Norbert D. Thompson, engineer and owner of Technical Products, Inc. of Georgia, develops silicone tube to assist a Medical University of South Carolina pediatric patient.
When Logan Holt was 18 weeks old, his parents took him
to Conway, to be treated for what they thought was a case of the croup.
His pediatrician, L.B. Courtney, M.D., immediately recognized that the little boy was suffering from something far more serious. The next day, Logan was airlifted to MUSC Children's Hospital.
Here, doctors discovered complete tracheal rings that had narrowed Logan's airway to the size of a pinhole, forcing him to fight for every breath. The condition is serious because it can turn a minor respiratory ailment, such as a cold or allergy, into a life-threatening episode in which the patient's air supply is cut off altogether.
In an ongoing battle to keep Logan's airway open, doctors performed more...
