Shannon's Story

Within hours of her birth, Shannon was diagnosed with esophageal atresia and was quickly airlifted from Boca Raton to Miami Children's Hospital for treatment. There, a procedure never before performed in South Florida saved Shannon's life.

Esophageal atresia is a condition in which the esophagus is too short, keeping infants from swallowing food. This disorder can have devastating results ranging from pneumonia to choking and even death. The gap in Shannon's esophagus reached from the bottom of her neck to her diaphragm and, to give Shannon the best chance at a healthy life, immediate treatment was essential. Upon arrival by helicopter at Miami Children's Hospital, pediatric surgeon Dr. Cathy Burnweit discussed with Shannon's parents a new procedure to repair her esophagus. In fact, Dr. Burnweit had just read about the procedure the week before Shannon arrived at Miami Children's.

Traditional repair of esophageal atresia involves months of slowly connecting the esophagus. The new method would require only days to connect the esophagus and allow Shannon to eat without a feeding tube.

In the procedure, four long stitches are attached to each end of the esophagus and drawn outside of the body. Over a few days, the stitches are pulled to extend the esophagus and once long enough, the pieces of the esophagus are sewn together.

After spending the first two months of her life at Miami Children's Hospital, Shannon was able to go home just in time for the holidays. Today Shannon is a healthy four year old who takes ballet lessons, recently learned how to ice skate and loves to play with her two brothers and sister.