In August, 17-year-old Callie was hospitalized at UC Davis Children’s Hospital for a cold that turned into walking pneumonia, which developed into a life-threatening lung injury. She was placed on ECMO, a heart-lung bypass machine. Then another complication: Callie was getting her blood drawn daily and her blood was clotting before it got to the lab. She was diagnosed with cold agglutinin disease, a rare autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks red blood cells.
Callie’s mother, Cara Cosentino, calls Callie’s recovery a miracle. She credits a lot of prayers and her daughter’s care team, who got her through the toughest days. “The doctors, nurses, the whole team were amazing. We just can’t thank them enough. They saved my baby,” she said.
Callie and her mom returned to the hospital to show the team how far she has come. “So often, our patients leave the ICU, and we do not get to see them again,” said assistant nurse manager Laura Kenny.
