Earlier this year, Good Samaritan Hospital’s Labor and Delivery department faced a medical emergency when a mother experienced a stage III postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth. The rapid response team was immediately summoned and the L&D nurses, physicians, blood bank, pharmacy and lab worked together seamlessly to provide top-quality care to the patient in need. “Seeing the staff work in harmony, the communication and response were seamless with everyone as they saved my wife's life,” said the patient's husband.
Read the heartfelt letter below sent by the patient's best friend thanking the team for their quick actions during the crisis.
To the entire Good Sam staff who saved my best friend's life on New Year's Eve, Thank you.
I've been in many codes in my career & none of them prepared me to hear "Rapid response to L&D Recovery 2.” Knowing it was my best friend in that room and then seeing the Level 1 Rapid Infuser brought up knowing she's bleeding out, and feeling so utterly helpless- all while trying not to let her family know what I already knew- she was in trouble.
When she came out, she remembered far more than a person normally would under those circumstances and from what I can piece together, ya'II rocked it. For someone to lose nearly 5L of blood & walk out of the hospital with a healthy baby just three days later is a testament to ALL OF YOU. So I wanted to say thank you, to everyone in L&D, CVICU and ANTE for saving her life.
I'd also like to thank the house supervisor, April (I think?) and the charge nurse on CVICU, Patrick, for helping her get to ANTE (only 10 hours later!) so she could finally meet her son. When everyone was playing the game of "not it" they thought outside the box and, just after we all made our way into 2024, she made her way out of the ICU.
She also very clearly remembers Dr. Mendoza and his clear leadership amongst the chaos (also his throwing things which makes her laugh). I don't know that she'd be here without his experience knowing surgery was imminent and needed to happen immediately.
Her L&D primary nurse, Jessi, who caught her blood type mistake prior to her c-section, never knowing how imperative that would turn out to be and for being such a rockstar in the OR. Crystal remembers bits and pieces of trying to pull things off/out and hearing constant words of comfort: "I'm not going to leave you" and "You're not going to die".
To Kayla for holding her hand and never leaving her side. She vividly remembers being calmed by this.
RT Dave for helping intubate her & for reassuring me as I had a panic attack in the hallway. And for seeming to be everywhere in the hospital whenever I brought any loved one in.
To Rachel, the charge nurse, who I'm certain played a larger role than what she remembers, and who came over to CVICU to check on her personally.
Lisa for taking care of Mack after he was born and taking care of her husband while all of this was going on. For remembering them from their last baby 4 years ago and being such a warm and calming presence.
To the housekeepers who cleaned up her nearly 5L EBL and the MANY rooms she was transferred in and out of.
I know there are SO many more people that deserve thanks but for someone actively bleeding to death and on Propofol, I think she did pretty good remembering names.
So to anyone and EVERYONE who had any role in saving Crystal Fisher's life,
THANK YOU.
- Kristin Petrini
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