Loren Robertson​

Loren is a secondary school teacher from Kirikiriroa who has a 2 year old daughter, and is expecting another in January 2025. She was diagnosed with Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis in 2018, when her trachea was 80% closed, and her symptoms had been missed or misdiagnosed for a year. Since her diagnosis, she has had 8 or 9 (she has lost count) laser and balloon dilations on her trachea at Waikato Hospital. Loren has chosen to take the opportunity to speak at the conference to share her experience as a patient and also to spread awareness about tracheal stenosis.

Lived Experience – Tracheal Stenosis

​Loren and Veronica are both patients of the ENT team at Waikato Hospital. Their session is focused on their experience with Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis: the challenges of the condition, support systems in place, current research, patient advocacy, as well as surgical and non-surgical approaches.