“I may not know everyone’s name, but I know faces and I will never forget each and everyone that was there the three days that we were at Kapi‘olani,” says Mark Ohigashi, father of young Mika, who was diagnosed with myocarditis. The preschooler went in to the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children’s Emergency Department when, after several days with a fever, she was unable to sleep and complained of chest pain.

Mark recalls how his then-2-year-old daughter was rushed into an exam room and the flurry of activity that followed once her vitals were taken. The cardiologist, Dr. Andras Bratincsak worked to confirm Mika’s diagnosis. Once she was diagnosed with myocarditis—a very serious inflammation that could potentially stop her heart—the youngster was placed on an “ECMO Heads Up,” which prepared her parents (mom Allison is a pharmacist at Kapi‘olani) for the possibility that Mika would be connected to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

Veno-Arterial (V-A ECMO) is a heart-lung bypass treatment. A pump outside of the body replaces the heart function and an oxygenator/ventilator replaces the lung function. Mark says this is usually a “last resort” option.

As she was being prepped for surgery in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Mika went into cardiac arrest. “Luckily, the PICU staff had already intubated her, pre-cannulated her for ECMO and the surgeon had already arrived, so while they performed CPR for 27 minutes—a very long time,” Mark recalls.

“The sounds of the Code Blue alarm and Dr. Prashant Purohit (the PICU attending physician) shouting and directing the code are forever etched in our minds. [However] that was only
the beginning of more hurdles towards near-death (thrombi, stroke, multiple organ failure, sepsis and foot amputation) that Mika would have to overcome in the following days and the two months that would follow at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.”

Eventually, Mika required a transfer to a heart transplant center with more options. Through Kapi‘olani’s partnership with LPCH Stanford, she was transport- ed to the California facility.

Although they were leaving, Kapi‘olani continued to support the family. Sherri Sommer-Candelario (Transport Team/ ECMO manager) kept them informed throughout the process and escorted Mika on the plane, along with Dr. Len Tanaka (PICU/ECMO physician). Dr. Tanaka even “brought her ear plugs for the plane even though she was in a medically induced coma,” Mark says.

“Dr. Alyson Tamamoto—NICU physician and Mika’s pediatrician—saved Mika’s life so many times,” Mark adds. “Her advice diagnosed Mika’s congenital heart defect (unrelated to this illness) and got us to the ER at the right time.”

Dr. Tamamoto also spoke with the family every morning while they were at LPCH Stanford and not only updated Kapi‘olani staff back home, but she also facilitated any second opinions for decisions on Mika’s care.

Mika spent her birthday in a medically induced coma at LPCH, however, the staff worked to get the family home in time for Christmas Eve. Thanks to H.U.G.S. the family was able to come home to a Christmas tree surrounded by presents.

“I was just amazed at what they do; and they do it with professionalism and the genuine care to not give up when it comes to saving lives,” Mark says.

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