Heart Lung Machine

Hello there. My name is the Heart-Lung Machine, and I have a very special job. Before I tell you about me, let's talk about you. Inside your chest, your heart goes thump-thump-thump, pumping blood all around your body to keep you strong and full of energy. Right next to it, your lungs go whoosh, breathing air in and out, giving your blood the oxygen it needs. They are a super team that never stops working. But that created a big, puzzling problem for doctors a long time ago. If someone’s heart was sick and needed to be fixed, how could a doctor operate on something that was always moving? It was like trying to fix a spinning top while it was still spinning. It seemed impossible, and doctors wished they could just ask the heart to take a little break.

That's where my story begins, with a kind and clever doctor named John Gibbon. He saw many people who needed help with their hearts, and he had a big, brilliant idea. He thought, “What if I could build something that did the heart and lungs’ jobs for them, just for a little while?” He wanted to create a machine that could give the heart a rest so doctors could carefully fix it. For twenty long years, he worked with his wonderful wife, Mary, in their laboratory. They tried again and again, figuring out the best way to build me. I started as just a collection of pumps, tubes, and special parts. They designed me to gently take the blood from a person's body, give it the oxygen it needed just like the lungs do, and then pump it back, just like the heart does. It took a lot of perseverance, which means they never gave up, even when it was very hard. They knew I could one day help save lives, and that thought kept them going every single day.

Then came my first big day. It was May 6th, 1953, a day I will never, ever forget. I was in a bright operating room, and I was a little nervous but also very excited. A young woman named Cecelia needed my help. The doctors gently connected me to her with my special tubes. Then, it was my turn. I started my quiet, steady work. Swish, pump, swish, pump. I was taking over for her heart and lungs. For the first time ever, a doctor was able to work on a heart that was completely still and quiet. The room was hushed as the doctors carefully fixed the tiny hole in her heart. When they were done, her own amazing heart started beating strong again. It worked. I had done my job. From that day on, I made amazing new heart surgeries possible. I help doctors become 'heart heroes' every day, giving brave hearts the rest they need to get better and stronger.