Valley child progresses thanks to 3-D stent to help him breathe

YOUNGSTOWN — April Gionfriddo has never heard her son, Kaiba, 4, call her “Mom” or say, “I love you.”

“I can’t hear him cry – that’s the worst part,” she said.

When he hurts or gets upset, Kaiba’s mouth opens, his face contorts, but no sound comes out.

Still, the fact that he’s with her at all is a testament to modern medicine.

As an infant, Kaiba’s airway kept collapsing. At 6 weeks, he started to turn blue at a restaurant with his family.

His father, Bryan Gionfriddo, began CPR.

Kaiba was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital, attached to a machine so he could breathe. Doctors told the family Kaiba’s condition was grave. They told April about an experimental procedure.

Doctors at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor were testing airway stents made on a 3-D printer.

“It was our only choice,” April Gionfriddo said. “It was either ship him out to Michigan or get ready for his funeral.”

Kaiba was 3 months old when doctors did the surgery.

For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com