LSU Health Shreveport, Zuniga family celebrate dedication of ECMO Center of Excellence

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - In 2017, Juan Zuniga was shot twice in his chest and spent weeks in the hospital — fast forward to Wednesday, July 27 - he was present for the opening of the ECMO Center of Excellence at the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center.

ECMO is short for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation — which was a vital tool in saving Juan’s life, after he lost a part of his lung and the ECMO machine allowed his remaining lung to heal.

Juan was shot twice outside his family’s restaurant El Compadre, in the 500 block of Kings Highway, near the Youree Drive intersection, while attempting to stop someone from stealing his mother’s purse.

Two men were later arrested. Juan was eventually released from the hospital after a month and a half.

Donations collected by the Zuniga family were used to purchase more ECMO machines for the hospital, which played a vital role during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.

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