Dr. Salyer about Lindsey
When I first saw Lindsey Gozdowski, she presented with one of the worst forms of Goldenhar Syndrome I had ever seen or treated. The right side of her jaw was completely missing with no eye or eye socket. The ear was small and displaced down and positioned outwardly. The sum of these abnormalities on her right side made her face totally unacceptable to society, to her family and to herself. As I review her case, I observe that one the most salient aspects of Lindsey’s personality is her personal drive to correct her deformity. Her bravery and stoicism have been unflinching.
Her mother has always been acutely attuned to the requirements of Lindsey’s transformation and consistently courageous throughout the arduous series of operations her daughter has endured over time. The process has been complex and painstaking – as she has grown, creating a new facial skeleton in the place of malformed or absent parts of her face. This has meant building a new face on the right side where one did not exist and to give her support for her tissues.
Exacerbating Lindsey’s condition was her sleep apnea, which was related to the extrusion of her mandible due to the structural abnormalities related to the Goldenhar’s Syndrome. Therefore, at one point, we felt Lindsey needed a tracheotomy, because her airway was so fragile. This proved to be one of the predominant concerns in the overall assessment and treatment planning in as Lindsey’s case.
Lindsey is a very special young lady in many ways. This may sound unusual, but I believe God gave her an extra gift. I have observed this with many of the children with these major deformities. Yes, they come to this earth with devastating abnormalities, but hey also have something special built in — something that allows many of them to accept their deformities.
What still mystifies me is their ability to strive simultaneously for a major transformation into as optimal a result as possible. This was the case with Lindsey from the moment I met her. Many with facial deformities are somehow able to express confidence in themselves and a genuine peace with their appearances — no matter how severe.
Lindsey is unique and special is still in the process of reconstruction. Dr. Barcelo, a talented fellow in my practice, has been involved in Lindsey’s case, as well, and together, we have come along way. We have done distraction and created a new mandible for her, which functions much better. We have created her facial skeleton, moving her eye socket up into a better position and expanding with the addition of a new eye prosthesis. We have corrected and improved her sleep apnea to a place where it is not a problem today. She doesn’t need a tracheotomy.
We have done some minimal work on the ear, but there she requires further reconstruction. We have made a lot of progress with her, but yet she is a challenge and we have to project for these patients our confidence that they can blossom and thrive — and I think that Lindsey is a good example to this. We have many others with that sense, and I think is important that we view the relationship with a patient as providing much more than a reconstructed face.
Also imperative is a keen understanding of the wishes, desires and dreams of our patients – the fuel that motivates their quests to become the best they can be, as they continue to believe they are always special and unique. In Lindsey’s case, I genuinely felt she is so remarkable, and I think I have effectively communicated this idea to her. As a result, she is working hard in school and feels that she will someday do something outstanding, I think it is very true.
