Hours before ushering in 2025, 18-year-old Faith was helping her father, Troy, prepare for their New Year’s Eve party. Soon, their home would be filled with friends and family. Fresh cookies baked in the oven, filling the house with a warm, sweet aroma. 

Meanwhile, Faith’s mother, Melissa, was working her shift at WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital, where she works as a clinical nurse educator on the medical surgical unit. 

Ding! Ding! Ding! The timer on the oven rang, so the cookies were ready.  When Troy returned from store to get supplies for Faith the timer was ringing, but Faith was not around and Troy went to find her. 

What he never expected was to find Faith collapsed on the bathroom floor, suffering from cardiac arrest. He immediately began CPR and called 9-1-1. Faith was rushed to WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital.  

Faith had a pre-existing heart condition that caused irregular heartbeats. This night, her extra heart beats did not stop causing ventricular fibrillation (v-fib). While Faith would regularly see a cardiologist to help treat this pre-existing heart issue, no one can prepare a family for a moment like this.   

Life-saving resources  

During Faith’s brief two-day stay at WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital, Melissa and Troy faced heartbreaking conversations including whether or not their daughter would survive. At one point, they weren’t sure if she would ever wake up. 

In Faith’s case, both her heart and lungs needed support, so she was transferred to WellSpan York Hospital to receive a higher level of care and her last chance for hope: ECMO. 

ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, temporarily takes over the function of the heart or lungs, giving them time to heal. 

“ECMO is one of the most advanced forms of life support currently offered in the world for people suffering from severe failure of the heart or lungs, or sometimes both,” Dr. Omair Chaudhary, medical director of extracorporeal life support at WellSpan York Hospital. “Essentially, ECMO drains the blood from the vein, and then we push the blood through an oxygenator, putting oxygen into the blood and removing carbon dioxide. After that, we pump the blood back into the patient’s artery.” 

On ECMO, Faith says she couldn’t see her surroundings, but was aware of sounds and voices, enabling her to form bonds with her care team.  

She recalls one of her care team experts, Andrew, who she jokingly called “Toes” because of his funny slippers that always made her smile. Then there was Dakota, a nurse who spoke to her as if she were fully awake. And, how could she forget about Reacher, the yellow, community engagement K-9 lab offering support along the way? 


Melissa and Faith enjoy the company of Reacher and Officer Jonathan Hatterer.  

Melissa remembers that as Faith became more awake, she smiled through the ventilator when she heard Dakota’s voice. 

After 52 days in the hospital with about 3 weeks of that time being on ECMO, Faith was able to leave the hospital and receive rehabilitative care at WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital, where she met another friend along the way: Hannah.   

They would take walks together, even when it was so cold out, but Hannah knew how to make them fun for Faith.  

Recovery was in reach, and Faith was slowly overcoming her condition with the support of her family, friends and care team.   

Melissa recounts this experience and how it continues to have a ripple effect on her own professional life, as a nurse.  

“This experience has made me a better nurse,” Melissa says. “I add increased compassion toward patients and their support because I know how hard it can be on the other side.” 

Celebrating progress  

Each year, ECMO survivors and caregivers come together to celebrate outside of the hospital and reconnect to see how people have improved. Faith and her family had the opportunity to connect with familiar voices and faces and share that special moment together.  

 
Anna Druck RN, ECMO Specialist, Faith and Emily Young PA-C celebrate and reunite at the 2025 annual ECMO dinner. 

“Each year, it is incredibly rewarding for our ECMO team to see our patients thriving and surrounded by their families,” Dr. Chaudhary. “This is why we do what we do.” 
 
This September, Faith graduated both physical and occupational therapy programs. At WellSpan Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, she started receiving Botox treatments in her hands to help give her more range of motion and less pain from WellSpan Neurologist Dr. Zhenhui Li in York. Faith is starting to get back into the things she enjoys. From creating art to styling hair, Melissa gets to enjoy the outcomes. Faith is eager to get back to driving. She even participated in WellSpan’s brain injury awareness art show.

 

Faith holding artwork showing her progression in therapy.

One of Faith’s paintings now hangs in the intensive care unit as a reminder to care team members that anything is possible.  

“To have her back to who she was is a miracle,” said Melissa. “The progress is outstanding.” 

This year, the Rhone family celebrated New Year’s Eve much differently, with a focus on celebrating all they have overcome over this last year.  

To learn more about WellSpan’s live-saving, innovative care across central Pennsylvania, please visit, www.WellSpan.org.