Sara Chaney (Speech Pathologist), and Rickey Duke and Lee French (two members of the Total Laryngectomy support group at the Atlanta VA Medical Center), recently traveled to the Atlanta Fire Department's Airway Protection Training on February 13, 2010 to give a presentation to an audience of several EMTs and paramedics. The presentation provided extensive visual and verbal education through medical and patient personal perspectives on the anatomical differences before and after a laryngectomy, how breathing occurs, how communication is accomplished, how eating occurs, and how all changes as a result of the surgery affect the life-saving procedures required in an emergency situation.
The presentation included time for questions, of which the EMTs and paramedics had several pertaining to real-life circumstances that had been or could be encountered during emergencies involving someone with a laryngectomy. The EMTs and/or paramedics remarked, "This training was extremely beneficial for us. Sometimes the only experience we have with a situation such as this is what we look up in textbooks or online. This real-life perspective from the patients and the speech pathologist has truly given us valuable insight into the importance of understanding the necessary measures to be taken when we are called to a scene involving someone with a laryngectomy."
Another individual described her first house call as involving an emergency with someone who had a stoma. She reported feeling unsure of what to do because this type of patient is not encountered as much as the usual call involving an individual with a stroke or heart attack. However, after having this training, the same EMT said she gained valuable knowledge to better equip her in being fully confident should the time arise again when she may have to save the life of someone with a laryngectomy.
The presenters (the two individuals with laryngectomies and the speech pathologist) describe this experience as extremely positive because the education they could provide has made a difference in the lives of many EMTs and paramedics in the city of Atlanta, and as a result hopefully also on the lives of any individuals with a laryngectomy that might be encountered in an emergency situation. The Atlanta Fire Chief stated that he would like to organize additional trainings in the future, and also encouraged all emergency support staff in attendance to spread the day's message to all facilities within the city. For more information on laryngectomies and/or hosting a presentation at your facility, please contact Sara Chaney at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 | IAL Website Article |
The IAL cookbooks have been published and some copies are available for purchase from the IAL office. We are selling the cookbooks for $10.00 each plus an additional $1.00 each for shipping and handling (if you are in the United States). If you would like us to ship the cookbooks to an address out of the United States, please send an e-mail with your shipping address to 
