Life of Baby Born Without Trachea Saved - First Case in U.S. Medical History

WISCONSIN -- It's a first for childbirth in the United States: a team of surgeons have saved the life of baby Thomas Richards, who was born without a trachea.

According to a report out of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, never before in the United States has a baby survived when born without a trachea, otherwise known as the windpipe. That changed earlier this year when a team of doctors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Ministry St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital saved the life of baby Thomas Richards.

According to the report, most children who are born without a trachea end up dying within hours of being born. The work that doctors at the Ministry St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, and further work at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin has been called miraculous.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article goes in-depth, chronicling the full story of Thomas Richards' medical journey.

Watch as Thomas Richards' parents, Jessica and Corey Richards, discuss their son and the people who worked to save his young life:

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image: childrens' hospital of wisconsin