Those Who Fight to Save Young Cardiac Patients

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August 7, 2002

Those Who Fight to Save Young Cardiac Patients

By ANITA GATES

oes anyone really care that Dr. Drummond-Webb participates in

triathlons when he isn't performing cardiac surgery? Not at first, but that

changes.

You'd think the real drama in " I.C.U.: Arkansas Children's Hospital, " the

ABC News documentary mini-series that begins tonight, would be the

life-and-death struggles of babies and children with severe heart problems.

But by the second part of this four-part report (please don't call it a

reality show), viewers are likely to care very much about the doctor and

many of his colleagues at the cardiac intensive care unit of this hospital

in Little Rock.

The glimpses of their private lives add to the depth and texture of the

interactions. Not that the patients and their families aren't alternately

elating and heartbreaking.

The first episode focuses on a 2-week-old baby and a 9-year-old boy who both

need heart transplants. One of the two survives. The second episode

introduces two more babies with heart problems and a family (a woman and two

teenage daughters) who have to have defibrillators implanted to protect them

from the effects of Marfan or another genetic cardiac syndrome, long QT. Two

of the woman's children, both with Marfan syndrome, have already died.

If fellow human beings are going to have cameras pointed at them when

they're emotionally naked and in what should have been private moments, they

should at least be paid millions of dollars and treated like gods. One hopes

that the families shown on " I.C.U. " were at least provided with free medical

care.

The medical professionals receive less invasive treatment in " I.C.U, " at

least in the beginning. Dr. Drummond-Webb is shown at his 42nd-birthday

celebration, where his colleagues give him a blow-up doll named Dirty .

Dr. Bornemeier and her husband show off the sunny bedroom, already

stocked with stuffed animals, that will belong to the 1-year-old girl

they're adopting in China. Ann , the operating room nurse

manager, does a little gardening at home.

The patients and families are mostly seen in the hospital. It's a relief

that some touches of humor turn up there. One tiny patient looks up at the

hospital room television set and says, " Papaw. " His mother explains: " No,

that's not Papaw. That's Trebek. "

It would take a very cold heart not to be moved by the sight of infants

almost buried in wires and not to be charmed by the children's enthusiasm

and sense of fun when they're feeling well. The mother whose angel-faced son

dies after a long battle with cardiac disease maintains her dignity as she

quietly says, " I believe he went from my arms to God's. "

But does the world really need a close-up of a terrified 14-year-old girl,

tears running down her face as she's rolled into surgery, pleading, " Please

don't let me die. " The only thing worse would be if the girl were playing to

the cameras. And if that were what things had come to, we would all be going

straight to hell.

I.C.U.

ABC, tonight, 10, Eastern and Pacific times; 9, Central time

Lee Hoffman and Clem , producers; Whipple, series producer;

Doss, executive producer; Ani Mozian and , field

producers; Phyllis McGrady, ABC News senior vice president for early

morning, primetime and news development; Vargas, narrator.

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