The Perfect Predator by Steffanie Strathdee & Thomas Patterson & Teresa Barker

Author:Steffanie Strathdee & Thomas Patterson & Teresa Barker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2019-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

16

SEMPER FORTIS:

ALWAYS FAITHFUL, ALWAYS STRONG

February 21–26, 2016

The evening of February 21, intent on finding a clue that could lead to phage sources, I spent the night with PubMed and half a bottle of 7 Deadly Zins. Newtie and the kittens made a nest along my side in the blanket that covered my lap, each jockeying for a position that would reward them with a scratch under their chin or on the belly. By eleven p.m., I had finished scribbling down a list of the top phage researchers who made any mention of Acinetobacter baumannii in their published papers. I highlighted the ones that were based at US institutions, knowing that time was of the essence. The AppleTV connected to our surround-sound speakers was set on random play, and I clicked it on to fend off the painful quiet. The room filled with one of my favorite songs, “Courage,” by the Tragically Hip. We were living the through line: sometimes all we can do is stay upright through the worst of times, make the best decisions we can, and live with the consequences, never knowing what they’ll turn out to be.

My mind wandered. It had now been over a month since I had last heard Tom’s voice. I took a deep breath and hit the answering machine button, just so I could hear his deep baritone: Hi, you’ve reached Tom and Steff. We’re not here right now…

“OK,” I announced to the kitties. “This is no time to feel sorry for myself.” I thought of Tom fighting for his life against this superbug that I’d once dismissed as wimpy. He’d made the decision to fight, and we’d made our pact to do it together. As I sang along with the chorus to “Courage,” I summoned whatever strength was left in me to get the job done.

My search had turned up only a handful of people in the US who could maybe—just maybe—help find the right A. baumannii phages for Tom, and were close enough to possibly beat the clock. I stared at the blank email page. It stared back. I would have to make cold calls, emailing someone out of the blue. I was used to that, since I often contacted leading researchers for their expertise. But this felt weird for a few reasons. First, although I had an undergraduate degree in microbiology, phage research was far afield from the discipline I knew best and for which I was known by others. Second, this wasn’t a professional query. It was as personal as it gets. I was about to ask a group of strangers to help me save my husband’s life. A proverbial shot in the dark, with Tom’s life hanging in the balance. But if Tom died despite my efforts, at least I’d know that I’d tried my very best.

In fifteen minutes, I’d written a generic email that I tailored slightly for each of the researchers on my list. The first one was to Dr. Ryland Young at Texas A&M University, director of the Center for Phage Technology.

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