From the moment he took his first breath, Clydon Powers was destined for a year of respiratory distress.

“He was healthy. He just couldn’t breathe,” Matt Partain, M.D., a pediatric otolaryngologist at Riley Children’s Health, said.

As a newborn, the blockage in Clydon’s airway wasn’t detected yet. His chronic cough and labored breathing resulted in repeated diagnoses of croup. Clydon’s parents, Cortney and Jon Powers, felt it was more.

“I would lay on the floor in his bedroom at night listening to him breathe,” Cortney said. “We did everything we were told to do to treat him but felt there was something else going on.”

Parents’ intuition drove Cortney and Jon to seek a second opinion from Justin Fuller, M.D., a pediatrician with IU Health. Dr. Fuller ordered imaging that led to a swift and accurate diagnosis of subglottic stenosis, a narrowing in the airway.

Things happened fast after that. A tracheostomy ­— surgery to create an opening in the trachea ­— allowed Clydon to breathe fully for the first time.

When Clydon was strong enough, Dr. Partain performed corrective surgery. For a week, Clydon was sedated in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Riley Children's Health. The team there took exceptional care of Clydon to ensure optimal healing.

“Had his repaired trachea torn, it would have been a disaster,” Dr. Partain said.

Before and after the PICU, Riley pulmonary resource nurse Erica Branam and her team supported the Powers family every step of this new ­— and sometimes scary ­— journey. Branam nominated Clydon to the Riley Champion program.

“She was doing more than caring for Clydon,” Jon said. “She cared for us, too. She was a gift from God.”

Clydon’s little body healed, and today he has no restrictions. Riley provided all the services he needed in one place.

“This type of surgery can only be done at a large pediatric hospital like Riley,” Dr. Partain said. “It would be a disservice to do a surgery like this without wraparound support.”

The Powers family has embraced advocacy, sharing their story to raise money and awareness. Cortney’s father uses his “Riley Red” Corvette as a conversation starter while traveling through Indiana, telling Clydon’s story and soliciting donations. Cortney also shares updates online, building support through social media.

Their greatest asset in fundraising? Clydon’s infectious smile. Today, Clydon is 5 years old and enjoys outdoors, bike riding, playing soccer and playing with cars and construction toys.