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My wife is a perfusionist (specialist who runs these pumps and similar ones while the heart is being operated on).

ECMO’s really an incredible feat of medicine that can bring people back from the edge where they would otherwise die.

My son spent 10 of his first 15 days of life plugged to an ECMO (he's 5 years old now!). Through the pain, fear and despair of 3 failed attempts to get him out of it, one of the thoughts that my head clung to for sanity was exactly what you describe, that awe of what the machine's power, and awe at the amazing people who, like your wife, tended to it and to my son.

Glad to hear your son is doing well. I can barely imagine how difficult those 2 weeks must have been.

My daughter spent her first 10 days of life on ECMO. She had severe Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) and mild Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). She's a happy and healthy 6 y/o now. It was terrifying to watch them try to keep her alive for 4 hours in NICU2 the hospital where she was born. They eventually gave up and medevaced her to a hospital with a NICU3. Once she went on ECMO we had hope she might actually survive. ECMO is amazing.

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