Allie was born with the rare condition of Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS). Due to CCHS she requires 24/7 mechanical ventilation. At 10 years old, she had a tracheostomy and was hooked up to a mechanical ventilator. In September 2009, at age 14, she was implanted with the Avery Diaphragm Pacemaker at Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
In her spare time Allie likes hiking and doing cardio exercise. Allie says that “Since having my pacemaker implanted, I have been able to enjoy activities that I wasn’t able to before, such as hiking and cardio exercise. Hiking has become one of my favorite activities, and with one simple change in my breath rate setting on my pacemaker I am able to go for long hikes without worrying about my ventilation.”
Allie said, “After four years of dragging around a large ventilator, the idea of a machine small enough to fit into a purse being able to ventilate me sounded unreal. The first time I saw the external pacemaker I was amazed at how small it was. Going from having a luggage cart with my ventilator on top to only carrying a small purse with my pacemaker was an incredible and transformative change. The Avery Diaphragm Pacemaker system has tremendously improved my quality of life. My mobility, freedom and independence all increased greatly once I started using the Avery Diaphragm Pacemaker System.”
Source: ABD-PP-032, Rev A 11/2020
