Patient Spotlight Brittnee, ECMO Patient
Soon after Brittnee gave birth to her third child, Brayden, she learned that the flu she’d been fighting for weeks had developed into bacterial and viral pneumonia, and she was put on a ventilator. After nearly two weeks, she became septic, and her lungs collapsed. Brittnee was emergency airlifted to the medical center where she was immediately treated with ECMO, a potentially lifesaving treatment for seriously ill patients with lung and heart conditions. The technology, which became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, had first come to the medical center in late 2020. The machine essentially does the work for the patient’s lungs and heart, giving them time to heal. Ultimately, Brittnee was on ECMO for 70 days. “I really don’t remember anything from after I gave birth to waking up two months later,” she said. Born and raised in Knoxville, Brittnee and her husband, Jeremy, were married in 2020 and have seven children in their large, blended family. People from their church, including the pastor and his wife, stepped in and helped Jeremy take care of the kids, especially newborn Brayden, while Brittnee fought for her life.
While on ECMO, one of Brittnee’s lungs became detached from its side wall, and she began bleeding internally. She underwent surgery to try to stop the profuse bleeding. The doctors told Jeremy that, even though her chances of survival were slim, it was important to maintain their positivity and help motivate Brittnee to keep fighting. And that’s exactly what she did. Brittnee was finally taken off ECMO and what followed was months of physical therapy and significant ups and downs. Brittnee was finally able to go home for good four months later, but she could not fully take care of herself without additional care for several more month. “I learned that I’m a pretty strong person, stronger than I thought I was,” she said. “My faith definitely guided me through my healing process. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without Jeremy’s support. And if it wasn’t for the staff, nurses and doctors at the medical center, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Learn more about ECMO and watch to hear Brittnee’s story here.
UT Medical Center | 27
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