Hi everyone. What a day. I am in still in shock and having a hard time even believing the words that I am writing tonight. If you missed the post on my mom’s Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, you can read it here.
I woke up this morning to two text messages from my dad.
“We got another call it is now 3:30 am and I am sitting in the waiting area. They no longer allow anyone to wait with the patient.”
“It is 3:40 your mom just called they are going to do the transplant… everything is a go…”
After 59 days on the waiting list and three dry runs where she was called for surgery but the donor lungs weren’t viable, my sweet mother received a double lung transplant today at Duke University Hospital. Dr. John Haney did the surgery.
The surgical team at Duke was phenomenal and checked in with my dad every couple of hours. They let us know when the surgery had officially started, when the first lung was in, when the second lung was in and when she was out of surgery and in recovery. Dr. Haney called my dad after the surgery and apologized for the long wait and dry runs but assured him the lungs were worth the wait. The lungs were in great condition and the donor was less than half my mom’s age. The surgery went as well as it could have with no major complications.
I packed up and headed to Durham this afternoon. I arrived around 7p and went straight to the hospital to meet my dad. He took me to visit my mom in the ICU. It was shocking to see her on a ventilator and hooked up to so many tubes and drains but more than anything I felt relief that she will finally feel better and be able breath again. I didn’t feel like I was going to cry or freak out, I just felt this deep sense of peace and gratitude.
My mom has fought so hard and she was so courageous to go through the process of getting to where we are today. Nothing about it was easy.
My mom is heavily sedated in the ICU right now. While things can change at any moment, so far she is doing everything they want her to be doing from a recovery standpoint. Her care team told us the best thing my dad and I could do tonight was to get some rest because she will need our support a lot in the next few days. They are planning to place an epidural for pain, bring her out of sedation and extubate her sometime early in the morning. Physical therapy will start tomorrow and the plan is to get her up on her feet.
Tonight my heart is with the donor family as they grieve their loss. It’s also with my mom who is lying in a hospital bed a mile away with a second shot at life thanks to the gift of organ donation.
We would appreciate your continued prayers. My mom’s name is Sally if you want to get really specific with the messages going up. <3
I will update you guys again in the next day or two. We have a long road ahead of us and many things about life will never be the same but what an amazing blessing this is. Thank you for your compassion, love and support. It has deeply touched me during a very difficult time.
Love,
Jen
Omg this is the best news ever. Sending so many prayers for a well recovery!
This is great news. Prayers for your mom and for y’all as well.
Oh, Jen! Sending you all so much love. What strength for all involved. Hugs upon hugs to all of you ❤️
What a beautiful gift you have all received. Prayers for your mom’s recovery, and for the donor’s family as they grieve their loss!
Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of these donor lungs for Sally!! Give peace to the donor’s family as they navigate their loss. Bring total healing to Sally and let these new lungs fill fully and bring renewed life to her body!! Be with all of her caretakers and give them the energy they need to support her recovery well. Thank you for this gift ❤️
What amazing news! So grateful for her second chance. Praying her recovery goes smoothly, and praying for strength and peace for you and your dad. Sending all the love from AZ!
Dear God, you are also known as Jehova Rapha, the God who heals. Please help heal Sally from her surgery. Please allow her to recover quickly and to be in minimal pain. Please support Jen as she is navigating this healing process. Please allow their family to get to know you more through this all. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Sending lots of prayers your way Jen ❤️
I can’t even imagine what this journey has been like for you and your family. Just surreal that she has new lungs and will be walking tomorrow! Incredible news. Sending love and strong breaths your way.
Prayers and all the strong, healing thoughts to your mom and family. Praying for a smooth recovery and easy breathing.
Sending all the love❤️
Your mom and your family are in my thoughts. Sending gratitude for this gift of life!
I am so incredibly happy to hear this news! I had the chance to walk the grounds at Duke for the first time this past year when In NC for Memorial Day. It is such a gorgeous campus and one of the best hospitals in the country. So wonderful your mom is receiving care there and you can be with her. Thank you for sharing your sweet family with your readers. Prayers for your mom, Sally <3
My mom’s name is Sally too ❤️ Sending my prayers up for yours. What a blessing, Jen ❤️
God Bless Your Family, Jen. Prayers all around ❤
Thank you Jesus ♥️ I’m so glad and happy for your mom and family. Praying for her recovery.
Wonderful news! Praying for Sally and all of you as you navigate the days to come. ??❤️❤️
Sending prayers to your family and the donor’s family. I’m so happy your mom’s wait is over!
It’s is absolutely mind-blowing what doctors are able to do! Sending lots of prayers for everyone!!!
Oh Jen this gave me chills to read! Bless that donor and his or her family! What a gift for your family and your dear mom, Sally. It sounds like you have an amazing medical team. I mean for the doctor to apologize for the wait which is something he can’t control really shows how caring and compassionate he is. I hope the path forward to healing goes as smoothly as it can for all of you. Your mom sounds like such a fighter so I imagine she will do well with everything they ask her to do.
I am so happy for all of you!! ❤️
Jen,
Oh my goodness!!!! This is such amazing news and my heart is with you as you and your family see your mom out of the ICU. I wish your mother a swift recovery.
Sending big, big hugs to you.
Great news! Praying for your mom to have a great recovery. I’m so happy you you all!
That is such wonderful, positive news! Praying for your mom’s recovery and for the donor’s family in their time of grief.
I am so happy for your family – you all deserve good things. I’ll wish strength for Sally as well as the donor’s family.
Im so glad I’m an organ donor:)
I’m so happy for your family! You are all in my thoughts as she recovers from the transplant.
Sending so much love to Sally! Jen, thank you for sharing so that all those that follow can lift you and your family up. ❤️
Jen, I hope Sally knows that she has tons and tons of unseen friends out there who were awaiting this news and are cheering her on (including those like me, who rarely post)! You and your family inspire so many people daily. How wonderful it will be when she comes out of sedation and takes that first big breath. May she—and all of you—continue to heal and recover and experience all the lovely things life has in store! ❤️
Oh wow! What bittersweet news. Condolences to the family who lost a loved one so young, and what a gift this person has given by being an organ donor. Incredible. Best wishes to sally for a speedy recovery and to you and your dad as you support her!!
Hi Jen! I have been following you for close to 10 years. This post brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. Sending so much love and prayers your way.
Prayers for continued and complete healing for your Mom, Sally. God bless and wrap your loving arms around the donor’s family. Continued prayers for you and your family. What a blessing!!
Hi Jen. Your post resonated with me for two reasons. I work in organ donation so it’s always nice to hear a personal story of the blessing that can come after someone else’s loss. It truly comforts the grieving family to know that their loved one saved someone else’s life. My mother’s name was Sally, too. Sending prayers for your mom Sally’s continued healing and recovery. 🙂
Jen – sending love, prayers, and strength for you, your mom, and your family! So happy the major hurdle has been crossed! You are a strong and loving daughter, your mom is lucky to have you:) Keeping you all in my prayers!!
My thoughts are with you and your family! It brought me to tears reading about all you’ve been going through. Sending you so much love!
So wonderful, Jen and family! I will keep you all in my prayers.
What a gift modern medicine and organ donation are. Praying for a smooth recovery and healing and that all the right people are in place at the right time for her.
I am so so happy to hear this! As a pharmacist who worked on a lung transplant team prior, it is amazing the impact this can have for the receiver. I am so glad she is doing well post-op and praying for you all
What wonderful news! I hope your mother has a good recovery. It’s amazing to think that they plan to get her on her feet so quickly. Just so amazing.
Such happy news! Praying for your Mom….❤️
This is such great news. Prayers for all of you as you navigate this together.
This is wonderful news. Hallelujah. Prayers sent and sending.
Prayers for your mom and your family! What an amazing gift you all have received!
So happy to hear this wonderful news! I will keep you all in my prayers!
Such positive news and continued prayers for her recovery!! Thinking of you and keep the faith!!
Prayers and thanks for the donor and their family, for recovery and healing for your mom, and for strength and faith for you and your dad.
Sending prayers
I’m sending prayers to Sally and your family and of course to the grieving family too Jen!
I hope this year will be a lot better and happier than the last two yrs everyone had!
Wonderful news for your family. Praying for Sally’s recovery.
How wonderful!! What an amazing gift from the donor. This gave me chills to read. I’m so, so happy for you.
Sending continued prayers for your Mom’s recovery and thinking of you all, so glad to hear!
So wonderful! Thank you for taking time to let us know! Prayers to your entire family!
Many prayers for your sweet Mom!
So happy for you, your mom, and your family. Sending so much love to the donor’s family for their selfless and invaluable gift.
Sending prayers for your mom Sally, for the donor and their family and for you, your dad and your grandmother. Take care
Praying for your family……
What wonderful news for your family and your mom!!! Prayers for all of you during her recovery. God is good!!!! Praying for the family of the donor too. What a selfless act to give another life.
I am so happy for you and your family, Jen! I am sending so much love to your mom, you, and your family and my thoughts are with the donor’s family ❤️
Prayers to you all.
My prayers are with your mom for a full recovery, while my heart goes out to the donor family. I’m so glad your mom has a second chance and hope she gets well soon to enjoy life once again.
This is beyond amazing, within days of you posting and opening up about your mother’s illness!! Organ donation is truly incredible, just like doctors and medicine is to be able to give your mom new lungs! All the healing vibes to Sally. ❤️
Incredible news. Sending all the love and strength to your mom, your family, and the family of the donor. xo
Wow. It’s so bittersweet and also miraculous to see that the worst day of one family’s life can be one of the best days of another family’s life. I would hope that if any of my loved ones had to die, that they could be a part of something like this for another family. Praying for your mom and for you and your dad and lifting up this other family as well. God knows who they are.
I am so glad to hear the good news! Will be sending prayers for your mom ❤️
Organ donation is such an amazing gift.?❤
Awesome news! Best wishes to your mom
Awesome news! Best wishes to your mom on her recovery.
Sending love and prayers, and healing energy to your mom. So glad you can be with your parents right now.
Jen, thinking of you and your family at this time. Many positive thoughts for your lovely mom, Sally 🙂
Such good news. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts.
Praying for Sally!
Jen, this is wonderful news and I wish your mum all the best in her recovery. My mother in law had a transplant 5 years ago and is doing better than ever at 70. All good wishes
Jen, Thinking of you and your mum and wishing her well in her recovery. My mother in law had a transplant 5 years ago and is doing really well at 7. Best wishes
Sending love and light to you and your family and prayers for healing for your mom. What a blessing and tremendous gift that this organ donor has made. Hoping your mom has a healthy and happy, long life ahead.
I teared up reading this, with happiness for you and your family. Wishing healing and ease for your mom!
I also loved your note about the donor’s family. Isn’t life complex? Grief and joy and fear all wrapped up in eachother.
You are all in my thoughts. Picturing your mom’s strong body healing quickly as she gets used to those young lungs!
So happy to hear this news, Jen! Keeping Sally, you, your dad, Mema, and Finn as well as the donor’s family in my prayers. I’ll be looking for an update soon–hope all is going well a few days into the recovery!
That is an amazing gift, I said a prayer for your mother and will continue to send positive thoughts.
I found your post while joining some of the Facebook pages for Duke transplant.
I know of your Mom by name as my parents are at the same hotel. In fact, i just asked if they knew how Sally was doing tonight when we talked!
My Dad is to be listed Friday and reading your story is giving me hope.
I hope Sally has many wonderful years ahead. ?