A Marathon of Faith, Care and Survival: Amy’s ECMO Story
Amy Yost was initially hospitalized with what was believed to be double pneumonia. Her family expected a short hospital stay — two weeks, and she would be home. Instead, her condition rapidly worsened. She was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and sepsis, setting off a medical journey none of them could have anticipated.
What followed was 95 days of critical illness, extraordinary care and unwavering hope.
Much of Amy’s ECMO journey is told through the voices of her family — because for nearly the entirety of it, Amy was what they now gently call “asleep.”
During her sleep period, Amy was resuscitated, intubated and life‑flighted to Baptist Hospital, where she was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO. She remained on ECMO for 48 days, in addition to ventilator support and receiving 24‑hour dialysis. At one point, she was transported by ambulance back to Texas by air. After everything her body endured, Amy spent nearly a month in rehabilitation — and then, finally, she went home.
In Amy’s earliest days at Baptist Hospital, her physicians and nurses acknowledged the uncertainty of what Amy and her family were facing. Each day required meticulous monitoring, clinical expertise and constant collaboration. Throughout this journey, the ECMO team and critical care staff provided round‑the‑clock attention, compassion and skill — fighting for Amy’s life when she could not fight for herself.
Amy’s husband, Gary, never gave up on her. He told the care team, their family and anyone who would listen that he had prayed and asked God to heal Amy — and that he would not ask again. Instead, he chose to thank God for her healing, believing it was already done, just as his mother had taught him to pray. He and the family prayed constantly — lifting Amy and others in need, thanking God through every high and low.
The care team reminded Gary and Amy that this healing path would be a marathon, not a sprint. They were right.
Amy’s family stayed closely involved during her time at Baptist Hospital — calling often, asking questions about each machine and what it was doing, and advocating for her comfort. Every call, every question, came from love, faith and determination.
When Amy finally woke up, she slowly began to understand the magnitude of what she had survived.
Amy is still recovering today but doing much better. She experiences occasional weakness and brain fog, but she remains deeply grateful — especially for one unexpected gift. Since ECMO, she has not smoked and no longer has the desire to. She credits her survival to God guiding the hands and decisions of her care team and feels blessed to share her story with others.
Amy and her family extend special thanks to the ECMO caregivers at Baptist Hospital — the physicians, nurses, technicians and support staff whose expertise, vigilance and compassion carried her through the most critical days of her life.
Her gratitude also extends to those who never left her side — her husband Gary, family members Heath, Rachelle, Sheila and Haley, close friends including the Wrens and the Hardings who visited often, and the countless family members and friends who prayed for her without ceasing.
Amy’s story is a testament to her family’s faith, her resilience and the lifesaving power of ECMO — made possible through expert care, dedicated support and hope that never faded.
