Julie Lacombe 2
Julie
Discover Julie’s story: a race against time to save the life of a mother of three.
My Myname nameis isJulie, Julie,I'm I'm47. 47.I’m I’ma amom momof ofthree threeteens. teens.They’re They’re12, 12,15, 15,and and16. 16.
Julie

It was the first day of vacation. Julie was on the road early in the morning to go see her mother. But she never made it to her destination.

Route
I Idon’t don’tknow knowwhat whathappened. happened.It’s It’sall alljust justblack. black.I Idon’t don’tremember rememberanything. anything.I Imust musthave havefelt feltunwell. unwell.There Therewas wassomething somethingthat thatwas wasjust justnot notright. right.I Iknew knewI Ihad hadto toget getsomewhere somewherewith withpeople peoplewho whowould wouldtake takecare careof ofme. me.
Julie
ICM 19

Guided by instinct, Julie arrived just in time at the Montreal Heart Institute’s emergency room. Where she collapsed.

My Myname nameis isPierre-Emmanuel Pierre-EmmanuelNoly. Noly.I’m I’ma aheart heartsurgeon surgeonat atthe theMontreal MontrealHeart HeartInstitute. Institute.
Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Noly
Dr Noly

Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Noly

Heart surgeon at the MHI 

Dr. Noly arrived at the scene where Julie, 
in cardiac arrest, was being treated 
by the MHI’s emergency team.

The Theteam teamhad hadspent, spent,I Ithink, think,30 30minutes minutestrying tryingto torevive reviveher herwith withchest chestcompressions compressionswhich whichwere wereeffective effectivebut butunfortunately unfortunatelynot notsufficient sufficientfor forthe theheart heartto tostart startbeating beatingagain againon onits itsown. own.
Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Noly

In instances like these, decisions need to be made very quickly. After 60 minutes, the odds of survival are nil. 

The team decided to connect Julie to the ECMO machine, a life support device that temporarily took over the functions of her heart and lungs. 

Machine ECMO

Her condition improved and the situation stabilized. 
The team then had to assess her brain function.

My Myname nameis isPatrick PatrickBellemare, Bellemare,I’m I’ma acritical criticalcare carephysician physicianin inthe theMontreal MontrealHeart HeartInstitute’s Institute’ssurgical surgicalintensive intensivecare careunit. unit.
Dr. Patrick Bellemare
Dr Patrick Bellemare

Dr. Patrick Bellemare

Critical care physician in the Montreal Heart Institute’s surgical intensive care unit 

While Whilewe wewere weretrying tryingto torevive reviveher, her,I Ifound foundout outthat thatshe shewas wasa asingle singlemother motherof ofthree. three.We Wehoped hopedthat thatthe theoutcome outcomewould wouldbe bea ahappy happyone. one.We Wealso alsowanted wantedto todo doeverything everythingwe wecould couldto toprotect protectthis thiswoman’s woman’sbrain. brain.
Dr. Patrick Bellemare
FICM Bruno Florin 02948

Julie with her daughter Alice and her son Laurent

My Myname nameis isAlice Aliceand andI’m I’m16. 16.I Iwas wasreally reallyin inshock. shock.My Mysister sisterstarted startedcrying. crying.My Mybrother brotherwas waslike likeme, me,we wewere werejust justin inshock. shock.
Alice
I Iwas wasthinking thinkingthat thatthe thepillar pillarof ofthat thatfamily familywas waslying lyinghorizontal horizontalin inone oneof ofour ourbeds. beds.And Andeverything everythinghinged hingedon onwhether whethershe’d she’dmake makeit. it.
Dr. Patrick Bellemare
The initial scans were reassuring. Some of her basic reflexes were intact. 
IRM 2
When WhenI Iwoke wokeup, up,the thefirst firstthing thingI Isaw sawwas wasmy mydaughter. daughter.
Julie
I Isaw sawthere therewere werea alot lotof ofmachines, machines,wires, wires,everywhere. everywhere.She Shereally reallyneeded neededa alot lotof ofthings thingsto tofunction. function.
Alice

When she regained consciousness, Julie had no idea where she was or what had happened. 

She was being disconnected from the machine that kept her in life. The signs were encouraging. 

Julie remained at the MHI for three weeks. During 
her stay, she recovered nearly all of her cardiac function 
and retained no long-term damage from the heart attack.

Her survival and recovery are a result of the perfectly 
coordinated care dispensed in a specialized institution 
that houses cutting-edge expertise and technology.

It Itmade mademe merealize realizeI’m I’mwhere whereI’m I’msupposed supposedto tobe. be.You Youreally reallyhave haveto tothink thinkof ofit itas asa achain chainwhere whereeach eachlink linkis iscritical. critical.This Thisis isthe thetypical typicalexample exampleof ofmultidisciplinary multidisciplinarywork. work.When Whenthe theteam teamcomes comestogether togetherin inthe theright rightplace, place,the theresults resultsare arepositive. positive.
Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Noly
Cases Caseslike likethose thosestay staywith withyou. you.How Howyou youreact reactduring duringthe theacute acutephase phaseof ofthe theillness illnesscan canhave havea alasting lastingimpact impacton onthe thepatient patientand andeven evenon ontheir theirloved lovedones. ones.
Dr. Patrick Bellemare
The highly specialized care dispensed at the 
MHI has given Julie and her family a future. 

Thanks to donors, the Foundation 
makes stories like these possible. 
They Theynot notonly onlysaved savedmy mylife. life.They Theysaved savedmy myfamily. family.They Theyallowed allowedmy mychildren childrento tostill stillhave havetheir theirmom. mom.
Julie
Julie