospital for multiple times and 2 of them in ICU because her breathing has been full of stridor as well as coughing and choking. The airway specialist at Ohsu and emmanual says she needs to go back to Cincinnati children's hospital and have her trachea and airways evaluated and have surgery on her upper airway. They said that the tissues around her arytenoid area are swollen and plump as well as swollen. They told me that they will not in any way shape or form undertake any procedures or surgeries here in Oregon that the risk of her dying is too high and will not survive it here to go to Cincinnati where they have the equipment to do this and help her. Ashly is tipping the line between life and death and the airway specialist at ohsu said without intervention she could have months or longer to live but if she got sick she probably wouldnt survive it. Ashly was once again referred by her doctors to Cincinnati children's hospital for new evaluations of her airways (bronchoscopy, microlaryngology..mlb, flex scope) and to see what new surgery she needs. yesterday the insurance decided to pay for her diagnostic testing in Cincinnati. after months of debial. until she gets evaluated we dont know what procedure and surgery she needs. The airway specialists here will not even try to evaluate her as they said it's too dangerous. I thought I would explain the airway issues ashly has...so those that are interested would know how serious her airway difficulties are and to help understand how life threatening they are...and why the doctors here in oregon do not want to do any surgery here and want us to go to Cincinnati. Tracheomalacia Tracheomalacia occurs when the cartilage in the windpipe, or trachea, has not developed the way it should. Instead of being rigid or firm, the walls of the trachea are floppy. This can make it hard to breathe because the cartilage cannot keep the windpipe fully open while breathing. It may collapse when exhaling. Tracheomalacia can be mild enough to not need any treatment. It can also be moderate or severe (life-threatening Ashly has severe tracheomalacia- 1/3 of her upper trachea has been reconstructed by sewing her trachea open to her sternum and over the aortic vein (aortapexy and traceopexy). Her mid and lower trachea are still collapsed. Ashly also has bronchomalacia. Bronchomalacia is a term for weak cartilage in the walls of the bronchial tubes, Bronchomalacia means 'floppiness' of some part of the bronchi. Patients present with noisy breathing and/or wheezing. There is collapse of a main stem bronchus on exhalation. And the tissues to fall over opening and partially block it. as of right now we are asking for financial help to help with travel costs, motel stay, food and necessities. thank you She also has tracheal stenosis and enlarged arytenoids. Ashly has a rare genetic disorder called geleophysic dysplasia and this disorder causes dwarfism as well as the abnormal airway anatomy, along with a multitude of other health issues.

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