While we sometimes perceive and expect medicine to be an exact science, doctors and nurses need to have a special instinct in order to save lives. What may appear to be one disease may actually be another, and what may look benign may actually be fatal to a patient.
In 2006, 16-year-old Michelle Bruno walked into the hospital with flu-like symptoms. But nurse Margie Barry-Sheerin recalls that she simply felt that something wasn't "right" about her. She noticed the girl's skirt, which was part of the uniform of the school her daughter went to.
Then she made a fateful realization: there was a rash on her leg. She knew that this girl couldn't sit in a waiting room and wait to be admitted. She needed immediate attention, and fast.
Sure enough, she was right. The same instinct told the attending emergency physician, Dr. Ted Toerne, that he needed to forgo tests and jump straight to treatment. He intubated Michelle and gave her IV fluids.
It turned out that they were fighting meningococcemia, a bacterial infection of the lining of the brain, spinal cord, and bloodstream. Michelle could have died within hours, but thanks to their quick actions and instincts, she survived the ordeal.
Now, 10 years later, the three of them tearfully reunited. Michelle emotionally thanked them for saving her life all those years ago, and even had a special surprise: she became a nurse herself!
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