One day after Brittnee gave birth to her third child, Brayden, she learned that the flu she’d been fighting for weeks had developed into bacterial and viral pneumonia, and she was put on a ventilator. After nearly two weeks, she became septic and her lungs collapsed.
Brittnee was emergency airlifted to UT Medical Center in December 2022 where she was immediately treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a potentially lifesaving treatment for seriously ill patients with lung and heart conditions. The technology, which became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, had first come to UT Medical Center’s Heart Lung Vascular Institute in late 2020. The machine essentially does the work for the patient’s lungs and heart, giving them time to heal. Ultimately, Brittnee was on ECMO for 70 days. “I really don’t remember anything from after I gave birth to waking up two months later,” she said.
Born and raised in Knoxville, Brittnee and her husband, Jeremy, were married in 2020 and have seven children in their large, blended family. People from their church, including the pastor and his wife, stepped in and helped Jeremy take care of the kids, especially newborn Brayden, while Brittnee fought for her life.
While on ECMO, one of Brittnee’s lungs became detached from the side wall, and she began bleeding internally. She underwent surgery to try to stop the profuse bleeding. The doctors told Jeremy that, even though her chances of survival were slim, it was important to maintain their positivity and help motivate Brittnee to keep fighting.
And that’s exactly what she did. When Brittnee was finally taken off ECMO in March 2023, “that’s when my anxiety kicked in,” she said. “I didn’t trust my lungs. Even though my body was able to do it, my brain wasn’t ready.”
What followed was months of physical therapy and significant ups and downs. Brittnee was finally able to go home for good in July, but it wasn’t until September that she could fully take care of herself without additional care. “I learned that I’m a pretty strong person, stronger than I thought I was,” she said. “My faith definitely guided me through my healing process. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Jeremy’s support. And if it wasn’t for the staff, nurses and doctors at UT Medical Center, I wouldn’t be here today.”