One in 2,500-4,500 babies a year are born unable to swallow. These babies are sick with a fatal condition called Esophageal Atresia with Tracheoesophageal Fistula. Did you know that January is EA/TEF Awareness Month? 

EA and TEF are two separate conditions that are most common together. When a baby is born with EA, their esophagus, a tube that connects the throat to the stomach, is disattached from their stomach. This means they cannot swallow anything, not even saliva. But babies with a full EA/TEF don’t just have an esophagus that ends in a stub. Their esophagus is abnormally connected to their trachea, or windpipe, negatively impacting their ability to breathe. Children with EA/TEF may have 1 surgery-or dozens. Each EA/TEF case is different, as is each team of doctors. Generally, every EA child has a surgery connecting their esophagus and their stomach correctly. However, some babies must stay in the hospital for months. 

Additionally, children grow up with different needs. EA will always be a part of them but their opinions and relationship with it will differ from case to case. Everyone’s treatment and recovery is different, so naturally as they grow up their EA/TEF will be specific as well. Different people experience different treatments, accommodations, and side effects. For example, some people with EA/TEF may have trouble eating, physical challenges, lung or heart issues. Notice that EA/TEF patients’ personalities or mental abilities are not affected at all. 

Medical conditions are special and personal. People living with such need sympathy and space. When they are ready to talk about something, it’s important to listen. When they need space with their thoughts, it’s important to wait. And these children are just like any other child. We all look different on the outside. EA children look different on the inside too. 

Very few people are educated about EA/TEF. But spreading awareness and supporting the EA/TEF community does not end here. It has just begun.