More than 100 staff recently gathered at The Alfred to reunite with a patient whose care led to two world firsts and sparked a hospital partnership covering more than 3000 kilometres. This is how the occasion unfolded.
A significant patient renunion
May 11, 2026
Former US Marine Travis Reyes holds two world records. He is the first person to ever undergo hyperbaric oxygen treatment while on ECMO life support, and his repatriation to the United States is the longest recorded ECMO retrieval flight in history.
Now discharged from hospital, Travis, along with his wife Jasmine and family, jumped on a video call to meet the Australians who saved his life.
For the clinicians, support and admin teams gathering at The Alfred and online, it was the first time they’d properly met.