Chicago doctors performed a rare operation. The patient’s organs were severely damaged by COVID-19. Now the young woman is breathing again—with two new lungs.
The unnamed patient is in her 20s. Doctors are withholding her name for privacy reasons. She was a fairly healthy adult. But her condition deteriorated rapidly after she was hospitalized with the novel coronavirus.
The patient battled COVID-19 for six weeks on a ventilator (breathing machine) and heart-lung machine.
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus. It can cause serious lung problems such as pneumonia and acute (severe) respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS.
The Chicago patient’s lungs had suffered lasting damage from the virus. She needed a new set.
Lungs accounted for just 7% of the nearly 40,000 U.S. organ transplants last year. They’re hard to come by, and lung patients often wait weeks on a transplant list.
“For many days, she was the sickest person in the COVID ICU and possibly the entire hospital,” says Elizabeth S. Malsin, a heart and critical care specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
During the wait, the patient’s heart, kidneys, and liver began failing. But before doctors at Northwestern Medicine could put her on their transplant list, the patient had to test negative for COVID-19. If she still had the virus, it could damage her new lungs too. After weeks of testing and re-testing, doctors finally got a clear result.
Doctors put the patient on the organ donation list for not one but two new lungs. Within 48 hours, the lungs arrived.
The double lung transplant wasn’t the first procedure of its kind in the United States. But it was a first for a COVID-19 patient. Only a few other COVID-19 survivors, in China and Europe, have received such transplants.
The operation took 10 hours. The virus had left the patient’s lungs full of holes, says Dr. Ankit Bharat, who performed the procedure. He describes her lungs as “completely plastered” to her tissue and other organs.
In late June, the patient remained on a ventilator while her body healed. But she was well enough to visit with family via phone video. Doctors say the outlook for her to have a normal life is good.
“We are anticipating that she will have a full recovery,” says Dr. Rade Tomic, medical director of the hospital’s lung transplant program.
Dr. Bharat sees lung transplants as an option for other COVID-19 survivors. His team worked hard to give their suffering patient a chance to breathe again. He says, “Everybody was just rooting for her.”
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! — Psalm 150:6
1st Comment!!!
Amen! That's almost a miracle that lungs arrived in 48 hours! This tells you that COVID is not fake (I agree, the media over exaggerates but still)
I hope she makes a full recovery!
~Nadia
What great Healing!
It is almost a miracle (or maybe it is) that she survived that! I had heard of getting new organs...but two!?! That's awesome!
(I just realized my first sentence is very similar to the other one:)
oh...my...goodness
wow that is crazy. definitely a miracle, that is just so amazing, and she is so lucky.
@ Warren
Not lucky...blessed by God. :-)
That was a miracle not almost
That was a miracle not almost a miracle .
Amen!
this story is so amazing, thank you God!
wow
that was, and still is, a very AMAZING gift from god, but i still cant believe that people think this is all a hoax!!!!!!!!!!! My 2 bffs had it and my great aunt and uncle has it at the moment and they are in the hospital but it still makes me a bit frustrated.
@ MM
I hope they are all right! And yes I think COVID-19 is very real.
Thank goodness she survived
Two lungs replaced looks scary and dangerous
⭕ ⭕
O
COMMENT BY : SCARLETT R
I am glad she is alive! Corona virus really can be dangerous. It was lucky those lungs came quickly. THANKS TO ALL ORGAN AND BLOOD DONERS!
@ Maggie M
I do believe that COVID-19 is real, but I don’t think we should be scared of it. I understand if you are in a high risk category that you would be a more cautious. I know people who are at very high risk and they are not that concerned, if they were really concerned about it I probably would take it a little more seriously. But for right now why should we be scared of it? I have worn a mask a couple of times, the rest I didn’t. Why should COVID keep us from spending time with people? And did you know that there are people who need transplants and surgeries but doctors won’t preform the surgeries so those people die and they don’t count that in the list of COVID deaths. It’s sad what our nation has become. Sorry if that offends anybody
I'm glad she was able to get
I'm glad she was able to get those lung transplants. That is a miracle that they arrived in 48hrs.
That's insane
That's awesome that she lived through that so well! I hope she lives a good life without any issues.
Hi!
Hey Nadia! How've you been?
@Sarah F
Eeeeyurp, our nation acts quite idiotic sometimes lol
@Above
That is so awesome I am glad that she got the transplant. And I agree with Sarah F about covid. It is just another virus. It damaged the lady's lungs, but not necessarily everyone's lungs. People are over-reacting and being scared. We just need to chill a little.
slow reader
My sister read this ''faster'' than me
@Sarah F
I agree.
@ Sarah F
I understand what you mean, but I think we still need to be smart about it. Even if we won't be affected by it, others can be, like grandparents. But yes, many people are overreacting. Covid 19 has affected so many lives and has changed the world forever. I would rather wear a mask then risk more people losing their lives. Please don't be offended by this. Covid is very bad where I live.
Not lucky
This is not a lucky thing this is a blessing from God, i don't know what is up with people always saying its a coincidence or it's just lucky your not lucky with God your blessed with him.
@ Malachi G
I agree
so true
so true all people ever say is we were just lucky and it all worked it's self out well here is what i have to say to them who gave you the idea ?who made it possible? who allowed it to even work ?and if they still say it was all luck i will still stand firm and try to make decipels of all the nations because i know that satin is trying to make me give up but i will not i will sing to the lord with all of my heart and praise his name forever more and let my GOD be in countrol 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. anyone agree
pleas anser
i just started this yester day and hope to make some firends
@Sarah F
Same, same, same! Definitely NOT offended! I pull down my mask whenever we're in a store. And my sister gets anxiety from wearing one as well. I just tell everyone that my physician has instructed me not to wear a mask, bc it's true! It works!
My BFF and her mom & brother got the police called on them bc they're not allowed to wear a mask, but an employee told them to!!! Crazy!!! They were leaving before the police got there, but still. I don't think COVID19 is anywhere as life-threatening as the media makes it seem. I think it's only bc it's an election year.
&
No offense meant, btw!
WOW
THAT IS SO COOL THAT GOD SAVED HER!!!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!
@Jill B
Yes I agree! And, I mean, even if it wasn't that way she's not lucky, the doctors are super skilled! and she wasn't not lucky that she got covid, it was because she probably wasn't being smart and got it. But yes, it's not luck! It's God. He could take away our lives in a second, but he loves us so much and he chooses not to. I hate wearing masks, but God tells us to obey our leaders because he put them there.
wow
that is so cool! I am so glad god gave doctors the skill to perform such skill needed surgaries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how do you al find the
how do you al find the articals first hoe daly do they post or what time a day do you gget on
@ David U
Hi! I've been okay. Had a 5 week hospital stay but other than that I'm great! I haven't been very active on here because I was studying for Bible Bee. XD
@Jill
They post new ones every month (they will post new ones on November 2nd) f I want to get first comment I usually wake up at like 6 am EST and then sit by the computer half asleep until they post them xD (I haven't done that sense 2017 though hehe)
Thank you, Jesus!
Thank you, Jesus for healing that patient!
Thank you Lord
This is my fav verse.
For these three things will last forever, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Cor 1 13:13