Meet Jordan

A champion catches his breath

Champions are not born; they are made—with a little help from a pediatric otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) Melissa Statham, M.D.

Jordan Hardin is only 10 years old, but he has already amassed three state and four national titles in wrestling for the 50 lbs. weight class. But his chronic sinus infections were causing him to have constant headaches.

“Jordan’s sinuses affected his sleep. He would snore, but the worst thing was the headaches. He would get them every day,” Jordan’s mother, Helen, said.

When sinuses do not drain properly, throat infections and headaches are common. Jordan had an important upcoming meet—the state championships, where he would be defending his title. Dr. Statham and Jordan worked together to make sure he would be healthy for his matches.

Dr. Statham performed a procedure called functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Using a very small camera, called an endoscope, inserted into the nose, she was able to remove the swollen tissue in his nose. This tissue was keeping Jordan’s nose from draining properly, which was contributing to his headaches.

“When we went into to talk to Dr. Statham, she talked to Jordan—not me. He’s 10 years old, but he understood that he needed to get back to the tournament. So, he got to ask all the questions.” Pediatric otolaryngologists have extra training and years of experience talking to children. This helps children feel comfortable and in control.

Now when Jordan hits the mat, he will be breathing easy and with fewer headaches, as he heads toward his fourth state title.