Our entire medical center is incredibly proud of Jissel and were honored to care for her.
Join Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey as we wish 12-year-old Jissel Rosario, who almost lost her life to a blood clot in her leg that may have been caused by COVID-19 (she tested negative several times, but her last antibody test came back positive), well on her journey home after spending 3 weeks in our pediatric ICU (PICU).
Her spirit and the faith of her parents have been a motivating force for the entire team during this difficult time. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the advanced pediatric and adult specialists, Children’s Heart Center cardiologists, critical care specialists, wound care specialists, hematologists at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at CHoNJ, vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, PICU nurses, and respiratory therapists, heroically worked in unison to make sure Jissel would make it back home with both her legs intact. She will be back for hyperbaric oxygen therapy every day to continue to enhance her circulation.
It is no exaggeration to say that our entire medical center is incredibly proud of Jissel and were honored to care for her. Together we battled the deadly COVID-19’s ugly consequences and wish her well on her continued road to recovery.
Jissel was transferred to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey’s pediatric catheterization lab on April 21 with a venous clot in her left leg which was incredibly swollen and blue. A dangerous situation, the clot could have broken off at any time, causing cardiac arrest. That is exactly what happened when it traveled to her lungs and caused her heart to stop. The team went into action and performed CPR for nearly an hour before she was placed on a heart and lung bypass machine (ECMO) to keep her alive.
While ECMO kept Jissel alive the team rallied using ultrasound technology and clot busting medication (TPA), although doctors were unclear of the impact the ECMO would have on her brain, but Jissel appeared to recover overnight, talking and laughing.
Her wound care team worked overtime to make sure that Jissel would not lose her leg. She underwent hyperbaric therapy every day to regain circulation in her left leg and today she is going home with both her legs.
