Family and Physicians Offer Statements Regarding her Care and Recovery

    CHICAGO, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was
 provided by the family of Lauren Debrauwere, one of several students
 injured in the February 14 shooting tragedy at Northern Illinois
 University. Statements from her treating physician at Northwestern Memorial
 Hospital as well as Kishwaukee Community Hospital are also included.
 
 
 
     Lauren's sister Brittany, mother Mary and step-father Steve, addressed
 media via a press conference held at Northwestern Memorial earlier today
 along with Patrick McCarthy, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery and
 co-director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial
 Hospital, prior to Lauren's release from the hospital this afternoon.
 
 
 
     Statement from Brittany Debrauwere (sister to Lauren Debrauwere):
 
     "My name is Brittany and I am Lauren Debrauwere's sister. On behalf of
 Lauren and our family, we want you all to know that we are deeply moved by
 the outpouring of support that Lauren received following this horrifying
 and unspeakable event that occurred 12 days ago, at Northern Illinois
 University, a campus that both my sister and myself have considered our
 home for the past few years. We can tell you that Lauren is well and she is
 expected to recover.
 
 
 
     "Lauren's recovery has been very difficult and at times, unbearable for
 her both mentally and physically. She has a tough road ahead of her, but we
 are humbled and very grateful that we have her with us today, as our hearts
 are heavy and our prayers go out to the five families who lost their loved
 ones.
 
 
 
     "Lauren and the rest of my family want to extend our gratitude to those
 who have helped us along the way, as we appreciate the continuous support
 we have received.
 
 
 
     "We thank God for Doctor Stephen Goldman, the Kishwaukee Community
 Hospital trauma surgeon who saved Lauren's life by providing the initial
 surgery that stabilized her for her transport to Northwestern Memorial
 Hospital.
 
 
 
     "We thank God for the Air Angles paramedic flight crew who watched over
 Lauren while she was being airlifted from Kishwaukee to Chicago, and to
 Lauren's doctors and nurses here at Northwestern Memorial where Lauren has
 received and will continue to receive outstanding care.
 
 
 
     "We thank God for our immediate family and friends for showing us so
 much love and for helping us get through this horrible tragedy.
 
 
 
     "To everyone who has been praying for Lauren's recovery around the
 world, please continue to reach out to her; please continue to show her
 your love, and please continue to keep Lauren and our family in your
 prayers, as Lauren begins to heal. Thank you."
 
 
 
     Statement from Patrick McCarthy, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery;
 Co-Director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial
 Hospital; and Heller-Sacks Professor of Surgery at Northwestern
 University's Feinberg School of Medicine:
 
     "Lauren was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital as a result
 of a rare injury she sustained to a heart valve caused by a bullet that
 traveled close to her heart. Lauren is very fortunate however, as it did
 not penetrate her heart, but rather ruptured a muscle, which subsequently
 injured the valve and caused it to leak. At this time, Lauren is recovering
 well. We are preparing for an additional surgery in the weeks ahead. We
 expect her to make a full recovery."
 
 
 
     Statement from Stephen Goldman, MD, trauma surgeon at Kishwaukee
 Community Hospital:
 
     "Lauren was brought by EMS to Kishwaukee Community Hospital after
 sustaining a gunshot wound at the NIU campus. In the ED, she was in
 critical condition with hypotension, tachycardia and requiring a blood
 transfusion. The entrance wound was in the right mid-abdomen and no exit
 wound was identified. Lauren was taken immediately from the ED to the OR
 for emergency surgery. She was found to have an injury to the small
 intestine, several injuries to the right colon, and an injury to the left
 side of her liver as well as evidence of the bullet penetrating the
 diaphragm muscle near the heart. Intra-operative ultrasound was used to
 evaluate the heart and the only injury seen was to one of the heart valves.
 Following repair of her abdominal injuries, Lauren's condition stabilized
 and she was taken to the ICU for further care. She was subsequently
 transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital via Air Angels for further
 monitoring of her cardiac injury."
 
 
 
     About Northwestern Memorial Hospital
 
     Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the country's premier academic
 medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital of the Northwestern
 University Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern Memorial and its
 Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry have 897 beds
 along with 1,424 affiliated physicians and 6,464 employees. Northwestern
 Memorial is recognized for providing state-of-the-art patient care and
 exemplary clinical and surgical advancements in the areas of cardiothoracic
 and vascular care, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology,
 organ and bone marrow transplantation, and women's health.
 
 
 
     Northwestern Memorial received the prestigious 2005 National Quality
 Health Care Award and is listed in eight specialties in U.S. News & World
 Report's 2007 rankings for "America's Best Hospitals." For seven years
 running, Northwestern Memorial has been rated among the nation's "100 Best
 Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine and has been
 chosen by Chicagoans for more than a decade as their "most preferred
 hospital" according to the National Research Corporation's annual survey.
 Northwestern Memorial carries the Magnet status designation in nursing, the
 highest recognition possible for patient care and nursing excellence.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCE Northwestern Memorial Hospital