Our ECMO Appeal #MoreTimeMoreLives is raising £150,000 for more ECMO units at Royal Brompton

ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is used to support critically-ill patients, where all other treatment options have been exhausted. It allows a patient’s heart or lungs a rest by pumping and oxygenating the blood outside the body while they are diagnosed or treated. 

As just one of five ECMO centres in the UK, patients are often retrieved from hospitals as far as Wales, like Tracy who went into septic shock at home whilst recovering from surgery. She was airlifted to Royal Brompton and put on ECMO:

“ECMO and the care of the Doctors and nurses saved my life which my family and I can’t put into words our gratitude.”

With more units, the team at Royal Brompton can treat more people like Tracy. Perfusionist at Royal Brompton Rosie Smith explains:

“ECMO really is seeing the difference between a person struggling to live and hopefully starting them on their road to recovery. Having more equipment for ECMO means we can help support more people to recover when there isn’t really any other option for them.”

Demand for ECMO also increases in winter due to a peak in respiratory illnesses. Last year was the biggest winter season for the NHS so this year, we’re asking for you to please help us prepare so we can reach and treat more patients. 

If you’d like to support this appeal, you can make a one-off donation here. Or get in touch with our fundraising team ([email protected]) to see how you can support us at our seasonal events.