ECMO, which removes a patient’s blood, adds
oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, warms the blood
and returns it into the veins. The machine gives a
patient’s lungs or heart the boost needed during
the wait for a transplant.
The next thing Nettles remembers is waking
up in the pulmonary intensive care unit a few
days later and marveling at the sounds of cars
whooshing along Archer Road, a sensory input
signaling he was alive.
“At UF Health Shands Hospital, from the bottom
to the top tier, everyone treated me like gold. They
were my family, and that was my home,” he says of
his 17-day stay.
Nina Nettles remained by her husband’s side
for each of those days. She was so moved by the
teamwork exhibited throughout his care that she
set her sights on joining the team at UF Health
Shands Hospital, where she now works as a
personal care assistant.
“Jerry never worries about anything,” she says.
“He has a strong heart. I think that positive attitude
helps with healing.”
On April 10, 2017, Nettles returned home. The
35-minute car ride from the hospital provided time
for reflection.
“I looked at cows and trees; I caught all the
scenery,” he says. “My ride to the hospital was in
“ At UF Health Shands
Hospital, from the
bottom to the top tier,
everyone treated me
like gold.
They were my family,
and that was my home.
”
— Jerry Nettles
6 | F LO R I DA P HYS I C IAN