#CanadianIntensiveCareWeek runs from October 26 to November 1st, 2014, and no one knows about the outstanding dedication and commitment of our pediatric and neonatal intensive care teams quite like our patients do. 18-year-old Raphaëlla Vaillancourt is one of them. This summer, Raphaëlla awoke from a three-week medically-induced coma in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). She became infected with a life-threatening flesh-eating bacteria after a skateboarding accident, requiring emergency neck surgery and round the clock medical care. While hospitalized, she was visited by countless specialists, from respiratory therapists and nurses, to intensive care and infectious disease specialists. Immediately following her surgery, she underwent an intense round of antibiotic treatment to ensure the flesh-eating bacteria was eliminated from her body. She also had to rely on a breathing tube to keep her breathing stable and steady while unconscious. After five weeks at the Children’s, Raphaëlla was discharged and underwent several more weeks of rehabilitation at a facility nearby. Today, youd never know she was once fighting for her life. Grateful to be healthy, Raphaëlla says she’s enjoying seeing things from a different perspective. “My experience really impacted me. I now make the most of every day.” Please join us in thanking our intensive care colleagues for helping Raphaëlla and patients just like her year-round.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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