>>> AND WELCOME BACK, THIS MORNING WE’VE GOT A MEDICAL
MYSTERY THAT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE
IT’S STRAIGHT OUT OF A MOVIE.
>> A COUPLE ON THE VACATION OF A
LIFETIME, THEY BOTH ENDED UP IN
THE HOSPITAL.
THE HOSPITAL. ONE OF THEM CONTRACTED ONE OF
THE DEADLIEST SUPER BUGS IN THE
WORLD.
WORLD. >> THEY BOTH HAPPEN TO BE
RESEARCHERS IN INFECTIOUS
DISEASES AND THAT MADE ALL THE
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. CRAIG AND I RECENTLY HAD THE
CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH
THEM.
THEM. >> Reporter: IN 2015 STEPHANIE
AND HER HUSBAND TOM PATTERSON
CONQUERED THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
OF THEIR LIVES, SAVING TOM FROM
A DEADLY INFECTION.
>> THERE’S NO CASES THAT WE WERE
AWARE OF TO TREAT A SYSTEMIC
SUPER BUG INFECTION, AND THIS
WAS A FIRST FOR THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. >> THAT YEAR WHILE ON AN
EGYPTIAN CRUISE, TOM THOUGHT HE
GOT FOOD POISONING.
>> WE WERE ABOUT TO SEE THE
VALLEY OF THE KINGS THE NEXT
DAY.
DAY. WE’RE UP ON THE STAR LIT DECK
HAVING A MEAL.
SOON AFTER THE MEAL I GOT SICK.
I WAS GETTING VERY ILL VERY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. >> Reporter: BOTH STEPHANIE AND
TOM ARE MEDICAL RESEARCHERS.
STEPHANIE’S FOCUS IS INFECTIOUS
DISEASE, AND SHE REALIZED THIS
WAS NO ORDINARY ILLNESS.
TOM WAS RUSHED TO THE LOCAL
CLINIC AND DIAGNOSED WITH A
GALLSTONE BLOCKAGE.
GALLSTONE BLOCKAGE. HE NEEDED TO BE MEDEVACED
IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY. >> TWO DAYS LATER THE DOCTOR
CAME IN AND HE STOOD A WAYS AWAY
FROM THE BED, AND HE SAID IS
THIS THE WORST BACTERIUM ON THE
PLANET.
PLANET. >> Reporter: DOCTORS SAID TOM
HAD CONTRACTED A SUPER BUG THAT
WAS RESISTING ALL ANTIBIOTICS.
>> OVER TIME THE DOCTORS
BASICALLY SAID THERE’S NOTHING
ELSE THAT WE CAN DO.
>> Reporter: GIVEN ONLY A FEW
WEEKS LEFT TO LIVE, STEPHANIE
KNEW IT WAS UP TO HER TO TRY TO
FIND A CURE.
>> THE PAIN WAS SO EXTREME THAT
THE HAIRS ON MY HEAD HURT.
>> Reporter: SHE ENLISTED THE
HELP OF THE NAVY, THE FDA AND
TWO UNIVERSITIES TO RESEARCH
PHAGE THERAPY, AN EXPERIMENTAL
100-YEAR-OLD REMEDY THAT USES
VIRUSES TO KILL BACTERIA.
>> WE’RE HAVING MEGAN ADMINISTER
PHAGE THERAPY.
PHAGE THERAPY. >> IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE A
MINIATURE GODZILLA AFTER A
MINIATURE KING KONG AND THIS
INVISIBLE WAR FAIR ISFARE IS HAP
BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY SCARY TIME,
BUT I KNEW AT THE SAME TIME WE
WERE MAKING MEDICAL HISTORY AND
THAT IF WE LOST HIM WE WOULD
STILL BE LEARNING SOMETHING FROM
THIS THAT WOULD HELP OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> WOW.
>> WOW. >> STEPHANIE STRAFTY AND TOM
PATTERSON ARE HERE AND SHARING
THEIR STORY IN THEIR NEW MEMOIR,
THE PERFECT PREDATOR,
SCIENTIST’S RACE TO SAVE HER
HUSBAND FROM A DEADLY SUPER BUG.
GOORN
GOORN GOOD MORNING, GUYS.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> THIS IS WILD, YOU OF ALL
PEOPLE STUDY INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
TOM IS SUFFERING FROM THIS
BIZARRE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW IT WAS MORE
THAN JUST A STOMACH BUG?
>> WELL, HE WAS VOMITING AND
JUST WOULDN’T STOP, AND THEN HE
STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT BACK
PAIN, YOU KNOW.
IT’S LIKE, WELL, THAT DOESN’T
SOUND LIKE FOOD POISONING, AND I
GOOGLED IT, AND IT CAME UP
PANCREATITIS, AND I THOUGHT
WELL, I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S
RIGHT OR NOT BUT WE NEED TO GET
A DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY.
>> TOM, IS IT LOST ON YOU THAT
IF YOU WERE MARRIED TO MAYBE
LITERALLY ANY OTHER WOMAN
THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU’D BE
DEAD?
DEAD? >> I’D SAY I CHOSE WISELY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> I THINK SO.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> YES.
>> YES. IT’S AMAZING.
IT’S AMAZING. >> I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT
THE RIGHT TIME.
WE’RE VERY PRIVILEGED TO WORK IN
A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE DOCTORS
WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF ME.
I HAD A BRILLIANT WIFE AND
FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO SUPPORTED
ME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
>> WHEN YOU WERE MEDEVACED AND
YOU FINALLY GOT THE CARE THAT
YOU NEEDED, WHAT DID THEY FIND?
>> WELL, THEY FOUND THAT
BASICALLY HIS SUPER BUG WAS
RESISTANT TO ALL ANTIBIOTICS,
AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT
MODERN MEDICINE COULD DO.
>> SO THEN WHAT?
>> WELL, I DID WHAT ANYBODY ELSE
WOULD DO.
WOULD DO. I GOOGLED IT.
AND I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A
100-YEAR-OLD FORGOTTEN CURE
CALLED PHAGE THERAPY AND I KNEW
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PHAGES WERE
BECAUSE I STUDIED MICROBIOLOGY
BACK IN THE DAY.
>> IS IT TRUE THAT THE PHAGES
TOM NEEDED COULD BE FIND IN
SEWAGE?
SEWAGE? >> THESE ARE VIRUSES THAT ATTACK
BACTERIA.
BACTERIA. >> YOU WERE SO ILL THAT I’D
IMAGINE TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
HERE, AND THERE’S NOT REALLY
THAT MUCH TIME TO EXPLORE THIS
100-YEAR-OLD WAY OF CURING
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. HOW DID YOU DO IT ALL IN A TIME
PERIOD THAT SAVED TOM’S LIFE?
>> I FOUND RESEARCHERS THAT WERE
STUDYING PHAGES THAT ATTACK HIS
SUPER BUG, SKPIAND I JUST WROTE
AND SAID PLEASE CAN YOU HELP.
AND I SENT THEM A PICTURE OF TOM
LYING IN A COMA AND I SAID COULD
YOU HELP, AND TOTAL STRANGERS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD STEPPED UP
TO THE PLATE.
>> THE CROWD SOURCE TO CURE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> TODAY YOU LOOK FINE.
YOU LOOK HEALTHY, HOW DO YOU
FEEL?
FEEL? ARE YOU BACK TO 100%?
>> I’M BACK I WOULD SAY 100%.
I’M BACK TO WORK.
WE JUST GOT BACK FROM COSTA RICA
BIRD WATCHING, HIKING.
>> THIS HASN’T SLOWED YOU DOWN?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A
LITTLE BIT, BUT NO, I WOULD SAY
NO.
NO. COGNITIVELY I THINK I’M JUST AS
IMPAIRED AS I EVER WAS
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> REGULAR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE
WATCHING THIS, WHAT’S THE
TAKEAWAY?
TAKEAWAY? >> WELL, I MEAN, I THINK
SOMETIMES WHEN YOUR BACK IS UP
AGAINST THE WALL OR ORDINARY
PEOPLE CAN DO EXTRAORDINARY
THINGS, AND PHAGES OFFER AN
ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTICS THAT
NEED TO BE EXPLORED, AND WE’RE
ACTUALLY OPENING NOW THE FIRST
DEDICATED PHAGE THERAPY CENTER
IN NORTH AMERICA AT UC SAN DIEGO
CALLED I PATH AND ANYBODY WHO
HAS A SUPER BUG OUT THERE THAT’S
NOT RESPONDING TO ANTIBIOTICS
YOU CAN E-MAIL US, AND WE WILL
HELP.
HELP. WE’RE A NONPROFIT.
WE’RE FUND-RAISING AND WE’RE
GOING TO MOVE THIS INTO CLINICAL
TRIALS.
TRIALS. HOPEFULLY IT CAN BE SCALED UP
AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE
WORLD.
WORLD. >> THAT’S AMAZING.
I’M SO GLAD YOU GUYS TOLD THIS
STORY.
STORY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, I’M SO HAPPY
YOU’RE DOING WELL.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> AND GLAD YOU MARRIED THIS