View stories from patients and families about their experiences with ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).
Jay's Story
After 24 h in the emergency room (ER), my first reaction when the doctor said they finally had an intensive care unit (ICU) bed was relief. I didn’t know enough (or wasn’t thinking clearly enough) to fully appreciate what that meant. We arrived at the ER on a Sunday night, with Jay battling what turned out to be “impressive” pneumonia in both lungs. I had walked by a group of ER doctors huddled around an X-ray that was all white. I didn’t realize until later that it was Jay’s.
Wh...
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Tonia's Emergency
Tonia Elrod is the epitome of success and hope.
Story credit to Matt Martin
The Procter & Gamble executive has worked hard to achieve great accomplishments in her career. She lives a happy life with her husband, Adam, and their three children—Caden, Gavin and Maley.
But on Feb. 2, 2019, her life would take a turn in a direction she could never have imagined.
Despite appearing healthy and active, the 45-year-old suffered a massive heart at...
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Ariel's Story
“Yes, like the Little Mermaid,” she laughs, expecting the Disney movie reference that has come her way for the past two decades. However, since her birth the 22-year old’s identity has been immersed in something much more meaningful than anything under the sea. Just ask Ivor Berkowitz, the pediatric intensivist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center who remembers the “come urgently” call from a fellow in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) like it was yest...
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