A patient who won her battle with COVID-19 at Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC) has become a symbol of hope for the PRMC Medical ICU (MICU). This patient’s phenomenal journey, recently shared by Jackie Myers, administrative nursing director, PRMC, demonstrates that, with compassion at the center of patient care, anything is possible.
On October 1, Jeanette Knee was admitted to PRMC and within days, was placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, where she remained for nine long weeks. During her stay, she became a part of the MICU family, and they did everything possible to lift her spirits.
For example, nurses who cared for Jeanette would visit on days when they weren’t assigned to her. Every day, a caregiver added a link to the paper chain stretched across her wall, serving as a visual representation of survival for another day. On her birthday, the unit brought in balloons and a large “happy birthday” banner signed by the team, and on occasion, they hosted “spa days” for her, complete with massages and fingernail painting.
In November, after Jeanette’s breathing tube was removed and she passed her swallow study, the nurses had yet another surprise. They knew she’d been dreaming about what she’d eat first, and they had a treat waiting for her after the test. As Jeanette sipped her favorite gas station coffee and savored the chocolate doughnut they purchased, her response said it all: “[Darn], this is good!”
Despite her progress and all the extraordinary care, Jeanette was still on ECMO, and it seemed inevitable that she would need a lung transplant. While she waited for that call from another healthcare system, her extensive community of caregivers worked diligently to help her regain strength.
On December 7, Jeanette celebrated a huge milestone with the team. She walked down the hall for the first time since admission. It took six members of her care team to assist her and manage the equipment, but she did it. With the help of her nurse, she created a special playlist for the occasion. Her first few steps outside of her room were to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” and she ended with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
By December 12, Jeanette progressed to 7 Medical, and six days later, she transitioned to rehab at Parkview Hospital Randallia. In early January, Jeanette went home.
The MICU team was thrilled when they learned that Jeanette no longer needed a lung transplant. According to Jackie, her legacy lives on in the unit. “I call her ‘our story of hope’ because she symbolizes the hope we have for each patient’s survival. When things get tough, they think of Jeanette and remember their calling as caregivers.”
Amid all the heartache of the pandemic, inspirational stories like hers remind us of all that is possible.
