After years of declining health from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Richard Barbour underwent a double lung transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

When a patient is nearing the end of life under normal circumstances, family members would be called, chaplains would be brought in and the dying would be surrounded by loved ones. But for patients infected with COVID-19, that unfortunately is not possible. Many family members now can only say goodbye over an iPad, unable to be there for their loved one’s final moments. 

Five-year-old Khori was born with a congenital heart defect and has already undergone two open-heart surgeries in her short life. After her second surgery, it was clear she would need a new heart, so she was placed on the transplant list.

At Vanderbilt Health, we understand that sometimes before we can save a patient’s life, we need to pioneer innovative, new ways to do that. Take Maurice McAllister, for instance.

Latonya Drumwright was expecting to pop in quickly for a routine mammogram on her lunch break—but when she found herself with a longer-than-usual wait after the exam, she had a feeling this visit may not be just a typical checkup.

At 7 years old, Lily Hensiek's biggest worries were homework and getting her ears pierced. But when she started complaining of back pain, experiencing fevers and bruising easily, her family began to worry. 

The Vanderbilt Health trauma staff cares for thousands of patients each year, but the team was never expecting they would face three mass shootings in just seven months.

In March 2016, all that should have been on seventh-grader Drew Estes’ mind was middle school baseball tryouts and basketball practice. But when he developed a persistent fever, his parents took him to the doctor to see what was wrong.

At 53, Ron Duncan was a successful businessman who played multiple sports and considered himself to be in great health. But when he started having abdominal pain, he visited his doctor and received devastating news. What he thought was just a hernia from playing sports was much more serious.

“A parent’s worst nightmare” is how Lametra Scott, PharmD, CCHP, describes the moment her son Rickey was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that can cause blood clots and severe pain. As a new mom, Lametra was scared and had a lot of questions. Fortunately, she had a highly specialized program nearby at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.