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Teen Makes Remarkable Recovery After Rare Swallowing Condition Leaves Him Unable to Eat or Drink

Friday, 5 June 2026 at 17:00

By Nathan Spackman

A teenager who should have been sitting his A‑levels this year instead found himself in hospital facing one of the most frightening challenges imaginable — losing the ability to swallow.

Glodi, who became seriously unwell following a virus, developed severe dysphagia, a condition that left him unable to eat, drink or even manage his own saliva safely. The impact was immediate and profound, with clinicians warning that swallowing difficulties can lead to chest infections, loss of independence and, in many cases, the need for a feeding tube.

But what happened next has been described by specialists as one of the fastest recoveries they have ever seen.

As part of a service development project with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s Adult Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Team, Glodi was offered pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) — an innovative therapy delivered using the Phagenyx System.

The treatment works by sending small, controlled electrical pulses to nerves in the throat via a catheter, helping to stimulate and support the recovery of swallowing function.

Although typically used in adult stroke rehabilitation, Glodi became one of the youngest patients in the UK to receive the therapy. SLT specialists assessed his swallowing repeatedly, using imaging and clinical monitoring to tailor the short, 10‑minute sessions to his needs.

Within just two weeks, Glodi went from being nil‑by‑mouth to eating and drinking normally again — a pace of recovery clinicians say is rarely seen.

“Within a very short period, his swallowing had improved completely,” said Dr Shakeel Ahmed, Consultant Stroke Physician. “In my professional career, I have never seen anyone improve as quickly as this.”

Speech and Language Therapist Sarah Appleton agreed: “To see someone go from being unable to swallow at all to returning to a normal diet in two weeks is extraordinary. His progress has been outstanding.”

For Glodi, the moment he was told he could eat again marked a turning point.

“Being able to eat and drink again gave me my independence back,” he said. “It changed everything.”

What might seem like everyday moments — choosing a meal, sitting down with friends, sharing food — became powerful symbols of normality returning. Now, he’s focused on rebuilding confidence, reconnecting with friends and looking ahead to the future.

“I’m incredibly grateful. I wouldn’t be where I am without them,” he added.

Following Glodi’s case and other successful inpatient treatments, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has now approved the use of PES within its SLT inpatient services under formal clinical governance.

The therapy will be available to suitable patients with new neurogenic dysphagia at both University Hospital Wales and University Hospital Llandough.

The SLT team hopes that stories like Glodi’s will help shape future service development and contribute to the growing evidence base for innovative dysphagia treatments.

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