Innovation Saves Lives Amid Darkest Moments of COVID-19 Pandemic

 “Effective communication is paramount and it works best when combined with trust. When there is a pandemic or another crisis that affects the human race, we should use our capabilities to the best of our ability and find solutions – together.” – Dr. Ankit Bharat, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Northwestern Medicine

Published by Seraph Books, Howard, Ohio is pleased to announce the new release of “Innovation Amid Despair: Restoring Hope and Time,” by Ankit Bharat.

Dr. Ankit Bharat is a tenured Professor of Surgery, Chief of thoracic surgery, and director of the Canning Thoracic Institute at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. Work by Dr. Bharat and his team resulted in the first successful double lung transplant in the United States to save the life of a young COVID-19 patient on June 5, 2020. His research team published some of the early scientific papers that informed the medical community about the importance of lung transplantation for patients with severe COVID-19. This procedure provides a second chance for critically ill patients affected by COVID-19 and similar infection who have no other options for survival. Dr. Bharat and his team have helped other centers successfully perform transplants for similar COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Bharat received his training at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, and Washington University in St. Louis. At Northwestern Medicine he performs lung transplantation and surgeries for patients with cancers in the chest cavity. Dr. Bharat leads an NIH-funded scientific research program as the Harold & Margaret Method Endowed Chair and teaches at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Bharat was part of the coronavirus task force leading many initiatives such as the ECMO transportation for critically ill patients at his institution. He conducted “warm” autopsies and operated on numerous COVID-19 patients.

About the Book: As COVID-19 and its variants Delta, Lambda, and Mu plagued the world with an unimaginable period of death and despair, the world raced to innovate and save lives. Dr. Ankit Bharat, Chief Thoracic Surgeon, and his team worked to find solutions to combat this virus, fastidiously pioneering the double lung transplant procedure for COVID-19 patients with no other hope of survival – which has been adopted globally.

“Innovation Amid Despair” unveils heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring stories about the extraordinary crisis told by patients and their loved ones. These accounts display how innovation can be accomplished in the darkest, most desperate moments by genuinely caring about people – restoring hope and the need for time – to reconcile conflicts.

This prolific story spans many dimensions beyond medical discoveries, revealing damning consequences of political dividedness, conflicting narratives, and public distrust, while illustrating the importance of mutual harmony and collaboration so that we are better prepared – for the next catastrophe.

Foreword By:

“Doing lung transplants for COVID-19 patients – that’s interesting and it’s a wonderful contribution. But what he has accomplished in his research career is far more impactful than his great significance for thoracic surgery.”

– Alexander Patterson, MD

Performed One of the World’s First Successful Double Lung Transplants.

Patient Stories Include but are not limited to:

“Politics aside, the virus is real. It happened to me, and it can happen to you. If you don’t care to protect yourself, do it for others around you. Just be a human.”

– Mayra Ramirez,

First COVID-19 Patient to Receive a Double Lung Transplant in the United States

“When faced with a life-threatening situation, your resources may become futile. Your family means everything.”

– Terrence A. Duffy,

Chairman & CEO Chicago Mercantile Exchange