Houston, Texas, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crystal Gutierrez, a young mother who earlier in 2020 fell seriously ill from the effects of COVID-19 after delivering her son Matthew, reunited today with the doctors and nurses of HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center and Houston Heart who helped to save her life.
This was the first time the caregivers at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center and Houston Heart got to meet now eight-month-old Matthew who was born at sister hospital HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake.
Immediately after delivering her son, Crystal was transferred to sister hospital HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center for intensive ECMO treatment. ECMO, an acronym for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to patients whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. Dr. Keshava Rajagopal is the Houston Heart physician who administered Crystal's ECMO treatment, which reversed her profound respiratory failure.
The reunion commenced at 10:00 a.m. this morning at Houston Heart, 1200 Binz Street, Suite 900, Houston, Texas 77004
Please click HERE to watch video of Crystal when she was discharged on Nov. 24, 2020, the day before Thanksgiving.
Attached to this release is a photo of medical personnel reuniting with Crystal and meeting her son Matthew.
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HCA Houston Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare in the Houston area, where excellent trained physicians, nurses and allied health professionals treat almost a million patients. With an employee base of 15,000, HCA Houston Healthcare’s comprehensive network includes 13 hospitals, 10 outpatient surgery centers, 11 freestanding emergency centers and numerous freestanding diagnostic imaging facilities in the greater Houston area. It also includes a regional transfer center that provides one-phone-call access and support for patient transfers into and out of HCA Houston Healthcare facilities as well as access to ground and air transportation within a 150-mile radius. As one of the region’s largest healthcare systems, HCA Houston Healthcare recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities we serve. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Houston Healthcare also is a major supporter of the University of Houston College of Nursing and the new University of Houston College of Medicine. For more information, visit HCAHoustonHealthcare.com.
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