The Facebook video, which has been viewed more than 16 million times, depicts Mr. Johnson holding up a series of written messages sharing his story and asking people to help him get in touch with the nurse who saved him when he was a 13-month-old baby.
According to a Dallas Morning News report at the time, a semitruck collided with the vehicle Mr. Johnson’s family was in, killing both of Mr. Johnson’s parents and injuring his siblings.
He said his grandparents told him he suffered a traumatic brain injury, his heart stopped and his veins collapsed. The unidentified nurse, then an employee at Medical City McKinney hospital in Texas, reportedly had trouble inserting an IV into Mr. Johnson’s arm, but was able to insert the IV into a vein in his ankle.
Mr. Johnson’s grandparents said the nurse contacted them 16 years ago, but that they could not remember her name, the report states.
“I was just thinking, hey, if this nurse was so great and actually saved my life, I want to reach out to her and say thank you,” said Mr. Johnson.
The hospital released a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday stating officials were committed to helping Mr. Johnson find the nurse who saved him.
Mr. Johnson released an update on the situation Tuesday evening, stating the former nurse’s family got in touch with him and told him the woman had died.
“Thank you so much for your help! We have been overwhelmed by the response. We are so grateful for all of the people who have shared [the video] … Sadly, we learned that [the nurse] passed away years ago from cancer. Of course we were very devastated to hear this news. But we still very much want to get in contact with her family so we can thank them,” Mr. Johnson wrote.
Mr. Johnson said he hopes to travel to Texas to connect with the nurse’s family and express his gratitude.
More articles on hospital-physician relationships:
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Former Merck CEO donates $250M to Columbia University medical school to eliminate student debt
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