The Miracles of Technology

Technology in medicine has leapt forward at an extraordinary rate and cardiac care has largely benefited from the progress. Just ask Father Rudolph LeVeille from Bangor. LeVeille was at St. Joseph’s Hospital being treated for cardiac problems when he took a quick turn for the worse. Physicians there knew he needed to get to Boston for surgery quickly, but he likely wouldn’t survive the trip if his heart didn’t have some help. They sent him across town to Eastern Maine Medical Center where specialists inserted a balloon in his aorta and hooked it up to a special pump that would assist his heart.

Because of his urgent need for the specialty care in Boston, Father LeVeille was the perfect candidate for a LifeFlight transport. But the balloon pump would need to come with him, so the flight crew was faced with the problem of quickly re-configuring the helicopter to accommodate the bulky machine. Thankfully, they rose to the challenge and less than 2 hours later, Father LeVeille was being wheeled into a cardiac operating room in Boston where he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. In the future, LifeFlight hopes to have a smaller, portable version of the balloon pump to make these trips smoother and more efficient.

Today, Father LeVeille has fully recovered, with only some lingering fatigue. In fact, just a few weeks after his surgery, he was able to enjoy a two-day Jubilee Celebration in honor of the 50th anniversary of his ordination.

CREW MEMBERS
CommSpec Jason Eaton : Pilot John Marino
Nurse Sam Schaab : Paramedic Rob Franks