Episode 4 of the CCTea podcast follows up on the previous episode about Wearable Medical Technology through a full-length feature interview with a star student of the Communication, Culture & Technology program at Georgetown University.
Shavini Fernando, a Fall 2018 graduate of the program, recently designed her own wearable medical technology called O2Wear. Her device will continuously monitor users' oxygen levels and will alert the user and their primary care provider if oxygen levels drop too low. Shavini won multiple awards on campus for her invention, including over $50,000 worth of prize money to further develop her device.
In the exclusive CCTea interview, Shavini discusses the background and inspiration for her invention, beginning with her own struggles with a heart condition called Eisenmenger's Syndrome. Her incredible stories include an out-of-body experience, an accidental stroke, a lost passport, and a letter from President Obama.
See below for the full table of contents:
0:00 - Introduction 0:45 - Shavini’s Origins (Sri Lanka) 1:25 - Grad School & Teaching in Australia 3:25 - Eisenmenger's Sydrome Explained 7:00 - The Blue Face Incident 8:00 - Cardiologist Visit 9:40 - Right Heart Cardiac Catheterization 11:00 - Shavini Defeats Death 14:30 - A Dismal Diagnosis 16:45 - Traveling to the U.S. 17:00 - An Accidental Stroke at Johns Hopkins 17:45 - “I Feel Like I’m in Grey’s Anatomy” 18:45 - Recovery: Continuous Oxygen 19:45 - Obtaining Insurance Through ObamaCare 20:40 - “You Have Letter From the White House” 21:10 - Switching Visas Under Trump 22:25 - Choosing Georgetown & CCT 23:45 - Changing Visas: International Shenanigans 25:45 - Lost Passport Abroad 28:05 - Physical Gains and Goals 29:30 - O2Wear Explained 34:30 - “It’s Not Just For Pulmonary Hypertension” 36:35 - GU Bark Tank Competition 38:00 - Coming Up With The Name “O2Wear” 40:45 - Training for Pitch Night: GIPC Competition 43:30 - Pitch Night: “I Forgot My Entire Pitch” 46:05 - What’s Next? 48:10 - The Importance of a Positive Outlook