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Check out the seven new floats and five new balloons participating in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Robin Meeks hasn’t enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal in over 10 years. “Thankfully,” she said, that’s about to change.
The 56-year-old Bronx man had been unable to swallow solid foods for more than 10 years due to severe dysphagia, the medical term for difficulty swallowing, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Dysphagia is a common condition that affects about 1 in 25 Americans each year, and has a wide range of symptoms and causes, said Milan Amin, M.D., chief of laryngology and director of New York University’s Langone Health Voice Center, who treated Meeks.
Although the condition can occur at any age, it is more common among older adults and can also be caused by neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, Amin said.
In Meeks’ case, food got stuck in his throat until he had to spit it out. In some cases, food became smaller and could pass through the narrowed esophagus. However, in one case, food was stuck in his throat for two days in a row.
“I was scared to even sleep because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” she said, adding that she feared she would suffocate.
For 10 years, Meeks survived on a liquid diet of chicken, potatoes, and a blend of various vegetables. Liquid diets never satisfied her hunger and limited her social life, which affected her mental health.
“I restricted myself from going out, but it was difficult,” she said. Despite the isolation, Meeks stayed energized by focusing on his career and his art.
For years, Meeks went from one specialist to another who told her that her swallowing problems were untreatable. Finally, in December 2024, she was referred to Amin, who led a multidisciplinary team that investigated her condition in detail.
The research team discovered that her esophagus was webbed with scar tissue. The cause of Meeks’ webbing is unknown, but Amin said it could be caused by trauma, such as food rubbing against his esophagus or a pill getting stuck.
To solve this problem, Amin introduced some old surgical techniques. Instead of using a flexible instrument, which can make it difficult to reach problem areas in Meeks’ throat, he used a rigid instrument. This allowed him to insert and stretch the balloon.
The procedure took just over an hour, and Meeks started eating solid food two days later. Her first real meal was lasagna made by her daughter. Pasta is her favorite food, but she’s looking forward to her first Thanksgiving meal that doesn’t require liquefying food.
What’s on the menu? Turkey, green beans, yams, potato salad, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and of course a little pasta on the side.
“This is a miracle,” she said. “I am so grateful every day.”
Adriana Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
