Joshua Gonzalez’s Treatment Cuts Suction, Offers Hope
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- Joshua Jacob Gonzalez required suctioning saliva every five minutes for the first two years of his life because his airway could clog and he could die.
- Javier and Jessica Gonzalez observed that after a few weeks of treatment at the National Institutes of Health, their son could go an hour without suctioning and breathe normally.
- National Institutes of Health provided the hospital setting where the new treatment was administered.
- Rare disease community gains a new treatment opportunity after a disaster five years earlier, as highlighted by Joshua’s case.
Why it matters: Families of children with this rare airway disease will see daily suctioning eliminated and survival prospects rise as the new therapy proves effective, reducing caregiver burden and opening a path to broader clinical use.
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