Empty Nose Syndrome’s Impact on Robert: A Police Officer’s Brave Yet Tragic Story

Patient case documentation · Empty Nose Syndrome

Robert Byrnes: Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosed 24 years after septoplasty

A documented account based on Robert Byrnes’ family eulogy, obituary material and records describing a Mayo Clinic Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis after years of previously successful breathing following nasal surgery.

Robert Gerard Byrnes was born on December 13, 1972, in the Bronx, New York, and grew up in Yonkers. According to the funeral speech given by his brother, Robert became seriously ill in April 2020 and underwent extensive medical evaluation before an ENT specialist at Mayo Clinic diagnosed him with Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS) on October 28, 2020.

Source and evidence note: Information about Robert’s nasal surgery is limited. The family eulogy confirms an operation for a deviated septum approximately 24 years before the ENS diagnosis. The available material does not independently establish every surgical step, so this page does not present turbinate reduction as confirmed unless specifically supported by the source.
NameRobert Gerard Byrnes
BornDecember 13, 1972
HomeYonkers, New York
Prior surgerySeptal surgery for deviated septum
ENS diagnosisOctober 28, 2020
Age at death48 years

Illness and Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis at Mayo Clinic

Robert Byrnes – Empty Nose Syndrome case from Yonkers, New York
Robert Gerard Byrnes. Image preserved with the original case material.

Robert’s brother stated that Robert became very sick in April 2020. He saw multiple doctors in New York, but the cause of his increasingly severe medical problems remained unclear.

The family then travelled to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in October 2020. According to the eulogy, Robert underwent extensive testing, including blood tests, MRI scans, CT imaging and other examinations.

On October 28, 2020, an ENT specialist diagnosed Robert with Empty Nose Syndrome.

Robert’s brother describes the diagnosis

“Rob became very sick in April of 2020. He went to multiple doctors who struggled to provide answers to medical anomalies which became increasingly worse day by day.”

Robert’s brother described arranging the trip to Mayo Clinic because he believed a specialist team might finally identify what was causing the unexplained problems. He said that after several days of testing, an ENT specialist diagnosed Robert with Empty Nose Syndrome.

“On October 28th, we met with an ENT specialist who diagnosed Rob with a condition called Empty Nose Syndrome.”

In the same eulogy, his brother recalled that Robert had undergone nasal surgery about 24 years earlier because of breathing problems related to a deviated septum. He described that earlier operation as initially very successful.

“The operation was a blessing at the time, as he was struggling to breathe, and this had an immediate and positive impact.”

His brother then described the family’s understanding that the earlier surgery was relevant to Robert’s later ENS diagnosis. He also recalled the emotional impact of learning that there was no straightforward cure and how, even while seriously ill himself, Robert tried to comfort his family.

Earlier nasal surgery and the later ENS diagnosis

The available family account confirms surgery for a deviated septum approximately 24 years before the Mayo Clinic diagnosis. The original page described turbinate reduction as likely, but the supplied source does not independently confirm that detail.

This distinction matters because a professional case page should separate what is known from what is suspected. What is directly supported here is that Robert had prior nasal surgery, initially experienced improved breathing, later became seriously ill, and was subsequently diagnosed with Empty Nose Syndrome by an ENT specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Robert Byrnes: family, education and police career

Obituary material describes Robert as a lifelong member of the Yonkers community. He attended St. Paul the Apostle Grammar School and Archbishop Stepinac High School, later earning an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College and a Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Queens College.

2000 Began his law-enforcement career as an MTA Police officer.
2001 Joined the Rye Brook Police Department.
2007 Became a Yonkers Police Officer.
2012 onward Served as a Sergeant in the Yonkers Police Department.

Robert was described as proud of both his American and Irish heritage. He enjoyed travelling to Ireland, especially Counties Mayo and Monaghan, and his interests included jogging, boxing, painting, coffee, pizza, spending time with friends and helping people in his community.

“I love my family, my friends, my neighborhood, Yonkers, the Yonkers Police Department, the USA, Ireland and nature and all its beauty.”

Missing-person advisory and memorial material

The image below is preserved from the original page as part of the record surrounding Robert’s disappearance and the tributes shared by colleagues and members of his community. Click the image to open the full-size original.

Robert Byrnes missing-person advisory and memorial from Yonkers, New York
Missing-person and memorial material preserved in the Robert Byrnes case archive.

Supporting documents about Robert Byrnes

The full supporting document for Robert Byrnes is available through OneDrive. Open it in a new tab to view the complete source material.

Opens the OneDrive document in a new tab.

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