Now “medical journal” rare

Dear Tim,

I know you will remember when Annabelle was born. I had multiple bags of water and when one came out “intact” the nurse was excited about it, saying it was rare and your entire face lit up and you said “like medical journal rare?!”

Poor nurse had to let you down easily saying, “Well, no… not quite medical journal rare. But I don’t see it everyday.” I saw on your face as you smiled at me that you were trying not to be disappointed by that.

Throughout your entire ordeal in the hospital, it felt like everything was unprecedented. I heard “perfect storm” many times, and many medical professionals weighing in, looking at options, coming up with the next course of action. I remember saying to you and hoping you could hear me, “Tim, you are finally medical journal rare. Pull through this, and you will be in the medical journals.” I may have even written that to some of the staff I wrote thank yous to after we left the hospital.

In March of 2019, I got an email from the associate director of ECMO at Inova Fairfax Medical Center (who I remembered) saying:

The ECMO team is interested in trying to publish data regarding the infections your husband faced while being on ECMO.  My hope is that centers that do not see as many cases as us learn from our experience.  The data does not contain any identifying materials, however I wanted to have your consent prior to proceeding.

Well, I couldn’t imagine a thing you’d love more, so of course I gave my consent. I asked for a copy when it was published, but when I didn’t hear again, I assumed it just didn’t work out.

Fairly recently (it has taken me some time to get this down) your friend Melissa, reached out to me. She is an infectious disease physician, and came to see you in the hospital. She said she was doing a literature search at work and found Tim’s paper! I said “what?”

You finally made it… a scientific paper about your infections.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211753919300491

I’m so sorry you are not here to read it. I admit, for me, it’s a heavy read. Brings me right back to those days. But I am ever so grateful to Melissa for finding it for me, for your parents and friends, and someday for the kiddos. If the facts of your case help save even one life…

Goodness, I miss you, my love. Sleep well.

Always, MaryBeth

“He said he’d love me all his life, But that life was too short” ~ Taylor Swift, I can do it with a broken heart