A Well-Oiled Machine

It all started with a cough.

In December 2024, 3-year-old Landon Sawyer of Prairieville, Louisiana, came down with the flu. But then his fever spiked to 104.5 degrees, and his oxygen dropped dangerously low. Suddenly, Landon’s life was in danger. He was placed on a ventilator. Doctors determined he had a severe, life-threatening staph infection in his lungs. He wasn’t stabilizing. Landon needed ECMO.

ECMO to Keep Landon Alive

ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is a heart/lung bypass machine that oxygenates blood while organs heal. Arkansas Children’s Angel One is the only pediatric transport team in the region with mobile ECMO. “We’re nationally known for our ECMO team,” says Dr. Katherine Irby. Without ECMO, Landon would not have survived transport.

Six Weeks of Lifesaving Care

Landon arrived at ACH on December 16 and was admitted to the PICU. His body had gone into shock. His heart, lungs and kidneys were failing. For six weeks, a multidisciplinary team worked to save him.

Care for the Whole Family

Arkansas Children’s supported not just Landon, but his family. Child Life specialists helped celebrate his birthday and Christmas. Social workers arranged lodging. Nurses comforted him through delirium.

Today

Now 5, Landon is “firing on all cylinders,” says his mother. He still requires daily treatments but is thriving. “From the time we got to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, it was like a well-oiled machine,” she says.

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