171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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Patient Stories
Kristin Patrick
On January 25, 1997 - a few days after developing a common cold - 15-month-old Kristin Patrick was rushed to the hospital with a high fever, labored breathing and a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute.
When local physicians were unable to treat or diagnose her condition, Kristin was rushed to MUSC's Pedicatric Intensive Care Unit. There, physicians found one of the most severe cases of pneumonia they had ever seen, one that had caused both of Kristin's lungs to rupture. Her prognosis, for a while, was precarious.
For seven long days, Kristin's heart and lungs struggled to oxygenate her blood, exhausting her body to the point where it was unable to fight the life-threatening virus. Meanwhile, her overworked lungs continued to develop new perforations.
Despite her daughter's deteriorating condition, Susan Patrick says that the pediatric specialists at the Children's Hospital made her feel confident that her daughter would somehow recover.
"It was just unbelievable to experience that level of knowledge and care," she says. "The doctors, nurses…everyone. I could tell they knew what they were doing. Not only were they knowledgeable about what they were doing, but they also cared about what they were doing. They cared about Kristin, and they were genuinely interested in getting her better. I felt like we got the best care we could have gotten anywhere."
After several days of researching and consulting with each other, MUSC physicians decided to place Kristin on a revolutionary new heart/lung bypass machine, which would pump blood out of her body, supply it with oxygen and return it, allowing her lungs to regain strength while the virus ran its course.
Kristin remained on the heart/lung bypass machine for 10 days. During that time, her heart and lungs regained their strength while the virus was successfully purged from her body. Today, Kristin Patrick is a healthy, beautiful 4-year-old who owes her life to handful of pediatric specialists and a machine known simply as an "ECMO."
"When she got better and we were finally able to hold her…it's very hard to describe the feeling we had," says Susan Patrick. "When she was a little baby, we'd think what a miracle it was to have her to begin with. Now we see her as even more of a miracle."
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