Mater Children’s Hospital marks third year of ECMO
- Release Date: 21/09/2011
- For media enquiries please contact 07 3163 1524 or the afterhours on call media officer on 07 3163 8111.
When William Morrison was 15 months old his mum knew he wasn’t well but his diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia was completely unexpected—and when his condition deteriorated, being placed on life support treatment, known as ECMO, was his only option for survival.
ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) provides both cardiac and respiratory support to patients whose heart and lungs are so severely diseased or damaged they can no longer function. Mater Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in Queensland to provide ECMO to paediatric patients and marked its third year of providing this service with an event on 21 September 2011.
At the time William received ECMO he was the only child in Australia to have received this treatment whilst also undergoing chemotherapy.
William’s mum, Kylie said that without ECMO William would not have survived.
“We were told he may not even make the ambulance ride let alone the surgery to insert the cannulas for the ECMO machine but thanks to the care he received at Mater Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and at Royal Children’s Hospital he did pull through.”
William’s illness had started only a few weeks earlier when Kylie became concerned at his lethargy and loss of weight. After a blood test revealed William was anaemic he was rushed to Mater Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.
“Once we arrived at Mater Children’s Hospital Emergency a doctor came in and explained our son had leukaemia. He said William would be sent to the Royal Children’s Hospital in the morning to have more tests.
“Our arrival at Royal Children’s Hospital was somewhat of a blur as we had not slept all night. We were told William would be having his lumbar puncture, bone marrow biopsy and PICC line put in during surgery at 2.30 pm that day. William didn’t come out of surgery until 7.30 pm and was in PICU for the next few days where his condition deteriorated to such a degree that his only option of survival was ECMO at Mater Children’s Hospital,” Kylie said.
“When William was put on ECMO we knew it was our last and only hope. The chemotherapy, although crucial and having to continue no matter what, was almost secondary to us as it was the ECMO machine, and the delicate balancing act staff had to master, which was going to keep our little boy alive. The team at Mater were incredible and spending most of the 24/7 care with these amazing people certainly helped us keep our hope alive and our sanity. We are forever indebted to them saving our boy, to give him the chance now to fight his cancer.”
William is now 19 months old and into his fourth round of chemotherapy at Royal Children’s Hospital as part of an intensive six month treatment course.
“William has good days and bad days whilst undergoing his treatment. His determination to be happy, play, smile, laugh and interact with those around is quite inspiring to all who meet him,” Kylie said.
“The care William has received at both intensive care units of the Royal Children’s and Mater Children’s Hospitals has been nothing short of remarkable—which is a word that has been used for William’s strength to survive his ordeal to date.”