A doctor’s dedication: How one child’s story spans hospitals and hearts

Keona Mock lights up the room with a warm smile, beaming with excitement as she talks about her first visit to see her doctor in Los Angeles.

In addition to enjoying a fun trip to the West Coast, this 8-year-old Southern girl feels right at home visiting Dr. Sohit Kanotra, a pediatric otolaryngologist and airway surgeon in the department of head and neck surgery at UCLA Health, who has provided her care throughout her life.

"When he was in New Orleans, we all formed a bond," said Tammy Mock, Keona's mother. "But with him and Keona, it was just from day one. It was a special bond."

Before joining the team at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Kanotra led the pediatric airway program at the University of Iowa and, before that, at Children's Hospital of New Orleans, where he first met Keona as a baby.

Although their bond was strong, the circumstances that brought Dr. Kanotra and his young patient together were tragic.

Damage to the windpipe

"She had a traumatic brain injury as a baby," Kanotra said. "She was put on a ventilator with a breathing tube, which caused severe damage to her windpipe. As a result, she was unable to breathe on her own and needed a tracheostomy. When I saw her, she already had the tracheostomy in place. Her mom wanted the trach removed so she could talk, but she could not speak. Our first step was determining what was happening and why she could not talk."

Before Keona was adopted by Tammy and her husband, she had experienced severe abuse as a newborn. She was a victim of shaken baby syndrome, which resulted in extensive injuries that initially led doctors to believe she would not survive.

When the couple heard her story, they knew she was meant to be their daughter, so they quickly made their way to meet their baby girl.

"I think I loved her before I got there," Tammy said.

When Tammy and her husband arrived at the hospital to meet their daughter, they were overwhelmed with joy. They were eager to hear her sweet little voice but quickly realized she could not speak.

"We found that her airway above the tracheostomy tube was severely narrowed, and she would not be able to get the trach out unless something was done," Kanotra said. "We operated on her when she was 18 months old. It was a complicated surgery, where we took parts of the rib cartilage and expanded the airway so we could make the airway big enough for her to breathe. After surgery, she had a breathing tube and was on a ventilator for 10 days."

Hearing her voice

Keona's life changed dramatically.

A few days after she was extubated, she was able to speak. Now, she only visits Kanotra for regular follow-up care.

"In the beginning, we couldn't even hear her cry," Tammy said. "Dr. Kanotra had to do total reconstructive surgery. After that, we heard her voice for the first time. That moment was truly a blessing from God.

"It has been overwhelming, and to be able to hear her was our prayers answered," she said. "To know that our hope became a reality. To hear her say 'hi' was indescribable. There are no words for it."

Since her surgery in 2015, Keona has grown into a healthy 8-year-old girl who aspires to become an ear, nose and throat doctor like Kanotra. She hopes to help other babies going through similar experiences.

A move to UCLA Health

While Keona's health improved over the years, Kanotra had the opportunity to expand the pediatric airway program at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Without hesitation, the Mock family knew they would follow him wherever his career took him.

Tammy said continuing Keona's care with him in Los Angeles was easy because their bond is unshakable.

"I believe with all my heart that he is why she is here today. She is doing so amazing," Tammy said. "I tell everybody he will be world-renowned because his heart is there, and he loves children. To see his passion for wanting to give trach babies more of a life - he turned our hope into a reality."

Reflecting on her daughter's journey, Tammy says she feels blessed for the miracle baby who fought so hard for her life and thankful for the doctor who never gave up on her.

"She was severely hurt from (shaken baby syndrome) and broken bones," Tammy said. "Looking back at where she started and where she is today, I see that it's only through God and the people he placed in her life that she's come so far. Without Dr. Kanotra performing this procedure, she would never have been able to go swimming, talk nonstop, or do many other things. She is our true miracle baby."