MUSCs first ECMO reunion a chance for survivors to share their stories

Three rows of people standing on stairs with the glass entrance to a building behind them. Some are wearing t-shirts that say ECMO reunion 2026. Most are smiling.

United by a common experience, people whose lives were saved by the MUSC Health ECMO teams gather for a reunion in Charleston. Photos by Julie Taylor

A high school teacher and wrestling coach. A woman who loves her German shepherd and her Harley. A young man nicknamed Boogie. And a mom who almost didn’t survive giving birth.

They were just four of the many people who gathered at the Medical University of South Carolina for a reunion of patients who at one point were on life-support devices that provided extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, better known as ECMO. ECMO, only available at hospitals capable of performing the complex procedure required, can do the job of the heart and lungs while the body heals.

The survivors’ stories were dramatic. Mark Holliday, who teaches and coaches wrestling at Blue Ridge High School in Greenville County, wound up in the hospital after a heart attack. He was also suffering from congestive heart failure. “I coded in the cardiovascular intensive care unit on a Monday night. Forty-five minutes, 23 rounds of CPR. And after all that stabilized, they did ECMO. And so that kept me alive.”

Robin Floyd, a Harley-loving resident of Kershaw who likes to have her German shepherd ride with her in the motorcycle’s sidecar, was on ECMO for a week after a heart transplant. “They took me off ECMO, and I stayed in the hospital for four-and-a-half months. I was in the ICU for most of that time.”

Ashtin “Boogie” Akins, 12, was in the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital for longer than that. He was flown there after heart surgery at a different hospital went much longer than his mother expected. “It ended up being over 16 hours long, and he ended up on ECMO,” Shaletha Mole said.

A young man stands with a woman has her arms around him. They are looking to the side, appearing to listen to someone speak. He is wearing a white t-shirt. She is wearing a red top.

Shaletha Mole holds her son, Ashtin "Boogie" Akins, at the ECMO reunion.

Finally, another child was on stage at the ECMO reunion, too – Harper Fortelney. She was with her mom, who described coming to MUSC Health to give birth to Harper eight years ago. “Little did I know I would throw two pulmonary embolisms while delivering,” Amanda Fortelney said, referring to blood clots that lodged in her lungs. Pulmonary embolisms are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths. “I had a crash C-section. Waking up probably two weeks later, I came off ECMO.”

It was clear they’d all been through something remarkable. They were part of a community of survivors. Doctors and other care team members were on hand, too, to talk with the former ECMO patients about what they’d been through and how they’re doing now.

Luca Paoletti, M.D., medical director of the adult ECMO program, explained how carefully such patients are chosen for ECMO. “It is offered to select patients with severely compromised lung or heart issues and is used as a temporary heart/lung to allow for organ rest and recovery. In the simplest form, it is just a pump and oxygenator. But it requires intensive monitoring and a team approach, which is made up of physicians, nurses, perfusionists, respiratory therapists and physical therapists.”

Caitlin Reese talks at the ECMO reunion while her husband Sam holds Monroe. Monroe was on ECMO at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital.

The adult and children’s ECMO programs have earned recognition from the international nonprofit Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. It named the adult program Gold Level Center of Excellence for ECMO and the children’s program a Platinum Level Center of Excellence.

MUSC’s ECMO program also maintained essential support within the hospital and beyond. Laura Hollinger, pediatric ECMO medical director, called ECMO an effort that “truly takes a village. We’re very fortunate that our leadership supports this program the way it does, and MUSC can be here for the greater community, not only here but locally for the entire state.”

Alicha Gibbs, nurse manager of the adult and children’s ECMO programs and organizer of the reunion, expressed her gratitude, too, after seeing the survivors. “I know now more than ever that it is a privilege for my team and me to play a small part in helping someone and their family spend more time together on this Earth. I pray they always have happiness and well-being in the future.”

Paoletti said he’s seen how fragile ECMO survival can be. “My wish for these patients is that they can recover physically in terms of organ function, physical strength but also in their mental strength. They have often had control taken entirely away from them during their ECMO journey. I wish for them to recover and reconnect to who they were before this ordeal. For families who also have been affected, I hope they can have a return to a normal family life. I think we all want our ECMO patients to continue to live well afterward and to have continued recovery with time.”

Holliday, the teacher and coach from Greenville County, said he’s doing just that. “I'm thankful to be thriving. We have so much to be thankful for with what MUSC provides.”