As a young lamb, Lu always sounded congested. Mama Ewe was reassured that little Lu was experiencing normal lamb congestion and it was nothing to worry about. But Lu also had trouble feeding. He would choke and spit-up during almost every feed. Because of this, little Lu struggled to gain weight. One day Mama Ewe was feeding Lu and he stopped breathing! Mama Ewe rushed Lu to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. At the appointment, the doctor performed a scope called a laryngoscopy and diagnosed Lu The Lamb with life-threatening laryngomalacia. One week later Lu had airway surgery known as a supraglottoplasty to help treat his LM. Surgery was a success and ever since Lu has been breathing easy!

In the spring of 2016, Pax The Pony started to snore while sleeping in his stall at the therapeutic horsemanship barn he volunteered at. The barn manager said maybe Pax had a cold and should take a few days off. The next morning Pax decided to practice his trot in the paddock but quickly became winded and starting retracting. Before he knew it, the shy Shetland pony was being examined by an equine veterinarian who suggested Pax have a DISE (drug-induced sleep endoscopy) at the Hospital For Horses in Freehold, New Jersey. Pax was so scared to spend a night in the hospital, but he knew that he had to stay brave. After the test was over, Pax galloped back to the barn where the equine veterinarian told Pax that he had an airway disorder called Pharyngomalacia. The veterinarian explained that the walls of Pax’s pharynx were collapsing which was causing his retractions and snoring (obstructive sleep apnea). Pax now wears a BiPap machine during sleep so he can breathe easy. Knowing that the shy pony needed support, the Hospital For Horses gave Pax a Coping With LM flyer and told him to join their support group on Facebook. Pax now has the love and support from Lu The Lamb and Bri The Bunny as he copes with PM!

Bri The Bunny was diagnosed with Bronchomalacia as a newborn bun. Shortly after Bri was born, her parents noticed that Bri made a funny noise when she was breathing.

Concerned, they hopped right over to the hospital so Bri could have a bronchoscope in the OR. The doctor said Bri’s Bronchomalacia was mild-moderate and she would need to wear CPAP during sleep to help her breathe. Thankfully Bri’s treatment plan is working, she is so HOPPY!

Thanks to copingwithlm.org, Bri’s parents were able to find resources, programs, and support. At a recent Malacia Meet-Up, Bri met Lu The Lamb and they have been BFF’s ever since! 

Deep in a jungle in Asia, Trey The Tiger was born. The smallest of three cubs, Trey always had a hard time crawling to his mother to nurse. His back paws were weak and his head was floppy. One morning Papa Tiger took his cubs for a long walk down to the river. Sadly, tiny Trey could not keep up. The tiger cub kept coughing and made a rattling sound when he exhaled. Worried, Papa Tiger took Trey to the local big cat doctor who ordered a sedated brain MRI and bronchoscopy. A few hours later, the doctor came in. “Trey is tricky,” the doctor said as he handed Papa Tiger a Coping With LM brochure. “Your cub is what we call medically complex. He has more than one diagnosis.” Papa Tiger’s heart sank. The doctor explained, “The rattling sound, stridor, Trey makes when he breathes is because he has an airway disorder called Tracheomalacia. TM, as we call it for short, is when the tracheal cartilage rings are soft and partially collapse when the cub exhales. The back paw weakness Trey is experiencing is called hypotonia. It can be caused by a variety of conditions however since Trey also has TM, I think your tiger cub has an underlying genetic condition." Papa Tiger took a deep breath. “We’ll refer Trey to a geneticist who specializes in big cats and order a sleep study to make sure Trey doesn’t have any apnea from his TM,” the doctor concluded and left the exam room. Papa Tiger looked over at Trey and gave a chuff. Trey's bright eyes widen, “Papa! Do you know what I learned to do while I was waiting in the pre-op room?” “No my tiny Trey, what did you learn to do?” Papa Tiger asked eagerly. Trey The Tiger got up and let out the loudest roar Papa Tiger had ever heard.

“Papa, I learned to roar,” said Trey proudly.