‘He has a desire to live’
Jennifer Williams Eagle Reporter
Daily Mountain Eagle Newspaper - Jasper, Alabama
Januray 29, 2009
Two-year-old Braxton F is so active that the washcloth tied around his neck is the only sign of how sick he is. Braxton was born with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). "His esophagus grew so far down and then it grew into his windpipe, his trachea," said his mother, Darlene Foy. Doctors had to put Braxton on life support as soon as he was born because he could not breath on his own without choking. As an infant, he gagged each time he swallowed because the fluids were entering his airways instead of his stomach. Braxton has had many surgeries in his short life to fix the problem.
In the first surgery, doctors unhooked his esophagus from his trachea. However, the two organs were so close together in Braxton's small body that a fistula, or abnormal connection, formed. Food continued to leak into Braxton's airway through the tube. After two more surgeries, doctors tried to wrap the esophagus in glue. They did multiple surgeries using the glue before a major complication arose. "In the fifth surgery, when they went in to use a synthetic glue, they shot too much of it and it dried down his trachea. They had to scrape all of that off," said Larry Foy, Braxton's father. Braxton had so many surgeries that his esophagus eventually began to deteriorate. Doctors went in again to cut out the dead part of the esophagus and reconstruct it. However, the stitching left a small hole. Braxton began to get recurring infections because what he swallowed still leaked into his chest. Doctors then stapled the esophagus shut and rerouted the rest of it to the side of his neck. "It's called a spit fistula. Everything that goes in his mouth comes out his neck onto a rag," Larry Foy said. Braxton is now fed through a feeding bag. A tube in his neck connects to a Mic-Key button on his stomach. He can only digest liquid milk. He can also have ice and water by mouth. Solid foods are forbidden for Braxton because of the dangers they pose. Larry Foy gave him a piece of an orange slice recently. Since Braxton didn't know how to chew it, the food stuck in his throat and he had to be rushed to the emergency room to have it removed. He has now learned to lick foods such as fries and chips and then give the solid portion back to his parents.
In all, Braxton has had 27 surgeries to correct his TEF. In addition to enduring all the work on his esophagus, he has also had part of his lung removed. "All of the saliva that was building up in his chest caused pressure in his cavity. So the upper right lobe of his lung had to be removed," Darlene Foy said. He is still in need of at least one more surgery. Doctors plan to take six inches of his small intestines to build him a new esophagus. However, Braxton's father is concerned that one more won't be enough. "He's coughing now. When he coughed before, it meant he had a fistula formed. So he may have one up higher now," Larry Foy said. The trials Braxton has faced in the past two years have had no affect on his attitude. He is a happy, energetic little boy most of the time. Darlene Foy said her young son is an inspiration to her, and she hopes other parents find hope in his story as well.
"He has a desire to live because he has been through so much," she said.