Patient has enormous hearing transformation with Dr. Swift

When Mony Fischer's son Kyler had surgery in Denver to place tubes in his ears, the toddler had an adverse reaction to the anesthesia and almost died. So, when Mony was told a few years later that her son needed the surgery again to remove the old tubes and put in new ones, she was instantly afraid for her son's life.

After having difficulty during a hearing exam, Kyler had been referred to Campbell County Medical Group's Dr. Ian Swift at Ear, Nose & Throat. Ultimately, Dr. Swift discovered that Kyler's hearing was reduced because his ears had stopped draining and needed new tubes put in.

"It was terrifying," Mony said. "I was really, really hesitant. I voiced concern about him going under anesthesia again."

But when Dr. Swift explained to Mony that if she put her ears under water, that was basically how Kyler was hearing, she reluctantly decided to move forward with the surgery.

"He really explained everything to my level as parent," Mony said. "He let me know how much this could improve hearing for Kyler. I put a lot of faith in his hands."

Also, an important factor in her decision was how quickly Kyler warmed up to Dr. Swift. For Kyler, even the smallest, most simple checkups or doctor's appointments can be challenging. Born with Down Syndrome, Kyler has never liked people touching him. But when he met Swift, Kyler was immediately drawn to him.

"When Dr. Swift walked in, Kyler immediately latched onto him and he was instantly comfortable with him," Mony said. "Kids with Down Syndrome are very good at reading people."

Though she was immensely nervous and scared, Mony moved forward with the surgery for Kyler. Since the surgery, the transformation for Kyler has been enormous. Now in second grade, Kyler's communication skills have improved, he's doing better in school and overall and he has a better quality of life.

"His vocabulary has gone from hardly speaking to knowing what he wants pretty much all the time," Mony said. "Being able for him to talk is all I ever wanted for him. It's a huge milestone for what I wanted for him."

Today, Mony is thankful that Dr. Swift pushed her toward the surgery for Kyler. His insistence on how much it could improve Kyler's life is something Mony said she sees evidence of every day.

"Helping Kyler and his family is the reason that I went into this field of medicine," says Dr. Swift. "His success is truly gratifying and inspirational."

"For me the experience was 100 percent positive," Mony said. "I wouldn't change anything about the experience. It helped Kyler with every aspect of being successful."