Jeannie Gaffigan, comedy writer, mother of five, and wife of comedian, Jim Gaffigan, underwent surgery in April 2017 to remove a life-threatening tumor near her brain stem. Damage to her vagal nerve resulted in dysphagia. Jeannie initially required a feeding tube due to the inability to swallow and is currently undergoing swallow rehabilitation.
Jim and Jeannie created this video for the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders to raise awareness about the impact of swallowing disorders have on individuals and their families, especially during the holidays. Jeannie provides a message of hope, describing the resilience of the human spirit and our ability to overcome the most challenging obstacles.
-The NFOSD thanks the Gaffigans for their willingness to share their story with our community. –
Andy and Natalie Tennison 02.18.2019
Thank you so much Jeannie for sharing your story with us.
Mel 06.21.2019
Thanks Jim and Jeannie! Beautiful comments. Love that Jim is a male model. hahaha.
Melissa Booker 10.21.2019
This was so helpful. Thank you for sharing what you go through. I hope you have continued to make progress since making this video. You made some excellent points that will be very helpful for some of my patients families.