Daewoo “Skooter” Thompson was just 19 years old when he was involved in a life-threatening car accident, his car rolling and ejecting him from the vehicle. Skooter stopped breathing, and emergency medical crews began what would become a 53-day effort to bring Skooter back to life. 

At the hospital, Skooter was intubated, hooked up to an ECMO machine, and underwent multiple bronchoscopies, six abdominal surgeries, a tracheostomy tube, a feeding tube and a skin graft. During his hospital stay, he received numerous blood products that helped him recover, and his entire family have become advocates for blood donation. 

Months after he was discharged, Skooter returned to the hospital to thank the care team that helped him to make a full recovery.