University Hospitals World Voice Day Recap – Can you hear my voice?

This is a video recap of the World Voice Day event from 2022.  In this video, experts from University Hospitals Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and UH Seidman Cancer Center teamed up to give a voice to patients living with laryngectomy. In recognition of World Voice Day, they hosted an interactive panel discussion that was virtually attended by an international audience of more than 200 people.

University Hospitals patients Matt Selker and Edward Ellsworth shared their experiences with laryngectomy and relearning speech after receiving a tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). “A prosthesis is placed between the trachea and esophagus. When air is pushed through an attached valve to produce vibrations, patients are able to form words,” says N. Scott Howard, MD, MBA, a head and neck surgeon and Director of the Voice, Airway and Swallowing Center at UH Cleveland Medical Center. “Both of these gentlemen have endured so much and we are phenomenally gracious about sharing their journey.”

date: 2023-04-16

time: 16:00-18:00

cityplace: Cleveland, OH

venueaddress: https://vimeo.com/686744103

performers: Serving as moderator, Dr. Howard was joined by fellow surgeons Theodoros Teknos, MD, President and Scientific Director for the UH Seidman Cancer Center and Deputy Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Nicole Fowler, MD, FACS, Associate Program Director for Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Reconstruction at UH Cleveland Medical Center. UH speech-language pathologists Lex Rakowski, MA, CCC-SLP, and Tracey Newman, MA, CCC-SLP, also shared insight about the essential role voice plays in connecting individuals to their community and methods of vocalization after voice box removal. 

The webinar also featured Emmy-nominated and Peabody award-winning documentarian Bill Brummel, who lost his larynx in 2016 after radiation to cure tonsil cancer left irreparable scarring. His acclaimed film “Can You Hear My Voice?” tells the inspiring story of Shout at Cancer, a choir of voices overcoming cancer of the throat and neck.

Based in London, England, the choir is directed by Thomas Moors, MD, DOHNS, an emergency physician and former member of the Belgian Boys Choir. The performers incorporate breathing, singing and acting techniques into their rehabilitation, using alaryngeal voicing to create sound. In addition to live concerts, group members raise funds and awareness as they help survivors rebuild their lives with renewed hope.

“I was so inspired by Dr. Moors’ efforts to push the laryngectomy voice beyond what we have thought possible,” says Dr. Howard. “The Shout at Cancer performances are a testament to the power of the human spirit and are certainly emotionally moving.” Registered attendees heard from Dr. Moors and received tokens to view the film.

webbaddress: https://vimeo.com/686744103

contacts: Angel Warner <Angel.Warner2@UHhospitals.org>