A team of doctors at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin saved a baby's life after he was born without a trachea. When Thomas Richards was born in April, he couldn't breathe. In a video interview given to WISN 12 News by Children's Hospital, Dr. John Densmore explained how they helped Thomas. "So over a series of three or four steps, we had essentially re-tooled his swallowing pipe to become a windpipe," he said. Doctors said they made Thomas' new windpipe using a piece of synthetic material. The one-of-a-kind infant now has an excellent prognosis. "Certainly, this is one of those very rare, special cases that will live in our memory forever, but the joy is the same, whether it's for appendicitis or tracheal agenesis," Densmore said. Densmore said the best part of his job is to see patients leave the hospital, something he was very happy to see happen to baby Thomas. A spokesman for Children's Hospital said Thomas is at home with his parents and recently went to his first hockey game. In the past one 100 years, less than 200 babies born without a trachea have been documented in medical literature. Thomas was the first baby born without a trachea in the United States who survived more than weeks, Densmore said.

A team of doctors at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin saved a baby's life after he was born without a trachea.

When Thomas Richards was born in April, he couldn't breathe.


In a video interview given to WISN 12 News by Children's Hospital, Dr. John Densmore explained how they helped Thomas.

"So over a series of three or four steps, we had essentially re-tooled his swallowing pipe to become a windpipe," he said.

Doctors said they made Thomas' new windpipe using a piece of synthetic material.

The one-of-a-kind infant now has an excellent prognosis.

"Certainly, this is one of those very rare, special cases that will live in our memory forever, but the joy is the same, whether it's for appendicitis or tracheal agenesis," Densmore said.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Densmore said the best part of his job is to see patients leave the hospital, something he was very happy to see happen to baby Thomas.

A spokesman for Children's Hospital said Thomas is at home with his parents and recently went to his first hockey game.

In the past one 100 years, less than 200 babies born without a trachea have been documented in medical literature.

Thomas was the first baby born without a trachea in the United States who survived more than weeks, Densmore said.