Heart Lung Machine

Hello. I am the Heart-Lung Machine. Do you know about your heart? It is inside you, and it goes thump-thump-thump all day and all night. It works very hard to keep you strong and playful. But sometimes, a heart gets a little tired and needs a rest so a doctor can make it all better. That is when I get to help. I am a heart’s special helper, and I love my job. I help the heart take a little nap so it can wake up feeling brand new.

A very kind doctor named John Gibbon made me. He was so smart and wanted to help people's hearts feel strong. For a long, long time, he worked in his room with tubes and pumps and wheels. He was building me. He wanted to make sure I was just right to be a good helper. Then, one very special day, on May 6th, 1953, I was ready. It was my first time helping a real person. I was so excited. I quietly helped their heart take a rest while the doctors made it better. Dr. John was so proud, and I was happy I could help.

Now, because of Dr. John's wonderful idea, I get to help so many hearts. I help big hearts in grown-ups and even tiny, tiny hearts in little babies. It makes me feel so happy inside to be a heart’s special helper. I let the heart take a quiet, cozy nap. And when the doctors are all done, the heart wakes up feeling strong and healthy, ready to go thump-thump-thump again. It is the best job in the whole wide world, helping hearts feel happy and strong.