LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More life saving technology is coming to local hospitals thanks to a special grant.
We sat down with one patient who told us if it wasn't for this special technology, he doesn't know if he would be alive today.
Back in August of last year, what started off as an asthma attack for Spencer Fenner ended in a trip to the emergency room.
That's when his life took a dramatic turn.
FENNER: "I remember panicking and pressing the panic button for help and then everything went black...I had a seizure, I had bronchitis which led to acute respiratory failure and they put me in a medically induced coma."
He told Channel 13 his lungs started to fail, not releasing enough oxygen into his blood and his organs were slowly shutting down.
He says doctors acted quickly.
FENNER: "ECMO saved my life for sure, I was on the machine for 36 hours and that is all it took to get my oxygen levels back to give my lungs a chance to rest for a second so they could recover."
ECMO, or extra corporeal membrane oxygenation, is a procedure that provides critical heart and lung support for patients in critical need.
He says without it he would not still be here with us today.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust announced a grant of $11.6 million to three Nevada health systems, including University Medical Center and Dignity Health here in the valley.
Part of this funding will be used to increase the number of ECMO machines that we have in Southern Nevada.
Daniel Rodriguez, a certified medical technician who operates these machines, shows us how it works.
ABEL GARCIA: "Where does the blood go and how does it go through this system?"
RODRIGUEZ: "In this system we are using this bag as our patient. We drain the blood out of the patient that comes down and it is being drained through here by this pump it comes up through this oxygenator and it goes back to the patient this way."
Rodriguez took care of Spencer while he was on the ECMO machine.
RODRIGUEZ: "This machine brought us just enough time to manage Spencer as his lungs recovered without this machine Spencer would have died."
We first told you about this machine back in 2022 during the pandemic. In my report, I showed how this machine was helping save the lives of many critically ill Covid patients.
Now with this new grant…local hospitals will be able to help save more patients like Spencer.
SPENCER: "I remember what it felt like to see outside for the first time after being in the coma. This gives people the opportunity to live."
In addition to funding the ECMO program, the Helmsley Charitable Trust is also investing in the renovation of critical infrastructure, like additional cardiac laboratories, and ECMO training and staffing to further enhance patient care.
