Ayla’s SmartVest Story
At two weeks old, Ayla was diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). PCD is a genetic condition where the cilia, or hair-like structures that line the airways, fail to move mucus out of the lungs properly.
When Ayla turned two, her doctor prescribed high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy, where she and her mom were able to choose among three different HFCWO therapy systems.
“[SmartVest] was the quietest of the three, and the hose wasn’t falling out like the others.”
“The first machine had metal clasps, I could see little fingers getting pinched in it, so that company was removed from my list,” said Libby, Ayla’s mom. “The second was extremely loud and had two hose connections, which were falling out many times in a three-minute demo. The final was the SmartVest. This machine was the quietest of the three, and the hose wasn’t falling out like the others. So we selected the SmartVest.”
Soon after choosing the SmartVest® Airway Clearance System, a patient trainer went to Ayla’s home to provide a tutorial on HFCWO therapy, how to program the SmartVest system, and gave a magnet with the Electromed Patient Services phone number to call with any issues, 365 days a year.
“Ayla, now three years old, helps set up her machine”
“Since receiving the machine, our lives have been so much better,” said Libby. “I can do multiple things at once, and Ayla, now three years old, helps set up her machine that we have placed on a ‘treatment cart,’ as we call it.”
Along with the treatment cart, the family loves the luggage the SmartVest comes with for transporting to and from places, as Ayla spends a couple of nights a week with her grandparents.
“Ayla is so much healthier than most of our PCD friends”
“Ayla is so much healthier than most of our PCD friends,” said Libby. “She does her half hour in the morning and half hour at night. She’s able to carry on almost a normal life as children her age. The SmartVest has changed our lives forever! We thank you so much for providing us freedom back again!”
