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It’s sometimes called "Darth Vader breathing." And it's created by a condition in the windpipe called tracheal rings. The rings constrict airflow and make breathing noisy and labored.
Three-year-old Harper Reed was born with the condition. Her family worried as they watched Harper struggle to simply get air in and out of her tiny body. Then, the Reeds came to Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, and breathing got easier.
In this Mayo Clinic News Network story, see how a Mayo team used a cutting-edge treatment called slide tracheoplasty to give Harper and her family hope. Jeff Olsen reports.
Watch: Harper's hope: How Mayo made breathing easier.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (5:16) is in the downloads. Read the script.
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