A voice for Yvonne Sampson

LOUISDALE If Yvonne Sampson didnt have a prosthesis in her throat, silence would rule the little house she and her husband built 40 years ago.

Raymond Sampson is deaf and mute, and Yvonne had throat surgery more than four years ago after a bout with cancer.

Sampson, 76, was fitted with a voice-restoration prosthesis that allows her to talk, but it requires special cleaning and care several times a day.

Its pretty quiet now, said Sampson, pressing a finger to the stoma or hole in her throat.

The prosthesis in her neck essentially replaces her voice box, which was removed during a total laryngectomy.

If I didnt have that, you wouldnt hear me, she said.

The couples daughter, Janet Martell, was shown how to clean and care for the prosthesis just after the surgery in Halifax and was sent home to Richmond County to provide the daily care her mother needs.

She is worried about what could happen if her mother needs emergency care. There are no medical staff in Cape Breton or in the Guysborough Antigonish Strait health district trained to provide the specialized care needed for a throat prosthesis.

Martell works in a local kitchen three days a week and goes to her parents house before work, during breaks and after work to make sure her mother hasnt choked on a piece of food or had her airway blocked by infection or a buildup of blood.

If my mother, God forbid, choked on something, shed die in less than five minutes, said Martell.

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A voice for Yvonne Sampson