Thomas Peterson was the son of Morgan Peterson.
History[]
Birth[]
When Morgan Peterson was 24 weeks pregnant, she had a spontaneous coronary artery dissection which caused a heart attack. In order to fix her heart, they had to deliver her baby at 24 weeks gestation. After he was born, Tommy was taken to the NICU. However, he suffered a spontaneous intestinal perforation and had to be taken right back into surgery. Arizona operated to repair his intestines. The surgery was successful and he was taken from there to the NICU, where his condition was stable. He also had a patent ductus arteriosis, which they treated with indomethacin. ("Have You Seen Me Lately?")
Struggles[]
Not long after he was born, Tommy developed NEC and needed abdominal surgery. He was taken into surgery, where Arizona determined that only a small portion of his bowel was necrotic, so there was more than enough to salvage. While they were operating, Tommy went into cardiogenic shock.
After surgery, Arizona informed his parents that he was in congestive heart failure. As she listed their treatment options, Chris shot each one down, stating the risks of each one. Arizona asked them how aggressive they wanted to be with their treatment. Morgan wanted to be more aggressive, but Chris wanted to stop.
They started treatment and Morgan was advised that it could be hard to watch, but since Chris had left, she decided to stay. She was upset when the treatment was started, but she stayed with him. ("If Only You Were Lonely")
Tommy later developed a small brain bleed, which they monitored. Teddy also told Morgan that Tommy had a pericardial tumor, which had to be removed that day as it was compressing his heart. Callie informed Morgan that Tommy's hip displasia could be treated with a harness.
While he was in surgery for his heart, his brain bleed worsened to stage III, requiring surgery. The surgery was successful and he was left stable in the NICU. ("One Step Too Far")
Later, Tommy went into sepsis due to an ileocolic fistula. He had also developed post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus and had retinopathy of prematurity. Arizona listed the things Tommy was at risk for and asked Morgan if she still wanted to proceed with the surgery or if she wanted to allow natural death. Morgan was convinced that they weren't there yet. Despite Arizona saying that things were deteriorating significantly and that Morgan needed to consider what kind of life she wanted for her son, Morgan decided to go ahead with the surgery. ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight")
Death[]
A few weeks later, an x-ray revealed that Tommy's NEC had returned. Arizona was reluctant to operate, but Morgan insisted, so she took him into surgery, but once she was in there, she saw that almost all of his bowel was necrotic, so she closed. She explained the situation to Morgan, informing her that it was time to say goodbye. In the NICU, Alex disconnected all of Tommy's machines and allowed Morgan to hold him while he died. ("Moment of Truth")
Relationships[]
Familial[]
When Thomas was born, he was very sick. As such, his father felt they shouldn't try to prolong his life as his chances of survival were so low. His father ultimately left him in the care of his mother, Morgan. Morgan continued to fight for Tommy until they reached a point where there was nothing more they could do and they disconnected all the machines and allowed Morgan to hold him while he died.
Notes and Trivia[]
- He was born at 24 weeks gestation.
- He was named after his mother's father.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Appearances[]
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 8 | |||||
| #01 | "Free Falling" | #09 | "Dark Was the Night" | #17 | "One Step Too Far" |
| #02 | "She's Gone" | #10 | "Suddenly" | #18 | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" |
| #03 | "Take the Lead" | #11 | "This Magic Moment" | #19 | "Support System" |
| #04 | "What is It About Men" | #12 | "Hope for the Hopeless" | #20 | "The Girl with No Name" |
| #05 | "Loss, Love and Legacy" | #13 | "If/Then" | #21 | "Moment of Truth" |
| #06 | "Poker Face" | #14 | "All You Need is Love" | #22 | "Let the Bad Times Roll" |
| #07 | "Put Me In, Coach" | #15 | "Have You Seen Me Lately?" | #23 | "Migration" |
| #08 | "Heart-Shaped Box" | #16 | "If Only You Were Lonely" | #24 | "Flight" |