26-year-old woman undergoes life-changing third double lung transplant

(Gray News) – A 26-year-old woman is recovering from a rare third double lung transplant.

Taylor Stevenson was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was just nine months old.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system, and other organs in the body. cff.org. She took medication and received daily respiratory treatment.

By the age of 16, she discovered she had complications with her lungs. In 2015 she received her first double lung transplant. Eventually, after four years, she realized something was wrong.

“On Independence Day, as I lay in my grandma’s bed, I felt a strange feeling, like I was short of breath. This is not normal,” she said.

She went to the hospital immediately, but it was clear that her body was rejecting the second lung. Stevenson’s doctors said she needed new lungs.

“I never thought third was an option,” she said.

She called and wrote several hospitals, but they all said no because most facilities don’t do third double lung transplants. At some point, she became discouraged.

“I’m 26 years old and I’m not supposed to be like this. I’m breathing in 15 liters of oxygen trying to walk around the track with a walker,” Stevenson said.

but, Dr. John M. Reynolds, Transplant Pulmonologist She took a chance at Duke Health, and she was eventually accepted into its transplant program.

“The fact that Taylor is undergoing multiple surgeries, the medications that lung transplant patients need to take, these things add up and over time the patient could have serious problems and other medical problems. ” said Dr. Reynolds.

Stevenson moved from Oklahoma to North Carolina to start the process all over again. She underwent a successful transplant in January. She has already made amazing progress since then.

Nurses said it would be a great sign of progress if she could sit in a chair. Stevenson surprised them, walking 50 feet one day and over 200 feet the next.

She had her first biopsy on Valentine’s Day and the results came back with no rejection.

“I’m so blessed,” she said. “It was the smoothest port ever. This whole experience was crazy and amazing.”

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