New ECMO medical technology now saving lives at Marian

 

After testing positive for COVID-19, Matt Tracy was admitted to Marian Regional Medical Center in October of 2021 and was quickly placed on a ventilator. Matt continued to deteriorate and was on the verge of death, but his care team had one more card to play—extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy, the life-saving treatment known as ECMO. This sophisticated life-support technology pumps and oxygenates the patient’s blood outside the body, allowing the lungs to rest and recover.

After more than 63 days in the hospital, Matt is alive and well today, crediting his remarkable recovery to the ECMO treatment he received and the care provided by the Marian Regional Medical Center staff. The ECMO medical technology at Marian Regional Medical Center is a reality due to a $260,252 donation from the Mark and Dorothy Smith Family Foundation.

 

Matt and Stephanie Tracy with ECMO care team at MRMC Matt and Stephanie Tracy (center) celebrate with Marian physicians, nurses, and personnel who helped him through his COVID-19 crisis.

Matt and Stephanie Tracy

Above, Matt and Stephanie Tracy visit Matt's former hospital room located in Marian's Critical Care Unit, where Matt spent over two months late last year fighting a severe case of COVID-19.

Marian's ECMO machine

Marian’s ECMO machine is pictured above, made possible by the Mark and Dorothy Smith Family Foundation.

Matt Tracy talking to his care team at Marian Regional Medical Center

Above, Matt Tracy reunited with his care team for the first time in March 2022 at Marian Regional Medical Center after being discharged last New Year's Eve as a COVID-19 survivor after receiving ECMO treatment.