RAY OF HOPE

Hi, My name is Kimberly Newton Lake and I am fundraising for Health Park Medical Center in honor of and as an expression of gratitude for the recent care of my father, Raymond Newton.

The funds raised will be presented to Health Park Medical Center by my Dad so that they can purchase additional medical equipment in their CPR Training Department.

In November of 2023, Dad was hospitalized and treated for an abdominal abscess and was sent home with an IV line for antibiotics to treat the dangerous infection for 30 days.

December 15, he was re-admitted to the hospital due to severe hallucinations thought to be a side effect of the antibiotics and or sepsis.

December 16, he was taken to the imaging department for a CT scan with contrast to determine if the abscess was still present with infection and if the use of the antibiotics could be discontinued.

During the scan, he began to seizure and his heart stopped beating.

The CT Technician recognized the emergency and called for CODE BLUE.

The hospitals Medical Emergency Team came to his bedside and began CPR.

Following the CPR Protocol, they had taken turns performing compressions, had injected all of the medications recommended by the protocol, and after 20 minutes, still no response.

The head physician who was leading the CODE BLUE, Dr. Sareh was in the process of pronouncing my Dad dead when his heart began beating.

They quickly transported him to the Medical Intensive Care Unit and were not hopeful that he would survive through the night.

When I arrived at the MICU the following morning after traveling from TN, he was intubated, 16 IV pumps and various other machines and monitors going.

The performed several scans on his heart, brain to determine if he had suffered any damage from lack of oxygen to his brain from being dead for 20 minutes and heart studies to see what damage his heart had suffered.

The brain scan showed that he had suffered mini strokes which looked like speckled paint spatters in tiny areas and the heart study showed a strong heart with an ejection fraction of 60%.

This man is a miracle they said !

On December 21, Dad was weaned off of the ventilator and then transferred to the step down unit the day after.

Bouts of Atrial fib, a day or two of hallucinations, lots of questions and realizations happened for Dad in the following days, but overall, he suffered no paralyzation, no brain damage.

December 30, he was transferred to rehab and I am happy to report, that he was discharged and sent home this morning!

During the days of his time in ICU and Stepdown, we were visited and met many of the doctors and nurses who participated in the CODE BLUE.

All of them were still amazed that he survived and some still shaken by the experience.

One nurse said that her upper core was sore for a week after.

One mentioned that he could "feel" himself breaking Dads ribs during compressions.

My Dad would have not survived this if The MET Team had given up hope.

We will never be able to thank them enough or show them how grateful we are.

Hopefully, whatever monies are raised will show some expression of how important they are to our family and more lives can be saved.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this time.

God is good