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What is a Trach?
A tracheostomy is a small opening in the neck that connects directly to the airway. For some children, it’s a temporary support; for others, it becomes part of how they breathe and grow for years.
It is not a diagnosis — it’s a path forward. Children with trachs go to school, attend birthday parties, learn to swim, fall in love with dinosaurs, and live full, meaningful lives.
What changes overnight is everything around them: routines, sleep, finances, and the quiet rhythm of family life. That’s where we come in.
Airway Conditions
Subglottic stenosis, vocal cord paralysis, and other conditions that make breathing without help unsafe.
Long-Term Ventilator Support
For children whose lungs need consistent help moving air, day and night.
Prematurity & Lung Disease
Babies born early often need extra time and support to develop strong, independent breathing.
Complex Medical Needs
Children with multiple conditions whose care plans require around-the-clock attention.
Our Mission
Why We Started the Little Trachs Foundation
Trach care changes every aspect of family life — emotionally, financially, and physically. We built Little Trachs to meet families exactly where the system leaves off.
Equipping Families Financially
Direct, fast relief for the costs that insurance never quite covers — and that arrive without warning.
Educating Families on Resources
A trusted, plain-language library of what we wish someone had handed us on day one.
Empowering Families Through Community
Connection with other parents who already speak the language of suction machines and supply orders.
giving to little trachs
Why Donor Support Matters
Whether you need support or want to give it, Little Trachs helps families move from crisis toward stability.
Overwhelmed → Equipped
Parents feel equipped instead of overwhelmed.
A grant arrives the week the bill does. A care guide answers the question the night nurse couldn’t. The fog lifts, just a little.
Falling through → Held
Families access help instead of falling through cracks.
When insurance denies, when programs run out, when the safety net frays — we are the next call, not the last.
Isolated → connected
Caregivers find community instead of isolation.
Another parent who has been there. A text thread at 2 a.m. A reminder that this hard thing is not happening to you alone.
Together, we help families move from surviving to feeling supported.
Hunter Hartman
Founder & Executive Director
Naomi’s dad. Started Little Trachs in 2021 after his family’s first hospital stay revealed how few resources existed for trach families.
Hunter spent a decade in operations before turning his focus to trach families full-time. He leads our family grant program and partnership work with pediatric pulmonology clinics across the Midwest.
Luz Harris
Director of Family Support
A pediatric ICU nurse for 14 years before joining Little Trachs. Trains our peer-support volunteers and reviews every care guide we publish.
Luz is a bilingual (English/Spanish) advocate who personally walked dozens of families through their first month at home. She holds a BSN from the University of Texas and lives in Austin with her wife and three kids.
Larson Laidlaw
Director of Programs
Builds the systems that get help to families fast. Believes a 24-hour turnaround on a grant request is non-negotiable.
Larson came from the social enterprise world and brings nearly a decade of nonprofit ops experience. He oversees grant disbursement, the resource library, and the platform that powers our community.
Kate Parkinson
Director of Community
Mom to a former trach kiddo. Builds the parent network we wish had existed for our family in 2020.
Kate organizes our regional meetups, parent-to-parent matching, and monthly virtual gatherings. Before Little Trachs, she ran community programs for a children’s hospital foundation. Lives outside Nashville with her husband and son.
Common Questions
What Families & Donors Ask Us
Yes. The Little Trachs Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 88-2671091). Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and you’ll receive a written acknowledgment for any gift of $250 or more.
Any family caring for a child with an active or recent tracheostomy is eligible to apply. Requests are reviewed weekly by a small committee that includes our director of family support and a pediatric social worker. We prioritize urgency, financial need, and gaps left by insurance — not paperwork.
Whenever possible, we pay vendors and providers directly — utility companies, pharmacies, hospital billing offices, gas card programs. When direct payment isn’t an option, funds are sent to the family by ACH or check, typically within 72 hours of approval. 95% of every dollar reaches families; 5% covers the cost of running the program.
Email hello@littletrachs.org for general questions, or support@littletrachs.org if you’re a family in need of assistance. We answer every message personally — usually within one business day.
