I got a fever for one week, without stopping.
And then my breath started getting short.
I cannot breathe.
My lungs, they weren't working.
Rush offers a series of heroic treatments
that are just not employed routinely
in the care of patients.
One of those is ECMO.
So we're taking patients that are on the brink of death,
putting them on ECMO, and then later,
watching them sing songs or walk in the hospital.
ECMO, E-C-M-O,
stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
It's basically a simplified heart-lung machine,
similar to what they use in the operating room
for heart surgeries.
We're able to provide a machine
that takes over the work of the heart and the lung
and is able to essentially save a person from dying.
And we're able to work on the patient
and able to get them through a very critically ill phase.
Our success rate is, based on national average,
we are at 20% above the national average
in saving patients with VV ECMO,
which is a specialized form of ECMO
for supporting the lungs.
Treating patients now, with COVID pneumonia
and COVID lung problems,
that expertise is being brought into play.
My family told me, when they told me
that I need a machine, and they needed somebody
to say "yes" to connect it, they were scared.
It was the only option I had.
So they told me they had to do whatever they can
to help me out.
Everything, the machine was everything.
Yeah, without the machine, I don't know.
Our physical therapists, occupational therapists,
and speech therapy teams all see them then,
to work on eating, their self-care,
getting up out of the bed.
And when they're ready, even walking in the halls.
And that allows us to have long-term results
that are fantastic, because the recovery process
is not just the human body.
It's the human spirit and the soul.
I believe everything is mental, you know?
Even if you know you are connected to a machine,
you have to love that machine,
because it's the one
that gives you another chance to live.
For our first ECMO patient that was COVID-positive,
that was in severe respiratory distress,
did well with our ECMO support,
and we were able to take the breathing tube out,
where he was able to rehab and eat, as well.
And we were able to finally get the ECMO machine off.
So, thanks to the machine, I'm right here
and ready to go home today,
and my family's waiting for me.
Dr. Tabachnick
from the ECMO team.
- Thank you. - You look great.
I just wanted to check this site.
Looks good, OK.
When you're ready, I'm ready too.
Good, you have questions?
Thank you.
- Thank you, doc, God bless you. - No.
You guys are the angels,
so I really appreciate what you guys,
all that you guys did for me.
It's our pleasure.
You go out there, you live a full life for us, OK?
It's a new completely new life.
Absolutely.
Your lungs look perfect on X-ray.
We'll keep an eye on you with the lung doctors, OK?
Yeah.
OK.
This is Dr. Gamino.
Hi.
She's the lung doctor who called us.
Oh, really?
She's the one who called us
and said you needed ECMO.
I can't believe I'm meeting you
for the first time, really.
Look at me.
Oh my gosh.
Can I shake your hand?
Thank you.
Thank you, I really appreciate all of you guys.
Oh my God.
I can't believe it.
I cannot believe you are the same person.
I would attribute the successes that we have
with these patients to the commitment
and passion of our team.
(clapping and cheering)
The ability to be able to intervene
and save a human life
and to be able to interact with that patient
after they have recovered from this.
That moment when you have a patient
who reaches out to you and says, "Thank you."
That is my proudest moment.
There's technology, but there's the emotion
that goes into caring for these patients.
There's a philosophy of how we're going to
take care of each one of these patients
and a desire to push the envelope.
It's our culture and who we are
and there's no better way to see that
than in this program.