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Doctor's Rare Diagnosis: From Patient to Healer
21 Jul
Summary
- Carys Havard faced years of unexplained respiratory issues.
- She was diagnosed with a rare condition causing airway tissue folding.
- Havard qualified as a doctor at her diagnosis hospital.
For years, Carys Havard struggled with severe respiratory issues, including breathing difficulties and fainting spells, often facing skepticism that she was fabricating her symptoms. These experiences fueled her determination to understand her condition, leading her to pursue a career in medicine.
Now a qualified doctor at 23, Havard has secured a position at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. This hospital is significant as it's where she received her diagnosis in 2020 for laryngomalacia, a rare respiratory condition that causes tissue to obstruct the airway. She also underwent three surgeries at this facility.
As a teenager, Havard competed nationally as a swimmer, but her athletic career was hampered by these persistent breathing problems. The eventual diagnosis provided crucial answers after years of being told it was asthma or that she was exaggerating, an experience she found isolating.
