Former patients reunite to celebrate a second chance at life

When illness moved through 34-year-old Jenna Phillips’ household in January, it seemed like an ordinary family bug.

Her husband and three young children were sick at different times, each with different symptoms.

Phillips developed a fever, felt better for a little bit but then got worse.

“I was trying to chase my 2-year-old around to get her pajamas on, and I just couldn’t do it,” she said. “I was so exhausted and knew something wasn’t right.”

By the time Phillips arrived at AdventHealth Littleton, she could barely breathe. She remembers being taken directly back for treatment, but after receiving a nebulizer, her memories faded.

“I think I blacked out for a little bit,” she said. “My former college roommate is an ER nurse at Littleton, and her face was the last thing I remember seeing.”

Nearly two weeks after arriving at AdventHealth Littleton, she woke up.

“The first thing I had asked about was our three kids,” Phillips said. “And then I ended up asking if I had been shot, because I truly had no idea what had happened to me.”

Phillips learned that what began as strep throat had progressed to pneumonia, sepsis, heart and lung failure, and cardiomyopathy.

She was intubated and placed on an Impella device, a tiny catheter-based heart pump used to temporarily help a weak heart circulate blood.

Then, she received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, the highest and most serious form of life support.

“The doctors and the nurses truly saved my life at Littleton, and I’m forever grateful,” she said. “They just really made me feel like everything was going to be OK.”

After three weeks in the hospital, Phillips was discharged. Since then, recovery has brought its own challenges, including the emotional weight of surviving a near-death experience.

“In the beginning, there is this post-hospital honeymoon where you’re just elated, and then eventually, it starts to wear off, and the reality of how long the recovery is starts to settle in,” she said.

Knowing what a journey recovery can be, on Sept. 13, AdventHealth hosted a survivor’s picnic specifically for Littleton and Porter patients who have been on ECMO or Impella devices.

The event was an opportunity for connection, celebration and community with others who have walked a similar path of strength, hope and recovery.

“Caring for ECMO and other critically ill patients as they work toward recovery is some of the most meaningful work I’ve ever done,” said Alexandra Smart, MD, AdventHealth Littleton critical care physician and ECMO medical director. “Their resilience inspires me every day and seeing them return to their lives is incredibly meaningful.”

“These patients have been through so much,” said Alyssa Malezija, RN, AdventHealth Littleton cardiovascular ICU nurse manager. “Creating a safe space where they could reconnect with their care teams and celebrate how far they’ve come was incredibly special.”

As Jenna Phillips reflects on everything she’s been through, she is even more hopeful for the future.

“I want to watch my kids grow up, and I want to grow old with my husband. That almost was gone,” she said. “To be able to get another chance at that is just incredible. It’s an absolute miracle.”