For years, Tiffany knew something wasn’t quite right with her son Noah’s voice. From birth, his cry was softer than expected and his voice high-pitched. He struggled with reflux, swallowing difficulties, and vocal strain. “I had been asking doctors about Noah’s voice since birth,” shared Tiffany. “But every year, they dismissed it as reflux.”
Finally, when Noah was 9, a referral for voice therapy led him to Nemours Children’s Health, Winter Garden. Here, he met speech-language pathologist, Katie Slone, CCC-SLP. Mrs. Slone dug deeper, requesting further tests to get to the root of the issue. The answer? Noah had a congenital laryngeal web, a condition where tissue partially blocks the airway, affecting the sound of his voice.
With a diagnosis in hand, Noah began voice therapy at Nemours Children’s. Under Mrs. Slone’s guidance, he worked on techniques to improve his voice while his family weighted long-term treatment options.
“Mrs. Slone deserves all the praise!” Tiffany shares. “She listened, answered our questions, and made Noah feel comfortable. She gave him tools to improve his voice while we consider long-term options. I am forever grateful to her!”
Noah’s therapy journey didn’t stop at his appointments. He continues practicing his exercises at home, and the progress has been exciting to see. “Noah has come so far already!” says Tiffany. “We’re seeing great progress!”
For now, Noah and his family are sticking with voice therapy. Surgery remains an option, but it’s not something they are ready to consider, so his care team will continue monitoring him with annual checkups. “We’re taking it one day at a time,” says Tiffany.
“Noah and his family’s story is an example of how a parent is the best advocate for their child,” shares Mrs. Slone. “His parents listened to their instincts and kept searching for answers to improve his quality of life. I believe that parents are the expert on their child and Noah’s parents were no exception. Through their advocacy and collaboration with our wonderful ENT team here at Nemours, we were able to finally get the answers his parents were searching for and found a treatment approach that allowed Noah to thrive. I am so proud of the progress that he has made and the continued improvement he experiences outside of the therapeutic setting.”
Through it all, Tiffany has one piece of advice for other parents navigating a similar journey: advocate for your child. “If something doesn’t seem right, continue to ask questions and seek answers,” she shares. “Trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to push for the care and resources your child deserves.”
With the support of Nemours Children’s and a dedicated care team, Noah is well on his way to finding his strongest voice yet!
