Emma Sutherland - Mom lives 6 days without lungs waiting for transplant

SUMMARY:
         Melissa Benoit, mom and wife, was born with Cystic Fibrosis, and she had been fighting an on-off infection that had ravaged her lungs for 3 years. Benoit took antibiotics very frequently, but had come down with the flu, ultimately fracturing her ribs. However, her infection could not be controlled, so she was sedated and put on a ventilator. As she was not getting better, and was "drowning in the blood and pus that filled her lungs", it was very clear that Benoit needed a lung transplant. A conventional ventilator was not enough to help her breathe until donor lungs became available, so to pass time, physicians placed her on extra-corporeal lung support, which helped patients in her condition that were waiting for a transplant. However, other patients in this case would've survived, but Benoit's condition only worsened. The family decided to make a "radical decision" to remove not one, but both of her lungs while waiting for a new pair of lungs. Meanwhile, Benoit would be put on Novalung, a lung support system that oxygenates the blood. She waited 6 whole days without lungs to receive a pair of donor lungs! With a successful surgery, and no more cystic fibrosis, Benoit said regarding her new lungs, "Wow. This is what it feels to breathe like a normal person. It is incredible".

ANALYSIS:
       Before reading this article, I had been aware of a few medical miracles, but I believe that this case is a gateway to many more medical advancements! It's so great to see that this family took a big risk, and it paid off! If she had not agreed to the surgery, she would've died. The family seems very pleased, and I'm glad that they can finally get past this struggle that her and her family have experienced for quite some time. This article is from CNN, which is a very reliable source for news. It always keeps us updated on the most current issues and findings in America, and all over the world! We can synthesize this to the Industrial Revolution, when there were many improvements to industries and different areas, including medical, that occurred around that time.


http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/25/health/lung-transplant-toronto-trnd-bn/index.html