For three decades, Cookie Huddleston struggled to breathe after a thyroidectomy left her with bilateral vocal cord paralysis. Repeatedly misdiagnosed with allergies and asthma, her quality of life steadily declined. Simple tasks like climbing stairs or walking short distances left her gasping for air, and she lived in fear of choking when eating out. Everything changed when she met Dr. Yassmeen Abdel-Aty at the USF Health Voice Center. Using an innovative, minimally invasive procedure, Dr. Abdel-Aty was able to treat her condition.