Our Stories: Katie

“Katie is our miracle child.”

“Katie was born three and a-half months prematurely,” her mom explains. “We were totally unprepared for the complications that followed.”

Katie was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where, according to her mom, “They did a fabulous job.” Because of her underdeveloped lungs, she was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe. Later, complications necessitated a tracheotomy, which remained in place for two years.

“During that time, we never heard Katie’s voice,” her mom recalls. “Air could not pass over her vocal chords. And she wouldn’t eat orally, not even from a bottle. What little food we could get her to take from a bottle she threw up because of severe reflux. So, after two months of diminishing weight, she was provided with a stomach tube.”

At age 2, Katie’s trach tube was removed and she underwent an operation to make her airway larger.”

Their doctor referred the family to Courage Center for speech therapy. It was twice a week for the first month. “Though it took a while, when it started, her progress was great,” reports her mom. 

In the second month, her therapist suggested feeding therapy. “I was skeptical,” says Katie's mom. “We had been told by a number of Katie’s doctors – her gastroenterologist, her pulmonologist, her ear-nose-throat specialist, her pediatrician – all said Katie would have to go a special clinic in Virginia for intensive feeding therapy. We assumed we’d follow that advice, so we started feeding therapy at Courage Center just to prepare Katie for the more stressful ordeal we thought would follow.” 

Thanks to Courage Center, Virginia never happened. Vicki Markhart, senior speech therapist, joined the team of therapists working with Katie, and, like the other team members, she refused to give up. “Eventually, Vicki phased out speech therapy and focused mainly on feeding therapy,”

Katie’s mom says. “Vicki help Katie get over her oral aversion to anything touching her mouth. She relieved Katie’s fears, and, over a very slow process of many months and monumental patience, got Katie to eat.”

In April 2008, Katie said goodbye to her therapists at Courage Center after three and a-half years of visits.     

Today, Katie speaks with a soft voice because one of her vocal chords remains paralyzed from the tracheotomy. But she diligently practices speaking up. And the slender but tall-ish little girl eats everything from Cheetos to Chicken McNuggets.

Her mom says. “Courage Center helped us see our way through a very difficult time. It would have been far more stressful without their help and encouragement. What would I tell parents faced with similar challenges? Hang in there. You can’t possibly have all the answers, so look to Courage Center for truly expert help.”