DAPHNE, Ala. — “The darkest time Susie and I have ever experienced was from 8:00 that morning until (Katie) was stable on ECMO about 1:00.”

That quote, written by Bob Hamlin, Katie Hamlin’s father, and posted on Katie’s online journal documenting her recovery, illustrates the stress and pressure that Katie’s parents have endured.

“The surgeon told us that (Katie) was bleeding from the chest and he didn’t think he could stop the bleeding,” Susie said. “We thought that may have been it.”

Last year, Katie had a drug-induced coma and a stroke that affected the memory portion of her brain. She was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome, which means her lungs were not creating enough oxygen for her body.

Editor’s Note: You’re reading the fourth of a five-part feature on Daphne resident Katie Hamlin’s life after what many have called a miraculous recovery from acute respiratory distress syndrome. 

The driven 16-year-old is starting a new school year at Daphne High School.

See the rest of this story in the Sept. 8 Daphne Bulletin.

Further reading: