Mississippi family speaks out after cyberattack during lifesaving surgery

A Mississippi family is sharing their story for the first time after a cyberattack disrupted operations at a major hospital system in the middle of a lifesaving surgery.At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, patient Wade Watts was undergoing a liver transplant just as critical systems across the hospital began to fail.Watts and his family were celebrating what would ultimately be a successful surgery. But the journey to that moment was anything but easy.Watts had been battling liver failure and other serious health issues before receiving the call that would change everything."One night they said, 'Hey, we think we have a match,'" said Wade Watts.That moment of hope quickly collided with an unexpected crisis."The cyberattack took place while I was actually in the operating room," Watts said.The February cyberattack knocked out phones and electronic systems across the hospital, forcing staff to operate without the technology they depend on daily.His wife, Sara Watts, a registered nurse, was there and witnessed the situation unfold in real time."I didn't know that this was even a thing," said Sara Watts.As systems went down, hospital staff had to quickly adapt."They were having to physically run the lab and physically write out all the orders; you can just point and click," Sara Watts said.Despite the challenges, Watts said the experience has left him with deep gratitude not only for the medical staff but also for the donor who made his recovery possible."They made a decision at some point in their life to leave a gift behind for me so I can continue to live my life," Wade Watts said.Now, he wears a bracelet marking his transplant every day, a constant reminder of the second chance he's been given.Hospital officials have not released details about what caused the cyberattack or what safeguards may be in place moving forward. In a statement, the University of Mississippi Medical Center said it could not comment, as the incident remains under investigation. A Mississippi family is sharing their story for the first time after a cyberattack disrupted operations at a major hospital system in the middle of a lifesaving surgery. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, patient Wade Watts was undergoing a liver transplant just as critical systems across the hospital began to fail. Watts and his family were celebrating what would ultimately be a successful surgery. But the journey to that moment was anything but easy. Watts had been battling liver failure and other serious health issues before receiving the call that would change everything. "One night they said, 'Hey, we think we have a match,'" said Wade Watts. That moment of hope quickly collided with an unexpected crisis. "The cyberattack took place while I was actually in the operating room," Watts said. The February cyberattack knocked out phones and electronic systems across the hospital, forcing staff to operate without the technology they depend on daily. His wife, Sara Watts, a registered nurse, was there and witnessed the situation unfold in real time. "I didn't know that this was even a thing," said Sara Watts. As systems went down, hospital staff had to quickly adapt. "They were having to physically run the lab and physically write out all the orders; you can just point and click," Sara Watts said. Despite the challenges, Watts said the experience has left him with deep gratitude not only for the medical staff but also for the donor who made his recovery possible. "They made a decision at some point in their life to leave a gift behind for me so I can continue to live my life," Wade Watts said. Now, he wears a bracelet marking his transplant every day, a constant reminder of the second chance he's been given. Hospital officials have not released details about what caused the cyberattack or what safeguards may be in place moving forward. In a statement, the University of Mississippi Medical Center said it could not comment, as the incident remains under investigation.