b'The Power of PhilanthropyIn the spring of 2019, Dana and Mary Smith found themselves praying for their son Dixon to pull through. He had experienced significant complications during open heart surgery administered at a non-Cone Health facility in another city. Doctors had to perform CPR until they could connect a heart and lung machine to keep him alive. Dixon also needed this equipment, called an ECMO machine, during his recovery in the ICU.We needed this ECMO machine here in Greensboro at Moses Cone Hospital, Dana said. Thats when Dana, an active member of the Cone Health Heart & Vascular Advisory Board and local Greensboro business owner, decided that he was going to share Dixons story broadly.For the next six months, Dana shared Dixons story and the impact that an ECMO Program could provide at Cone Health. Because of his passion and love of his son, Dana was able to engage over 25 donors to give approximately $200,000 to support the launch of this program. The power of philanthropy provided not only engagement and knowledge of an important program initiative at Cone Health but also the resources that allowed us to move more quickly to implement the project.As we move forward, the Cone Health Heart and Vascular Center has been deeply committed to creating an advanced shock program, which includes the use of the ECMO machine (CardioHelp machine.) With an ECMO machine, Cone Health physicians are able to perform various types of valvereplacements in the cath lab instead of in the operating room and save more patient lives. Dan Bensimhon, MD, and Peter VanTright, MD, have created a team approach aimed at treating the varied needs of advanced heart failure.Photo: The Smith family enjoying a vacation.3334'