Musician Tom Bright was born with Oesophageal Atresia (OA) and Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula (TOF), rare conditions that meant he was born unable to swallow.
While life-saving surgery allowed him to survive, the journey didn’t end there.
Now, as a Celebrity Ambassador for TOFS, Tom is sharing his story to highlight the vital, life-long work of the charity. TOFS is the only organisation in the UK providing dedicated support to the 1 in 3,500 babies born with these conditions, as well as the adults they become.
Hello. It’s Tom bright here. I was born with a rare condition called OA/TOF. Which means I was born unable to swallow. The inability to swallow is something so much more complex than you would immediately assume. In fact, I’m very lucky to be here. As a baby, I was severely ill and underwent a lot of major life saving surgery. Life since has been both interesting and very difficult at times.
OA stands for Oesophageal Atresia. That’s where the oesophagus, aka your food pipe, isn’t connected to your stomach and TOF is where the trachea or windpipe is joined to your oesophagus instead of just to your lungs. It’s quite unbelievable really.
TOFS is a fantastic charity that not only supports children and adults with my condition, but also works with medical professionals across the UK and worldwide to advocate for better treatments, knowledge sharing and lifelong surgical aftercare.
When TOFS asked me to support them, I had to say yes.
TOFS told me about Laura who has gained a huge support network through the OA/TOF community. She said TOFS support over the years has been invaluable, and that they’ve helped her more than they’ll ever know. For me, every day is an absolute blessing and I’ve got an enormous gratitude for everything around me and all the things I can do. I made the decision to commit my life to writing songs, and it’s such a privilege to be following my dreams.
Thankfully, OA/TOF is pretty rare, but does affect about one in every 3,500 babies born. Can you imagine being a parent going from the high of bringing your child into the world, to suddenly seeing them whisked away for lifesaving surgery? What makes it harder is that most parents only discover that their baby has OA/TOF after birth.
Surgery is only the beginning. Like myself, people born with OA/TOF can have ongoing complications throughout their life. For me, my surgery resulted in my stomach being moved up to near my shoulders, which is now left me with severe gastric reflux and ongoing respiratory issues. So it’s a complex condition, but there is hope.
The TOFS charity want everyone born like me to be able to live life unlimited. TOFS charity is working to improve outcomes for all those affected by this condition. They support the OA/TOF community by providing free information, pastoral support and education for families, adults born with the condition and the medical professionals who treat them.
TOFS receives no government funding and relies completely on donations. And that’s why I’d like to ask you for your support.
Please help me spread a bit of positivity and donate to TOFS today. Every donation makes a difference. You can donate directly via the TOFS website, through PayPal, by bank transfer, or direct debit.
We really do need your help and it’s hugely appreciated.
Thank you so much.
Information correct at time of recording (February, 2026). Click here to read our disclaimer.
