Memories of corpsmen administering care to his injured body filled Michael Lammey’s mind as he toured U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Guam in Agana Heights Oct. 21.
“I was nervous when I first got here because I didn’t know how I was going to react emotionally,” he said. “But now actually being here I feel proud that I was in the Navy and I’m able to come back here and meet some of the people that were here when I was going through what I went through.”
On Dec. 1, 2006, Lammey and five other Sailors serving aboard the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) suffered life-threatening burns when a section of the boiler system split open, emptying steam inside the ship.
The Sailors were transported to USNH Guam where they received primary treatment before being sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
“The medical team here probably saved my life,” Lammey said. “For them to do what they did at the old hospital (building) with that type of casualty was amazing. With the limited resources they had there, they had to depend heavily on the staff, and the staff exceeded expectations.”
Cmdr. Chad Baasen, USNH Guam director of medical services, was at the hospital the day the accident occurred.
Hours before the incident, Baasen had just turned over his duties as the department head of emergency medicine. Though he was off duty at the time, he made a call to the emergency room when he was informed of the mass casualty. Without hesitation, he headed back to the hospital to assist.
“I remember the day very well like it was yesterday and all the chaos that was going on in the trauma bay and within the emergency department,” he said. “It’s truly remarkable to see how well he’s recovered from this significant degree of injury he suffered.”
Though it has been nearly nine years since he last saw Lammey, Bassen said he was glad to know a former patient received the best care.
“It’s great to see these stories from a personal standpoint when you see a lot of patients every day,” Baasen said. “A lot of times you don’t see the end results, especially someone who’s seriously injured as he is. To be able to have him come back and thank us personally and for us to see how well he’s doing, it makes you understand why you do the job.”
