Sunday, November 27th 2022… as the sun was to rise on another of God’s days, our sweet and
loving Andrew, gently closed his eyes to this earthly life, and went on his eternal reward of
everlasting peace and rest. At just the young age of 23, he had touched so many lives and had
been a blessing to those around him.
Andrew Tod Thompson was born on May 20, 1999 in New Iberia to Pauline Babin and Tod Thompson, and was the best little brother that Luke Steven Thompson could ever dream of. From an early age, Andrew had always been the young man that had respect and kindness in his heart. You were greeted with a firm handshake and that million dollar smile of his, pleasant conversation, whether it was about baseball, hunting, and fishing, or just Andrew asking aboutmyour family. A huge sports fan, especially baseball and his LSU Fighting Tigers, Andrew excelled on the diamond and played baseball in little league, travel ball, and with the All Stars. He also played with his alma mater, Catholic High, where he graduated in 2018. He then went to SLCC to continue his studies. He was pursuing his dream job to become a realtor.
Andrew firmly believed that family and faith were important in his life. Those that knew Andrew, knew of a young man who was generous, loving, kind, and true to all he met. He lived a life for others and wanted to bring a smile and laughter to those around him.
Andrew was never afraid to speak openly, and with genuine concern and care, made sure to let everyone know that no matter what was going on in their world, everything would be ok. He had a certain peace about him, as if a bright light shined from his smile and eyes and good vibes were
constantly flowing.
It was no secret that Andrew, AKA “Hollywood” loved to dress and was always in fashion with his hair perfectly styled, which gave him the best opportunity to show off his famous dance moves. He lived every day as if it was the best day ever, taking advantage of everyone and everything around him.
On November 23, 2022 Andrew woke up not feeling well. I (mom) took him to Urgent Care #1 and he was diagnosed with the Flu. They prescribed him Tamiflu and gave him a steroid shot. He came home and rested. Thanksgiving morning, November 24th he woke up and said he was feeling better already. He sat on the couch most of the day. I was happy to see him eating, visiting, and on what I thought was the road to recovery. However, things began to go downhill from there. On November 25, he woke up acting a little different. He began to complain again about not feeling well. He said his breathing was different. I suggested we go get an X-ray to rule out Pneumonia or Bronchitis. I took him to Urgent Care #2 ( a different one than the first) and the chest X-ray was clear, and the doctor ruled his symptoms as anxiety. They gave him a shot for pain and sent him home with a prescription for steroids.
In my experience with having the flu, I remember feeling as though I had been hit by an eighteen-wheeler. As a mom, I thought symptoms were normal for someone who had the typical diagnosis of the Flu. Little did I know what monster was brewing inside Andrew. I bought him home and gave him more fluids, food, and his meds. Now it’s still November 25th around 8’ o’clock in the evening. He tried to rest but was still not feeling right, he said. I told him, okay this time I am taking you to the hospital. I wanted to take him to the hospital about 25 minutes away. However, he wanted to go to the nearest one, the only one in our little city.
They did an EKG on him because he complained of his chest. He saw a Nurse Practitioner that night. They stated his EKG was good and all vitals were okay. They asked if he was ever diagnosed with anxiety. They gave him a shot and ruled his complaints and symptoms as having anxiety. They sent him home with a prescription for anxiety. They monitored him for an hour and he seemed to be finally resting. They checked his vitals before discharging him and he had a fever of 103. They gave him some Tylenol and said fever is common with the flu. Again, I am not a doctor or nurse so I am entrusting the care of my 23-year-old son to people who are professionals in their field.
That night I had him sleep on the couch near me to monitor him. He slept okay. The next morning, November 26th, he woke up and moved around a little but went back to bed. Again he seemed to be going through what I have experienced before myself having had the Flu and Pneumonia. He got out of bed at about 2pm and was still complaining that he is not feeling any better. I said okay now I am taking you to the hospital of my choosing, the one that is about 25 minutes away. They take him into Triage and immediately when the nurse checks his oxygen levels she jumps out of her chair and gets another nurse to bring him oxygen. They quickly bring him to an ER room.
In a matter of minutes, they do a CAT scan, blood work, and chest X-ray. The ER doctor states his tests show a little fluid buildup in his lungs, but that it’s not uncommon with the Flu. It was his blood work that worried the ER doctor. They admitted him and he went right to the ICU. There is a Pulmonary Specialist there to conference with me and states Andrew has ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). I was like what the hell is that and how did he get that when 3 healthcare professionals ruled him as having the FLU and anxiety? The doctor asked if Andrew ever smoked, vaped, or had asthma. None of which he did. The doctor stated because of his young age and great health up to this point he should come out of this with the right medications and care. However, they said he could be in ICU awhile and he was a candidate for a procedure called ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). However, the only facility that had the capabilities of this treatment was 4 hours away.
Therefore, once they had Andrew stable they could airlift him there. Little did I know that would never happen. He had to eventually be intubated. His numbers continue to stay the same, never better, but never worse. It is about 2 a.m. on November 27th and he seems to be holding his own, but nothing seems to be helping his body recover quickly enough for him to be airlifted to get the ECMO procedure. Air med finally arrived, but Andrew’s symptoms had begun to deteriorate therefore, they would not risk flying him. This is a day I will never forget. I had to ingest and fathom that my 23-year-old Andrew was not coming home with me, he was going home to Jesus.
To have known Andrew before ARDS took over his body was to know a true man of faith, love, and hope. His smile was contagious, and his kindness and love were inspirational. I was so blessed God chose me to be his mom. He has touched so many lives, therefore my family and I created The ATTM Foundation in his memory to continue his legacy and spread awareness of ARDS.
