Paul and Maria Orellana weren’t concerned when their daughter, Myrka, complained of a tummy ache. “We thought she’d just eaten a little too much over the weekend,” says Maria. When the eight-year-old girl’s symptoms didn’t improve, Maria took her daughter to the pediatrician, who referred the family to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital for an extensive work-up. “The idea that something was wrong with her heart never crossed my mind.”

In the emergency department, Dr. Vicki Sakata recognized that Myrka’s heart rate was too high and erratic, so Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Paul Kim conducted an ultrasound. The diagnosis: myocarditis, a viral infection with an unusual and a profound impact on the heart. In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Intensivist Dr. Brian Boville and the PICU team worked to strengthen Myrka’s heart beat. Although she was placed on full life-support, her condition continued to rapidly decline. And then her heart stopped beating.

A last resort

The little girl’s only chance for survival was ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)—a sophisticated procedure involving an artificial heart-lung machine. While the PICU staff performed CPR for an incredible 75 minutes, the hospital’s specially trained team prepared the equipment and connected Myrka to the machine.

“It was surreal,” recalls Paul. “Like a bad dream. But the nurses were so positive, they instilled hope in us.”

During treatment, the ECMO machine acts as a substitute for the heart and/or lungs, giving the body time to rest and recover. The patient is connected to the machine via two surgically inserted tubes. Blood is pumped out of the body and circulated through an artificial lung, where oxygen is added and carbon dioxide is removed. The blood is then warmed before it’s pumped back into the body.

“We want to thank all the people who donated money for the ECMO machine,” says Paul. “They helped save her life.” Myrka adds her personal thanks, as well.

A home away from home

Myrka remained in the hospital for seventeen long days—eight of those spent on the ECMO machine. During this traumatic time, Paul and Maria found much-needed comfort at Tree House. “Just having a place to take a shower was so nice,” says Maria. Funded by donations to Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation, Tree House enables families like the Orellanas to stay close to their critically ill children.

Being away from their other precious daughters was difficult. But Leyla, age five, and Gabriela, age eleven, visited their parents at Tree House as often as possible. The family even enjoyed dinner together in the communal dining room. “We were incredibly grateful for Tree House,” says Paul.

Today, Myrka—who once had a slim chance of survival—is back at home and back in school. “She’s a fighter,” says her father. Myrka now requires only occasional follow-up visits at Mary Bridge.

The third-grader declares, “I know I’m back to normal because I still don’t like math.” Art is Myrka’s favorite subject. “And I like to write poems.” She also enjoys music and singing. And she’s looking forward to playing basketball when her heart gets a little stronger.

“We are so thankful to the doctors and nurses who took care of our daughter,” says Paul. “There are really no words to express how grateful we are for what they did. We have our daughter back.”